Fishing began in July, and the first catch of the commercial whelk fishery has been landed. Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s Minister of Fisheries Diane Lebouthillier met with harvesters to celebrate the first season opening of the commercial fishery for whelk in the waters off Eastern Cape Breton.
‘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,’ Parliamentary Secretary Mike Kelloway said during his visit.
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 jobs in Eastern Nova Scotia.
‘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,’ commented Minister Diane Lebouthillier.
‘This is great news for the harvesters and processors in the province, and for international consumers of Canadian seafood.’
