THE OPERATING LICENCE FOR SADDLE ISLAND
SITE# 1006 IS EXPIRING.
​
THIS LICENCE SHOULD NOT BE RENEWED.
​
A thirty day, public input period for the renewal began 30 July 2025 and ends 29 August.
We ask that you provide written input to the Aquaculture Administrator to NOT renew the licence for this site.​
Note: WE RECOMMEND USE OF THE GOVERNMENT FORM. FILL IN ALL THE BOXES, OTHERWISE, THEY WILL DISREGARD YOUR SUBMISSION!
​
Bayswater Beach is under threat.
Over the past six years, the beach has degraded—visibly and dramatically. A major cause? Evidence points directly to the open net pens at Saddle Island Site #1006, about one kilometre away.
​
Here is a video of conditions at their worst...
​
​
In 2018, without regulatory review or approval, Site #1006 was expanded and relocated. The Nova Scotia Government allowed it to happen.
• About 440,000 salmon were stocked. Prevailing currents pushed uneaten feed, animal waste, and debris toward Bayswater Beach.
• By Fall 2020, the beach was uninhabitable. Hazardous hydrogen sulphide and other gases bubbled up through black coloured sand. Long-time residents had never seen anything like it.
• This event coincided with Hurricane Teddy and the first harvest at the expanded and relocated site.
​
Regulatory Inaction
• The operator has a documented history of exceeding pollution limits—with zero consequences.
• Two net pens are currently operating outside their legal boundaries, violating the provincial Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act.
• A formal complaint confirmed this. Still, no enforcement.
​
A Coastal Community Impacted
-
The pens are close to homes—both permanent and seasonal.
-
In warmer waters, fish struggle to breathe; industrial aerators are needed and run 24/7.
-
A feed barge is on site.
-
As the fish approach harvest weight, the net pens are lit at night.
-
The generators used to power this equipment are noisy and operate 24/7.
-
Lights, noise, feed barges, net pens - all part of daily life for nearby residents.
-
Beachgoers wonder why the beach seems different.
-
Bayswater is featured in a CBC documentary at about 14 minutes in.
​
​
​
This Site Should Never Have Been Approved
• According to scientific assessments, Site #1006 is too shallow and lacks the current strength needed to support this kind of aquaculture.
• A Cooke Aquaculture spokesperson stated it’s “one of the smallest in Atlantic Canada.” Twin Bays believes the relocation and expansion that took place in 2018, has had a disproportionately negative impact on Bayswater Beach Provincial Park.
HOW TO PROVIDE PUBLIC INPUT
​
Mobile users: Scroll down and desktop users look right to the section of this page titled "Eight Criteria" Find one or more criteria that cover your opinion and include that underlined criteria in your submission text. Otherwise, they may disregard your input...
​
You can send it by e-mail to: Aqua.Admin@novascotia.ca
or via Canada Post or Fax. Details below.
• By Mail to: Aquaculture Administrator Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture 1575A Lake Road, Sandy Point, NS B0T 1W0 , or
• By Fax at: 902-875-7429, or
• We recommend a new submission form you can fill out at:
https://forms.cloud.novascotia.ca/NewSubmission/e47492d3-150c-45f7-865e-0b09eed4d42d
VERY IMPORTANT
Include the name, mailing address, civic address, phone number, and email of the person making the submission, otherwise - you guessed it - they might disregard your submission!!!
• Meet the guidelines outlined at http://novascotia.ca/fish/aquaculture/public-information/
Comments received from the public that meet the submission requirements will be posted on the Department’s website when the Administrator’s decision concerning that application is made and communicated. Comments as posted will include the name of the person submitting the comment as well as their community and province/state. The street address, email address and phone number of the person submitting the comment will be removed.
By submitting your comments with respect to an application you are consenting to the posting at the Department’s website of the above-noted information. You also agree that your comments will comply with the terms applicable to the use of Government of Nova Scotia websites (a copy of those terms is available at https://beta.novascotia.ca/terms ).
You can watch a short video about the administrative approval process at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ0yz4_JT_k&list=PLwLZ9YtgHtLAkiEKXl7v_SvAQw_n23exj&index=8
EIGHT CRITERIA
Additionally, there are eight criteria set out in Section 41 of the Aquaculture Licence and Lease Regulations - Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act (Nova Scotia)
Here is our view of those eight factors THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED by law for renewal of the lease:
(a) the optimum use of marine resources; The net pens prevent use of public waters by anyone else. The pollution from fish faeces, uneaten food and lost equipment damages the local environment. Since the unapproved expansion and relocation in 2018, this appears to have negatively impacted Bayswater Beach.
(b) Contribution to community and provincial economic development: The operation is owned by an out-of-province entity. The majority of profits do not accrue to the local community or to Nova Scotia. Since 2018, negative impacts on Bayswater Beach have been noticed by beachgoers.
(c) Fishery activities in the public waters surrounding the proposed aquacultural operation: Net pens attract predators and other wildlife more than what is naturally expected. This impacts survival of other fish in the area. The area has historically been important for other seafood, particularly the lobster fishery.
(d) Oceanic and biophysical characteristics: There is increasing evidence of net pen pollution at Bayswater Beach. Published guidelines confirm there is insufficient current or depth to disperse net pen pollutants.
(e) Other users: Users of the provincial beach are impacted. Residents are subjected to noise and lights.
(f) Public right of navigation: The net pens prevent access to other users of these public waters.
(g) The sustainability of wild salmon: Atlantic Salmon are again present in the Ingram River system, confirmed by catch data and a study of eDNA in 2024. The presence of the open net pens is a well-documented threat to salmon passing by. Escapes could threaten the genetic make-up and fitness of the local salmon. There is new evidence that increased salmon predation occurs around open net pens from studies using tagged salmon. West coast data shows native stocks rebound when net pens are removed.
(h) Impact on other aquaculture sites: There are no other open net pen sites nearby (for obvious reasons).
BAYSWATER BEACH
Within our bays, we have one open net-pen finfish operation at Aspotogan Harbour near Bayswater Beach Provincial Park, just up the coast from Blandford.
The operator has applied to the Aquaculture Review Board (ARB) for a lease expansion, but there's a catch: the expansion has already happened. The Twin Bays Coalition plans to intervene in the ARB hearing that will decide on this retroactive approval.
Why do we care about this? Check out our BAYSWATER page to learn more about the beach and the apparent impacts the fish farm expansion has had on the local environment.
THE TWIN BAYS COALITION STORY
The Twin Bays Coalition first came together to fend off a massive open net-pen salmon farming proposal by Cermaq Canada that would have forever changed the nature of our bays. In the face of terrific public opposition, Cermaq packed up and left officially in April of 2020, abandoning development plans. The very next day, Cooke Aquaculture reaffirmed their plans to significantly increase the amount of farmed salmon currently produced in Nova Scotia. Now they are continuing with expansion plans throughout the province, including at Saddle Island, on the Aspotogan Peninsula. This site, known as AQ # 1006, Aspotogan Harbour, has become the new focal point of our local efforts.
