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Increased quota for northern shrimp a significant economic boost for adjacent areas

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister John Efford says the increase in the northern shrimp quota announced today presents significant economic and employment opportunities for regions of the province adjacent to the resource.

"What is significant is that about 90 per cent of the 21,450 metric tonne increase is for Newfoundland and Labrador," he said.

"What is equally significant is that access to this growing resource is granted for the first time ever to the inshore fleet in this province," he said in commenting on today's announcement by his federal counterpart. "This is something the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador has been seeking for many years, because regions adjacent to the resource must be the primary beneficiaries. With Minister Mifflin's announcement today, there will be greater local benefits from northern shrimp than there has ever been."

The 1997 northern shrimp quota is now 59,050 metric tonnes, an increase of 21,450 tonnes over the 1996 quota.

"This will add $75 million or more to the value of our shrimp fishery, with the potential to employ between 2,000 and 3,000 people in the harvesting and processing sectors combined," Mr. Efford said.

Until now, only offshore vessels have been involved in the northern shrimp fishery. Landings of 30,000 metric tonnes in '96 had a market value of more than $120 million, but "benefits accruing to Newfoundland and Labrador have been limited because the inshore fleet did not have access to the resource," Mr. Efford said.

The increase in the northern shrimp stock has been attributed to the decline in northern cod, a major predator of shrimp. The northern cod moratorium had a severe economic impact on northeastern Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Inshore harvesters who once fished cod in these areas now have an opportunity to harvest the shrimp resource and generate much needed economic activity in the regions most severely affected by the groundfish closures," Mr. Efford said.

Contact: Josephine Cheeseman, Director of Communications, (709) 729-3733.