The Government of Canada and the Province of Prince Edward Island announced a total contribution of $732,645 to eight shellfish growers and processing companies for new equipment and technologies to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness to support their expanding operations.
The contribution is drawn 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.
‘PEI’s seafood is known over the world for its quality. As an Islander, I’m pleased to see this investment will strengthen and sustain our local industry and help growers and operators increase their global competitiveness,’ said Sean Casey, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and MP for Charlottetown
The Atlantic Fisheries Fund will continue to invest in projects over the seven-year life of the programme. The commercial fisheries and aquaculture industry, Indigenous groups, universities and academia as well as industry associations and organisations, 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, on infrastructure, to adapt new technologies, processes, or equipment to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of the fish and seafood sector, and on science partnerships, notably fisheries and aquaculture-based partnerships with academia and institutions to enhance knowledge and understanding of the impacts of changing oceanographic conditions and sustainable harvesting technology.
‘The Atlantic Fisheries Fund has transformed and helped drive innovative initiatives in the seafood sector on Prince Edward Island. Across the Island, this funding has assisted in expanding and modernizing businesses, contributing to the overall success of our industry. The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is dedicated to our fishing community and we are pleased to partner with the federal government in support of these programmes,’ commented Robert Henderson, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries for the Province of Prince Edward Island.
