St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.- With the longest coastline in the world, Canada’s coastal communities rely on a sustainable and prosperous fish and seafood industry as a vital contributor to local and regional economies. This is why the Government of Canada and the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador today announced funding support to the harvesting and processing sectors through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund.
The funding—a total contribution of more than $8 million dollars—will see 59 projects that will work to modernize harvesting technologies, improve the quality of landings, and increase productivity and sustainability of operations.
More specifically, investments are being made in:
– Harvesting Sector – 48 projects targeting investments in harvesting and onboard handling technologies to improve quality, sustainability, and enterprise productivity in groundfish (cod) and shellfish (shrimp) fisheries.
– Processing Sector – Seven projects for provincial seafood processors. Three are focused on modern processing technologies for groundfish (cod and flatfish), one on handling technologies for production of live shellfish products, one on increasing processing productivity for seafood products, and two projects will focus on innovative ways to use waste and under-utilized groundfish by-products.
– Indigenous communities – Four Indigenous community projects: one with the Innu Nation to modernize onboard handling equipment to improve productivity in the Greenland halibut fishery in Davis Strait; one project with the Nunatsiavut Government targeting the development of small boat scallop and whelk fisheries in northern Labrador; and two projects with the Miawpukek First Nation, involving investments in modern harvesting technology and fisheries development.
Funding these projects will help improve quality and productivity in the fish and seafood industry in Newfoundland and Labrador, resulting in a positive impact on local and regional economies.
The contribution comes from the $400 million Atlantic Fisheries Fund, jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, and focuses on increasing opportunities and market value for sustainably sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products from Atlantic Canada.
The Atlantic Fisheries Fund will continue to invest in projects over the seven-year life of the program. The commercial fisheries and aquaculture industry, Indigenous groups, universities and academia and industry associations and organizations, including research institutions, may apply.
Eligible projects must focus on:
– Innovation – to support research and development of new innovations that contribute to sustainability of the fish and seafood sector, and to create partnerships and networks that aim to promote and encourage innovations in the sector;
– Infrastructure – to adopt or adapt new technologies, processes, or equipment to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the fish and seafood sector;
– Science Partnerships – fisheries and aquaculture industry based partnerships with academia and institutions to enhance knowledge and understanding of the impacts of changing oceanographic conditions and sustainable harvesting technology.
Source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada
