Premier Dwight Ball says government needs to work with industry leaders to make sure an event like the die-off of over 2.6-million salmon on the province’s south coast, never happens again.
Ball says there are regulations and policy changes that they’re working on with the aquaculture industry.
It’s the first time the premier has spoken to what many are calling an environmental disaster.
He says aquaculture is meant to be an industry that can flourish and benefit Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. Ball says they see significant opportunity, with investment, that can be made here and that can feed the world in terms of protein. The industry has been successful in other jurisdictions and Ball says they want it to be successful here.
The Premier says there is no doubt that the company needed to do a better job communicating with people in the area and government.
He says it never should have happened, and they will get regulations in place to make sure it doesn’t happen again.