Once in a generation investment: $325 million Atlantic Fisheries Fund

Submitted photo L-R- Fisheries, Oceans and Coast guard Minister, Dominic LeBlanc, NB Southwest MP, Karen Ludwig, and NB deputy premier, Stephen Horsman, at the recent announcement of $325 million in funding being made to the Atlantic Fisheries fund, an investment Ludwig refers to as "once in a generation".

Charlotte County – The provincial government will partner with Fisheries and Oceans Canada on a $325-million Atlantic Fisheries Fund, announced Friday in Halifax.
“The fish and seafood sectors in New Brunswick are important economic drivers in our coastal and rural communities,” said deputy premier Stephen Horsman.
“This fund will help our producers take full advantage of the new market opportunities presented by the ratification of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.”
Horsman spoke on behalf of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries Minister Rick Doucet.
The trade agreement provides increased access to European markets, where demand is high for premium fish and seafood products such as those exported by New Brunswick producers.
Tariffs were believed to be the single biggest impediment to export growth and these tariffs will be eliminated over the phase-in of the trade agreement.
The province’s fish and seafood exports total more than $1 billion annually. The elimination of tariffs for European markets is expected to have a significant positive impact on exports.
“Our government is committed to working with all partners to make Canada’s fish and seafood sector more innovative, productive and sustainable which means good middle-class jobs for Atlantic Canadians,” said Fisheries, Oceans and Canadian Coast Guard Minister Dominic LeBlanc.
“The world is demanding sustainably sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products. The Atlantic Fisheries Fund will drive innovation in this sector, helping Canada meet these demands. This will boost the economy and increase employment opportunities for middle class Canadians in coastal communities.”
Horsman believes the establishment of the Atlantic Fisheries Fund is a positive step towards increasing regional co-operation and the participation of First Nations communities in the fish and seafood sectors.
“The newly signed Canada-European Trade Agreement represents a significant opportunity for our fish and seafood producers here in New Brunswick and in Atlantic Canada,” said Horsman.
“The provincial government will collaborate with our federal partners to help our fish and seafood producers take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the agreement.”
NB Southwest MP, Karen Ludwig, sees the investment as a huge boost for the local aquaculture industry as a whole, and a “once in a generation” investment.
“Our commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada employ 58,000 people, and extends to thousands of indirect jobs. The commercial fishing sector is critical to so many of our rural, coastal, and indigenous communities. In 2015, the landed value of Atlantic Canada’s commercial fisheries was almost $3 billion dollars,” said Ludwig on Tuesday, after the announcement.
“Growing our seafood sector requires approaches that are environmental responsible and entrenched in research. Southwestern New Brunswick is a cluster of fisheries, aquaculture, and marine research employing thousands of people in our rural and coastal communities.
“In Southwestern New Brunswick, we were already in a strong position to benefit from the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada and Europe, and now with investments of this magnitude and partnerships in innovation, our fisheries can be more sustainable, adaptive, and globally competitive.”

Krisi Marples

Krisi Marples joined Advocate Media Inc. in 2012 and served as the Courier's editor from 2016 until mid-2022.