Minister’s Statement on Meeting with Federal Fisheries Minister
From left, Zack Bell, Prince Edward Island Minister of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport and Culture; Lisa Dempster, Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture; Joanne Thompson, federal Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard; Kent Smith, Nova Scotia Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture; and Pat Finnigan, New Brunswick Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries (Province of Nova Scotia)
NOTE: The following is a statement from Kent Smith, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
East Coast fisheries and aquaculture ministers met yesterday with new federal Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, and I continued to press the federal government to address illegal fishing and protect the interests and safety of our coastal communities.
Seafood is Nova Scotia’s largest industry and number one export. It’s an important economic driver, especially for rural coastal communities.
Nova Scotia’s seafood industries have suffered from illegal fishing and management decisions related to conservation issues and the closure of the 2024 elver fishery. The East Coast fisheries and aquaculture industries are also facing significant challenges with the threat of tariffs from the United States and existing tariffs imposed by China.
We need the federal minister to support our fisheries through these challenges.
At the meeting we also discussed the renewal of the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) and a complementary program to support product and market diversification opportunities.
The AFF is essential to help our seafood businesses grow and adapt. I requested that the federal government prioritize the renewal of the fund as soon as possible, as committed in its election campaign.
I am cautiously optimistic that the new Minister understands the impacts that her decisions and the actions of her Department have on our economy and am hopeful that she will support Nova Scotia’s seafood industries by addressing illegal fishing and looking to new opportunities for product and market diversification.
Our government will continue to stand up for Nova Scotians and the seafood industry.