CANADA DELIVERS FUNDING SUPPORT FOR FISHERIES PROJECTS

Canada delivers funding support for fisheries projects. The Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick (NB) has announced funding support to 21 projects through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund.

The funding—a total contribution of more than $8.1 million —will see the implementation of innovative and sustainable growing methods, new automation technologies, and world-class applied research in the fishing and aquaculture industry.

Homarus Inc., a subsidiary organization of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) receives $2 million in funding from the Atlantic Fisheries Fund for a new marine laboratory as part of the new Homarus Centre. The Homarus Centre is a multi-million project that will provide lobster fishery industry awareness, education and research capabilities in a new modern facility. An additional $2 million funding in this project was announced from the Government of Canada, through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) Innovative Communities Fund (ICF).

The Regional Development Corporation (RDC) receives funding for the delivery of the Oyster Farm Development Program (OFDP) to New Brunswick commercial oyster producers. It supports eligible commercial oyster aquaculturists to adopt innovative and sustainable methods and equipment to grow oysters.

The Acadian Hatchery Inc. is establishing a new oyster hatchery operation in Cocagne, NB and receives support to purchase and implement new equipment and technologies. The hatchery will help by predictably providing spats for the oyster aquaculture sector.

L’Étang du Ruisseau Bar Limitée is specializing in the culture of the American oyster. It receives support to develop and produce the first Canadian strain of selectively bred Eastern Oyster for the Atlantic aquaculture industry.
Seventeen other businesses will also adopt innovative technology to count and grade oysters automatically, and store oysters. The automatic vision-based oyster grading systems will increase the oyster grading capacity while improving efficiency and productivity of operators and the wet storage facilities will help provide a consistent supply of oysters to market.

Funding these organizations will result in a positive impact on local and regional economies in New Brunswick. 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

The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, said: “The lobster fishery and shellfish aquaculture industries are major generators of economic activity in rural and coastal communities in the Atlantic Region. We are proud to fund these innovative projects, creating jobs, and providing the needed support to assist these companies to remain productive in markets close to home and abroad. Together, we will ensure that Canada’s well-known reputation for quality seafood products remains strong. ”

The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade and Member of Parliament for Beauséjour, said: “The Government of Canada understands the economic importance of the lobster fishery and oyster aquaculture in eastern New Brunswick, and it’s important that these industries be supported. Through this funding, our lobster industry will benefit from state of the art facilities to conduct the research required to ensure the sustainability of the fishery, and oyster aquaculture operators will be able to adopt the equipment and technology required to remain competitive and productive.”