Public resources for private mariculture: Northeastern United States, Atlantic Canada and Scotland after NAFTA and GATT

During the past decade, mariculture development has increased rapidly in th e north Atlantic Ocean. However, global developments in the market for farm -reared salmon have raised concern about government policy and intervention on behalf of mariculture sectors in closely competing countries and region s. This paper provides an analysis of public sector involvement in private sector mariculture innovation and investment in three regions: the New Engl and states of the US, the Atlantic Provinces of Canada, and the Highlands a nd Islands region of Scotland. It illustrates temporal (1984-1997) and geog raphic differences in those mechanisms financing innovation and assisting p rivate capital formation. As international trade rules eliminate tariff and other barriers supporting domestic industry, innovation assistance and cap ital market policies may become more prevalent. Recent support policy chang es in Canada are illustrative. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights re served.