The Burin Peninsula Chamber of Commerce is worried that ordering the Environmental Assessment for the proposed Marbase lumpfish hatchery at the old Marystown Shipyard, will result in another two years of delays for an area eager for an economic boost.
In a release issued this week, President John Baker says the chamber does not take environmental issues lightly and they will do “whatever it takes to ensure that it is protected at all times” but they believe a “happy medium” can be found to avoid delays in getting the project off the ground.
The chamber outlines a number of reasons to forego an Environmental Assessment.
They include the contention that lumpfish are an “environmentally friendly solution to an important issue” in the aquaculture industry. The chamber also says the environmental effects of a hatchery are “well known and can be managed effectively.” It says the Grieg NL project had to undergo an Environmental Assessment that spanned two years, effectively delaying the project and resulting in an economic impact to the region.
It says the peninsula’s economy is in “dire need of a boost” and needs “every little bit of help it can get.”