LOUISBOURG, NS, July 30,
2024 /CNW/ - 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.
Today, 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.
Quotes
"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."
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries,
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
"Cape Bretoners are at the forefront of the fishing
industry. This first season opening of the commercial whelk fishery
is a prime example of how the collaboration between harvesters and
scientists can lead to a new and healthy fishery."
Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Quick Facts
- Whelk is an edible mollusc, or sea snail, which is exported
from Canada primarily to
China, Japan and Vietnam.
- There is one commercial whelk licence holder in Northwest
Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs. As less than five
licence holders harvest whelk in this Area, information regarding
landings and landed values cannot be provided due to privacy
considerations.
- The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the whelk fishery in NAFO
Area 4Vs is 700 tonnes. Fishing typically occurs between July and
December.
Associated Links
- Commercial Fisheries for Whelk
- The New Emerging Fisheries Policy
- Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat Assessment of 4Vs and 4W
Offshore Whelk Stock Status
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Instagram and YouTube.
SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Maritimes Region