According to the Provincial Government it will sanction $99,000 for a new fishing vessel energy efficiency initiative for the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry. The government said that this funding will be provided by the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture through the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Programme. It is told that the initiative is being carried out in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI) and the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW).
The Honourable Trevor Taylor, acting Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture explained that the initiative is a particularly important project for the harvesting sector at a time when energy prices are high. He continued saying that the industry advises our government that soaring fuel prices have drastically impacted profitability of the harvesting sector in this province.
Taylor also said that the government has appointed an advisory team to assist the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and to guide the initiative. This team will design a strategy in terms of short, medium and long-term measures that can be implemented to assist the harvesting sector address fuel efficiency issues. Carey Bonnell, Managing Director of the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation, express that the CCFI has spearheaded a wide range of initiatives in recent years to mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs.
She also said that the key output from this project will be the delivery of eight regional workshops throughout the province, focused on an immediate and measurable reduction in fuel consumption. David Decker, FFAW/CAW Secretary-Treasurer, told that this project is the first step in addressing one of the major challenges facing the province’s fishing industry – the high cost of fuel. He explained that it will help us identify the needs, and the kind of investment that will be required to put a green boat plan in place, reducing fuel costs for our members and reducing the fishing industry’s carbon footprint.
