By Scott Doherty

The closure of Holland College's Aquaculture Technology program in Ellerslie is unfortunate because this is a growth industry capable of providing numerous jobs to Islanders, says NDP leader Herb Dickieson.

"Why is the minister of fisheries so disinterested at the collapse of this program that's so vital to the aquaculture industry and, particularly important within West Prince?"he asked during question period last week.

Fisheries Minister Kevin MacAdam replied that when he was notified by Holland College of the program's closure he wrote a letter to college president Alex MacAulay expressing his dismay.

On, Thursday after meeting with MacAulay, MacAdam said the reason for the program's termination was simple enrolment numbers had been steadily declining over the past few years.

MacAulay explained it is very difficult to offer a program when no one is interested in taking it.

"When we made the decision to cancel the program, at the end of February there were no students applying for next year,"he said.

MacAdam said the lack of interest in the program because growers and processors are providing their own training.

Dickieson argued that instead of closing the facility, the government and the college should look at better ways to advertise the program.

MacAulay said the college promoted the program the same as any other, but the results simply weren't good enough while other programs are oversubscribed to. "If the industry is not hiring qualified technicians, they can't expect colleges to deliver the programs,"he argued.

Dickieson said the government should not have "stood by and allowed Holland College to withdraw its support."He insisted that the government should intervene to snsure proper support is given to the facility.

MacAulay argued the amount of financial support was not the issue.

"In this program there was literally no demand,"he explained. "Regardless of how much money the government transferred down here for aquaculture technology, it's still difficult to run a program where there appears to be little or no demand.²

Dickieson said Thursday he had talked with the president of UPEI and one possibility would be to have the university offer the program.

"With proper funding from the federal and provincial governments,"he explained, "the program could be offered as an extension of the veterinary college which has the expertise."

MacAdam said that everyone involved should meet to discuss the issue.

"One of the things we need to do,"he said, "is talk with Holland College, industry and ourselves --get everybody around a table -- and say ŒIs there a need for this program?'² MacAulay said, if there is ever a demand for it, the college might reinstate the program.

"We don't plan to move the equipment that's used to deliver the program or the resource material used to deliver the program out of the centre for a year,"he said.

MacAdam said there is no indication at this point industry feels the program's closure will hurt it.

"The industry will have to sit down and tell us where they're at,"he explained. "You know they haven't raised a tremendous amount of furore over the recent announcement, so that makes me beg to ask the question ŒWhere's their perspective on this?'²