Nova Scotia – The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the advancement of the fishing and fish processing sectors, which power the economies of coastal communities across Canada.
Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, met with harvesters to celebrate the first season opening of the commercial fishery for whelk in the waters off Eastern Cape Breton. Fishing began earlier this month, and the first catch of the commercial fishery has been landed.
Previously, the whelk fishery in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs was licensed only for exploratory harvesting, to determine if the stock could sustain a commercially viable operation, as well as to collect additional biological data. The fishery has transitioned from exploratory to commercial and it supports seventy good-paying jobs in Eastern Nova Scotia. This is a prime example of how Canadian fish harvesters are at the forefront of innovation in their industry, developing new products and cultivating new markets.
“I am pleased to announce that the new commercial whelk fishery in Nova Scotia is officially open for business for its very first year in Eastern Nova Scotia. This is great news for the harvesters and processors in the province, and for international consumers of Canadian seafood.” – Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard