Proponent: Grieg NL Nurseries Ltd. and Grieg NL Seafarms Ltd.
Summary of Environmental Assessment Process
Project Description:
The proponent is planning to construct and operate a land-based Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS) Hatchery for Atlantic Salmon in the Marystown Marine Industrial Park and 11 marine-based farms in Placentia Bay. The proponent previously submitted the Marystown Atlantic Salmon Hatchery (Reg. 1814) for review which is now withdrawn. The land-based hatchery will produce up to seven million triploid smolt annually, which will be sold to salmonid aquaculture farms in the province and will be developed on approximately 10 hectares of serviced land. The 11 marine-based farms will be located in four Bay Management Areas (BMA): Rushoon BMA, Merasheen BMA, Red Island BMA, and Long Harbour BMA. Each marine-based farm will consist of multiple cages with cage collars at the surface and nets extending down to 43 meters. The Bay Management Areas will occupy 1,958 hectares of which 24 hectares will be occupied by the sea cages. The project is scheduled to commence in April 2016.
- February 19, 2016 – The undertaking was registered.
- March 26, 2016 – Deadline for public comments.
- April 5, 2016 – The Minister’s decision is due.
- April 16, 2016 – Deadline for public comments (extended).
- April 26, 2016 – The Minister’s decision is due (extended).
- May 19, 2016 – The Minister’s decision is extended.
- July 22, 2016 – The Minister’s decision date is set.
- July 22, 2016 – The Minister announced that the project is released.
- August 31, 2016 – Appeal of the Minister’s Decision received.
- September 29, 2016 – Appeal of the Minister’s Decision received.
- October 14, 2016 – Minister’s decision on the Appeal.
- October 19, 2016 – Minister’s decision on the Appeal.
- October 27, 2016 – Conditions of release approved.
- November 9, 2017 – The Minister announced that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required.
- November 22, 2017 – Environmental Assessment Committee appointed.
- January 2, 2018 – Draft EIS Guidelines for public review.
- February 11, 2018 – Deadline for public comments on the draft EIS guidelines.
- January 31, 2018 – Additional Appointments to the Environmental Assessment Committee.
- March 8, 2018 – Final EIS Guidelines Approved.
- May 22, 2018 – EIS Submitted – Public Comments Invited.
- July 11, 2018 – Deadline for public comments on the EIS.
- July 25, 2018 – Deadline for public comments on the EIS (deadline extended).
- July 31, 2018 – The Minister’s decision on the acceptability of the EIS is due.
- July 31, 2018 – The Minister’s decision on the acceptability of the EIS is extended.
- August 28, 2018 – The Minister determined that the EIS is acceptable.
- September 6, 2018 – The Minister announced that the project is released with conditions.
- September 28, 2018 – The Minister approved the environmental protection plans (EPP’s) for hatchery construction and hatchery operations.
- October 25, 2018 – The Minister announced that an Appeal of the EIS Decision was received.
- November 5, 2018 – The Minister announced that an Appeal of the Decision to Release the Undertaking was received.
- November 26, 2018 – Decision on the EIS Appeal announced.
- December 5, 2018 – Decision on the Release of Undertaking Appeal announced.
- August 30, 2019 – The Minister approved the environmental effects monitoring plans (EEMP’s) for Sea Cage Performance and Benthic Habitat Health.
- February 4, 2020 – The Minister approved EEMP’s
- April 21, 2020 – The Minister approved EEMP’s.
- June 25, 2020 – The Minister approved EEMP
- July 8, 2020 – The Minister approved EEMP and Waste Management Plan
- Documents:
- Registration (43 MB)
- Minister’s Release Letter (92 KB)
- Appeal by Atlantic Salmon Federation (4 MB)
- Appeal by Salmonid Council of Newfoundland and Labrador (704 KB)
- Minister’s Decision on the Appeal (2.3 MB)
- Minister’s Decision on the Appeal (1.5 MB)
- Minister’s Letter – EIS Required (103 KB)
- Minister’s Statement on Initiating the Requirement for an EIS (84 KB)
- Draft EIS Guidelines (772 KB)
- Final EIS Guidelines (881 KB)
- Environmental Impact Statement:
- Main Text (25 MB)
- Appendices A-M (26 MB)
- Appendices N-Y (23 MB)
- Component Studies
- Wild Atlantic Salmon (2.8 KB)
- Appendices (15 MB)
- Fish and Fish Habitat (2.9 KB)
- Appendices (35 MB)
- The Cultural, Recreational, and Commercial Importance of the Waters of Placentia Bay (17 MB)
- Aqualine-Midgard SeaCage Study (62 MB)
- Wild Atlantic Salmon (2.8 KB)
- Main Text (25 MB)
- Paper copies of the EIS are available for public viewing at provincial public libraries in St. John’s, Marystown, Gander and Corner Brook. For more information, please visit the public libraries’ web site.
- Minister’s EIS Acceptability Letter (56 KB)
- Minister’s Letter informing of Decision to Release Project with Conditions (295 KB)
- Appeal of Decision to Accept EIS (1.6 MB)
- Appeal of Release Decision (108 KB)
- Decision on the EIS Acceptability Appeal (450 KB)
- Government Response Table (1.9 MB)
- Decision on the Release Appeal (554 KB)
- Environmental Protection Plans:
- Environmental Effects Monitoring Plans:
- EEMP – Sea Cage Performance (520 KB)
- EEMP – Benthic Habitat Health (3.7 MB)
- Conditions of Release (EA Registration – July 22, 2016)
- Conditions of release (EIS – September 5, 2018)
- Conditions of Release (January 30, 2020):
- Conditions of Release (April 14, 2020):
- EEMP – Salmon (1.2 MB)
- EEMP – Lumpfish (458 KB)
- Conditions of Release (June 25, 2020):
- EEMP – Groundwater Quantity and Quality at the Hatchery (14MB)
- EEMP Approval (388 KB)
- Conditions of Release (July 8, 2020):
- EEMP- Performance of European-strain Triploid Fish (343 KB)
- EEMP Approval (58 KB)
- Waste Management Plan (438 KB)
- Waste Management Plan Approval (56 KB)
- Status of Conditions (44 KB)
- Public Notices:
- Project Registered (22 KB)
- Decision Extended (22 KB)
- Decision Extended (40 KB)
- Decision Date Set (42 KB)
- Project Released (67 KB)
- Appeal of Release Decision Received (26 KB)
- Appeal of Release Decision Received (21 KB)
- Minister’s Decision on the Appeal (21 KB)
- Minister’s Decision on the Appeal (21 KB)
- Conditions of Release Approved (28 KB)
- Environmental Impact Statement Required (154 KB)
- Environmental Assessment Committee Appointed (19KB)
- DraftEIS Guidelines for Public Review (19KB)
- Appointments to the Environmental Assessment Committee (254 KB)
- Final EIS Guidelines Approved (25 KB)
- EIS Submitted for Review – Public Comments Invited (25 KB)
- Extension to the EIS Public Review Period (17 KB)
- EIS Acceptable (315 KB)
- Project Released (315 KB)
- Appeal of EIS Decision Received (334 KB)
- Appeal of Release Decision Recieved (50 KB)
- Decision on EIS Appeal (24 KB)
- Decision on Release Appeal (68 KB)
- EEMP’s Approved – Sea Cage Performance and Benthic Habitat Health (68KB)
- Plans Approved (24 KB)
- EEMP’s Approved – Salmon and Lumpfish (47 KB)
- EEMP Approved- Groundwater Quantity and Quality at the Hatchery (372 KB)
- EEMP and Waste Management Plan Approval (392 KB)
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader software can be used for viewing PDF documents. Download Acrobat® Reader for free