$3 million from the Fisheries Fund, mainly for redfish 

Nelson Sergerie, LJI Journalist

GASPÉ – The Quebec Fisheries Fund (QFF) has approved nearly $3 million for three innovative projects. 

A large portion of this amount will go to ACPG Innovation, a non-profit organization affiliated with the Association des Capitaines Propriétaires de la Gaspésie. The contribution will help fishing companies in Quebec’s marine sectors adapt to the redfish fishery in a sustainable manner. 

ACPG Innovation will act as a third-party redistributor of QFF funds to companies that will benefit from this contribution for the acquisition of innovative equipment and boat adaptations. 

The project will help fish harvesters access funds quickly through one of the following components: acquisition of fishing gear, increased fishing efficiency, vessel modification, and fish handling/preservation. 

The contribution will enable fleets in Quebec’s maritime regions to acquire innovative equipment and adapt their boats for the redfish fishery. 

A sum of $1.9 million comes from the federal government, and $825,000 from the Quebec government for a total project cost of $3 million, including the fishermen or plant owners’ share. 

The ACPG Innovation project is the first major redfish project following DFO’s announcement in January 2024 of the resumption of the redfish fishery. 

Funds will also be allocated to Atkins et Frères of Mont-Louis to help the company market a new product, fish sausages. The federal government is providing $70,000 and the Quebec government is providing $30,000 for the acquisition of manufacturing equipment. High-end sausages will be launched in Quebec, Ontario and the Maritimes. The sausages will be made from halibut, redfish and lobster from the Gaspé Peninsula, as well as salmon. The total investment is valued at $111,000. 

Lelièvre, Lelièvre et Lemoignan Limitée of Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé will receive $70,000 from the federal government and $30,000 from the Quebec government to improve its lobster tanks. The funds will be used for the acquisition of state-of-the-art water filtration and recirculation equipment for a breeding tank (water basin) to respond to the increase in lobster landings and the labour shortage. To ensure a more efficient overall system, the existing tanks will be modified to incorporate the same technologies. This project is valued at $160,000. 

The Member of Parliament for the Gaspé Peninsula and the Magdalen Islands and Minister of Fisheries, Diane Lebouthillier, was scheduled to make the announcement on December 13 in Gaspé. However, the press conference was cancelled at the last minute “due to unforeseen circumstances related to the minister’s travel,” said the ministry, which made the announcement in a press release. 

Launched in 2019, the Fisheries Fund is funded 70% by the federal government and 30% by the Quebec government. It supports projects focused on innovation in the areas of commercial fisheries, aquaculture, harvesting and processing of seafood, and scientific partnerships. 

According to both levels of government, the funding will help create opportunities and improve the market value of sustainably harvested, high-quality fish and seafood in Quebec. 

To date, the fund has supported 179 projects, allocating 29.5 million of its $40 million budget. 

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