Environmental Information System (EIS) for Aquaculture, Phase 2

Final Report
BC Salmon Farmers Association (BCSFA)
AIMAP 2012-P15

Executive Summary

The Environmental Information System (EIS) for Aquaculture, Phase 2 project continued work on the EIS for Aquaculture project first funded by the Aquaculture Innovation and Market Access Program (AIMAP) in 2010/2011. In the first phase of this project, an improved BC fish-health database was launched, and a steering committee was setup to facilitate national discussions on the user needs for common fish-health information technology infrastructure. The improved fish-health database now provides efficient data upload and exchange and a National Aquaculture Fish Health Data Management Framework workshop was held in January 2012.

Activities proposed in Phase 2 of the EIS for Aquaculture took place in British Columbia (Campbell River and Vancouver). Phase 2 proposed project activities included:

• Discussing and resolving how regulatory reporting to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) can be standardized through the BCSFA fish-health database;
• Laying the groundwork for standardizing and including diagnostic data in the BCSFA fish-health database;
• Optimizing the efficiencies of workflows introduced in the first phase of the project;
• Ensuring that all end-users are trained to efficiently manage digital fish-health data; and
• Attending national fish-health information exchange workshops.

These proposed activities would result in fish-health management being enhanced in BC, thereby improving industry health management tools, enhancing industry productivity and operating efficiency as well as reducing operating costs. All of these factors are important contributors to improved environmental performance and long term industry sustainability. As such, this project directly meets the innovation goals of the AIMAP to:

• Improve industry health management tools and Biosecurity; and
• Increase environmental performance.

The original work plan in the BCSFA's AIMAP proposal was revised due to two major factors:

1. The overall funding from AIMAP for this project was reduced to $49,995.00 from the originally proposed $106,000; and
2. New information regarding the status of DFO's Aquaculture Integrated Information System (AQUIIS) Condition of License reporting was obtained.

Due to advances in the regulatory environment by DFO, BCSFA member companies have stated their desire to reduce, the effort required to create and submit fish-health regulatory reports.