Minister Wilkinson talks right whales, local harbours and fish habitat with PEI Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries Robert Henderson

Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, and his PEI counterpart, Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Robert Henderson met in Prince Edward Island this week. Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the PEI department of Agriculture and Fisheries have always had a strong relationship, and this latest meeting further reinforced that.

 

The Ministers talked about the season opening of the crab fishery in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence and how this year’s measures will continue to protect North Atlantic Right Whales. Minister Wilkinson assured his counterpart the Department will work with all those involved to open the crab fishing season as soon as it is safe to do so. The Ministers also discussed renewing and maintaining local harbours. Minister Wilkinson reiterated a commitment to finding solutions through partnership to address those needs. Finally, the Ministers talked about building on existing conservation work by investing more than $50 million to enhance DFO’s national fisheries enforcement program, which will result in the hiring of more than 100 new fishery officers positions across Canada. These new positions include new fishery officers on Prince Edward Island to enforce the Fisheries Act and support the conservation of aquatic species, including North Atlantic right whales.

Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.