Fisheries Diversification Projects Approved

Gerry Byrne, Minister of State for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), and Gerry Reid, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, announced on March 26, 22 projects worth a combined total of just over $1 million from the Fisheries Diversification Program (FDP).

The FDP provides funding for research and development initiatives that reflect the strategic economic development priorities of the Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry. The program is nearing completion.

"The initiatives funded through this program are good examples of what both levels of government are doing to expand and diversify the fishing industry and create more jobs for people in Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister Byrne. "FDP is a wide-ranging program tapping into many areas of the industry, maximizing by-products, and helping to search out new national and international markets."

The continued diversification of the province�s fishery is vital to the future of this industry," said Minister Reid. "So many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians derive their livelihood from our fishery, and the survival of rural communities depends upon it. Supporting a variety of programs and initiatives, the Fisheries Diversification Program plays a valuable role in ensuring that our communities and people have a future in the fishery."

The Fisheries Diversification Program is a $10 million program of the $81.25 million Canada-Newfoundland Agreement on the Economic Development Component of the Canadian Fisheries Adjustment and Restructuring Initiative announced in August 1999. Approximately $9.6 million of the FDP funding has been committed to date.

Media contact:

Peter Graham, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of State for ACOA, (613) 957-9959
Elizabeth Matthews, Communications, Fisheries and Aquaculture, (709) 729-3733
Doug Burgess, Communications, ACOA, (709) 772-2935
Kimberley Penney, Communication Officer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, (709) 772-7626

1. American Eel Harvesting Pilot Program, Southern Labrador: $33,709 to initiate and coordinate an American Eel Harvesting Pilot project in the Labrador Straits area. This project will consist of a harvesting/training component and a market research component. Additionally, a situational analysis of the current eel markets will be carried out to determine the compatibility of local eels with established markets.

2. Grand Atlantic Seafoods, St. John�s: $90,270 to investigate alternate extraction processes of chitin and carotenoid protein from crab and shrimp shells. The company will be working with the Marine Institute�s Centre for Aquaculture and Seafood Development, McGill and Memorial University of Newfoundland�s Chemistry Departments and the Protein Oil and Starch Pilot Project in Saskatchewan to complete the project. The extraction of chitin and carotenoid protein from crab and shrimp shells has the potential to be a multi-million dollar industry for the province.

3. Shoreline Offloading Ltd., Bonavista Bay: $9,800 for the sanitation of fishing vessels. The objective of this project is to identify an efficient way to sanitize vessels that will contribute to improving the quality of raw material destined for processing and marketing. The system will also have applications for additional means to hold and transport fish.

4. Fisheries Association of Newfoundland & Labrador (FANL), St. John�s: $19,260 to develop a video on "Codfish onboard and discharge handling." The organization will produce an instructional video on proper techniques to handle, store, and discharge cod to ensure it is maintained in top-quality condition. The video will also illustrate the methods used by graders to select and assess samples.

5. Atlantic Shellfish Inc., Clarenville: $93,000 to purchase specialized imitation crab processing equipment. The company will install new equipment at the Clarenville plant to improve quality and the cooking process of artificial crab products and increase production of the finished product.

6. Furlong Brothers Ltd., Plate Cove West: $12,654 to develop and maintain a Web site with e-commerce capabilities to enable customers to order seafood products via the Internet. They will also hire a marketing professional to help implement a plan to expand markets for their secondary products in other parts of Canada with a focus on Manitoba and Alberta.

7. Bay of Islands South Shore Development Association: $32,206 to conduct a green sea urchin biomass study. A 40-day study will be undertaken to conduct a resource biomass assessment of green sea urchins and the standing crop of marine plants in the waters of the Bay of Islands.

8. Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association (NAIA): $87,450 to develop quality assurance standards for the Newfoundland mussel industry. In conjunction with the Marine Institute,    NAIA is proposing to address industry-wide variations in the quality and supply of cultured mussels to both primary and secondary processors. The project will consist of six investigations that relate to enhancing product quality for the consumer.

9. Irish Loop Regional Economic Development Board, Trepassey: $18,922 to explore sculpin fishing in area 3L. The project aims to identify the potential for harvesting sculpins, the most efficient processing techniques and the market potential for such a product.

10. Wood-Pick Enterprises of Wareham: $35,700 to market existing product lines and for product development. To develop new products and markets, the company will undertake marketing initiatives in China with particular emphasis on seal, herring and mackerel products.

11. Fisheries Association of Newfoundland & Labrador (FANL), St. John�s: $79,340 to conduct a turbot quality grading pilot project. This project will attempt to assess the quality of turbot sourced using different harvesting methodologies by applying similar dockside grade standards to those used for cod. The project will improve the quality of turbot which will enhance earnings to both fish harvesters and processors and may serve as justification to introduce grading criteria to determine prices for turbot similar to that used for cod.

12. Applied Preservation Technology Inc., St. John�s: $72,750 to develop and market carotenoprotein and chiton/chitosan from waste shell material in partnership with Grand Atlantic Seafoods Inc. The company plans to carry out pre-commercial production and ship product samples to potential customers.

13. Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland: $28,100 to develop a fisheries and marine awareness program for high schools. The project aims to enhance the existing Marine Technology 2128 high school course and adapt it for distance delivery. A Marine Education Learning Centre will be established at King Academy, Harbour Breton. The project will be evaluated prior to making it available to other high schools to determine the effectiveness of distance delivery versus classroom learning.

14. Burgeo Diversification Development Board (BDDB): $12,000 to provide assistance to the BDDB for the transportation of sea urchins to Green Seafoods for quality assessment to study commercial viability of shipping the product from the Burgeo area; and to hire a trained and experienced sea urchin diver towork with the local harvesters and divers to increase their knowledge and productivity in the harvesting and handling of sea urchins.

15. Ralph Tooktoshina, Happy Valley-Goose Bay: $50,000 to purchase and install a refrigerated seawater system on a new vessel.

16. Fred Saunders (F & S Enterprises Ltd.), Cobb�s Arm: $50,000 to purchase and install a refrigerated sea water system on a vessel.

17. Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (DFA): $46,000 to design, create and implement an operational Web site for the FDP and design, produce and print 25, four-page project summary reports on industry-led projects through the program.

18. DFA: $55,000 to design and fabricate a cost-effective, high-strength, low-weight, water-tight beam for use in the shrimp beam trawl fishery that is superior to what is currently available and to conduct sea trials using the new design at locations where the fishery is ongoing.

19. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO): $57,000 for cod trap size selectivity studies. The Fish Harvesters Resource Centre was contracted to carry out cod trap selectivity studies at four sites - two inPlacentia Bay and two in Trinity Bay. A portion of the study was conducted in 2001, with the remainder to be completed in 2002.

20. DFO: $57,000 to conduct research on juvenile turbot by-catch in shrimp trawls. Experiments began in 2001 and will be completed in 2002 to further reduce the by-catch of juvenile turbot in shrimp trawls.

21. DFO: $40,000 to investigate American Plaice by-catch reduction in the cod longline fishery. The cod fishery on Burgeo Bank often has by-catches of American Plaice, a species under moratorium.  Fishers were contracted in 2001 to test different hook sizes to reduce plaice by-catch.

22. DFO: $90,000 for the Promotion of Environmental Awareness and Conservation Harvesting Technology. Workshops will be held with fishers around the province to inform them of the results of conservation harvesting technology projects, obtain their feedback and enlist their assistance in identifying priorities for future work. This process began in 2001 and will conclude in 2003.

2002 03 27                        11:45 a.m.