Nothing fishy with former Tory candidate as head of aquaculture board, premier says
Premier Tim Houston spoke to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Thursday. (Nova Scotia Government)
By Rick Conrad
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says having a former Progressive Conservative candidate as the new chairman of the Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board won’t affect the board’s independence as it hears an application to expand fish farming in Liverpool Bay.
Houston spoke to reporters after a cabinet meeting Thursday. He was asked about the change this week in the board’s leadership.
Chairwoman Jean McKenna is no longer on the board. Her replacement as chairman is Tim Cranston, a board member who also ran for the Tories in the last provincial election.
“Mr. Cranston has been on that board for quite some time,” Houston said. “He’s a free thinker. As a member of that board, he’ll listen to the evidence and hear the hearings. The chairperson’s term had expired and it was time for a new chair and there’s a new chair and that’s a good thing. But the work will be done by that board.”
Greg Morrow, acting minister of fisheries and aquaculture, said Thursday in an interview that McKenna’s term expired on Feb. 15. Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith is out of the country on a trade mission and was not available for comment.
“As I understand it, her term was already extended and that extension has expired. So a new chair has been appointed. Legislation enables these types of transitions. It’s all part of that process and we have faith in it.”
McKenna was one of the board’s first three members when she was appointed chairwoman in 2017 by the then-Liberal government. Morrow did not know if a new member would be appointed to the board.
Kelly Cove Salmon, which is owned by Cooke Aquaculture, applied to the board in 2019 for an expansion of their fish farm operation in Liverpool Bay.
Kelly Cove wants to increase its farm near Coffin Island to 20 pens from 14 and to set up 40 pens at two new sites off Brooklyn and Mersey Point.
Five groups were granted intervenor status at the hearings: Protect Liverpool Bay, the Region of Queens, the Brooklyn Marina, 22 Lobster Fishermen of Liverpool Bay, and Kwilmu’kw Maw-Klusuaqn, which is representing the Acadia First Nation.
Groups involved in the hearing were surprised this week when the board told them that McKenna was no longer chairwoman, and that hearings planned for March 4 to 8 in Liverpool were cancelled.
Jamie Simpson of Juniper Law represents a group of 22 lobster fishermen who oppose the expansion.
“It seems a bit bizarre when you have a decision-maker who has been significantly part of the process and then to all of a sudden not have that decision maker there it is certainly unusual from my experience,” Simpson said in an interview Wednesday.
Morrow wouldn’t comment on that, and said that the board’s schedule is up to the new chairman.
He said there was nothing inappropriate about how the new chairman was appointed.
“I’m not concerned. It’s an independent board. They’ll make their decision on all applications that are brought forward to them. Anyone that’s interested in being considered for appointments can apply through the government-wide ABC appointment process. Mr. Cranston was already a board member, … and he met the criteria for the position. Rules governing the independent board are established, fair and they’re known to everyone so, no, I have no concerns about the independence of the board.”
Unless the board decides otherwise, hearings into Kelly Cove’s application will begin April 2 at the Best Western Plus in Liverpool.
Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com
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