The Canadian government will build a new fishing harbor in Natashquan, Quebec, as part of an investment in small craft fishing harbors on the North Shore of the province.
Slated for completion in 2028, the harbor will provide fishers access to modern and safe facilities to help them increase their snow crab and lobster landings.
“This large-scale project represents a major investment in the revitalization and economic development of the North Shore and the long-term viability of the local commercial fishery,” Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) said in a statement.
The new harbor is part of a CAD 27 million (USD 19.1 million, EUR 18.1 million) investment in improving fishing harbors along Quebec’s North Shore. In addition to construction of the Natashquan harbor, the Canadian government is developing service areas of the Kegaska fishing harbor and revitalize the Baie-Trinité fishing harbor.
Those projects are set to be completed in 2026 and 2027, respectively. According to the government, the trio of harbors support 70 fish harvesters and produced CAD 8 million (USD 5.7 million, EUR 5.4 million) in landings in 2023.
"Small craft harbors are the beating heart of our fishing communities. The long-awaited investments in Natashquan, Kegaska, and Baie-Trinité will ensure economic development and food security for these communities for generations to come,” Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard Diane Lebouthillier said in a statement. “With Budget 2024, we are providing our fish harvesters with modern harbors, where their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren will carry on our finest maritime traditions."
The Canadian government is investing heavily in the country’s small craft harbors, providing CAD 463 million (USD 327 million, EUR 310 million) in annual funding for harbor projects over the next few years. In August, DFO announced that CAD 225 million (USD 163 million, EUR 150 million) would be spent on Atlantic coast harbors specifically.
Canada has made multiple investments in Quebec’s seafood sector over the last few months.
In October, the government of Canada and the regional government of Quebec awarded CAD 830,000 (USD 601,000, EUR 556,000) in funding for the seafood and fishing industry through the Quebec Fisheries Fund. The fund was established in 2019 to support “innovation-driven projects” related to commercial fisheries, aquaculture, or seafood processing. The money will be used to support five projects in Quebec.
In November, the Quebec Fisheries Fund provided CAD 1.1 million (USD 778,00, EUR 737,000) to support the fishing industry on the Magdalen Islands and preserve marine resources. The funding will be split across six projects designed to “create opportunities and improve the market value of sustainably harvested, high-quality fish and seafood in Quebec,” according to DFO.
Lebouthillier also announced the signing of two deals to help the Quebec maritime sector. The first was a CAD 500,000 (USD 354,000, EUR 335,000) agreement with the Comité Zone d’Intervention Prioritaire (ZIP) des Îles-de-la-Madeleine to combat the spread of invasive species like green crab and yellow tunicate in the Magdalen Islands.
The second deal was a two-year agreement to provide CAD 168,000 (USD 119,000, EUR 113,000) to the Centre de recherche sur les milieux insulaires et maritimes (CERMIM) to create a program to educate fishers about the problems caused by abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear.
“The investments made under the Quebec Fisheries Fund, combined with the agreements signed with CERMIM and the Comité ZIP des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, will enable industry stakeholders and fish harvesters to innovate and adapt to challenges. Together, let’s build a solid future for generations to come,” Lebouthillier said in a statement.
