CAISSIE
CAPE, NB, July 15, 2024 /CNW/ - Small craft harbours
are the heart of many coastal communities, bringing people together
in work and play, while supporting jobs in the fish and seafood
industry for over 45,000 Canadians. As part of Budget 2024,
$463.3 million over three years will
be invested for the repair and maintenance of small craft harbours,
including those damaged by Hurricane Fiona, starting in 2024-25.
This is on top of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)'s annual budget
of $90 million for these
harbours.
As part of the Government of Canada's commitment to growing the economy to
help everyone get ahead, today, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier,
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, joined
by the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety,
Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs, announced a
$70-million investment over three
years to continue important work at 18 small craft harbours in
New Brunswick.
Ministers Lebouthillier and LeBlanc made the announcement at
Cap-des-Caissie, one of the harbours receiving this funding. Over
the next three years, this harbour will receive a new wharf,
improvements to armourstone protection, basin dredging, and
improvements to the containment cell, which hold sediment from
dredging.
More than $23.5 million of this
overall investment in New
Brunswick will also be used to reconstruct and repair piers,
breakwater and other critical harbour infrastructure at six
harbours that sustained serious damage from Hurricane Fiona
The fishing industry is central to many coastal communities
across Canada, and harvesters need
small craft harbours to be safe and reliable. With climate change
causing more extreme weather events, it is critical to invest in
infrastructure that is more resilient, and above all else, safe for
harbour users.
These investments support local economic development for
generations to come, providing functional harbours for Canadians
working in the fisheries, aquaculture, construction, and marine
engineering sectors.
Quotes
"Small craft harbours are the backbone of our vibrant fishing
communities from coast to coast to coast, including here in
New Brunswick. As the nation with
the longest coastline in the world, we must invest in resilient
harbour infrastructure capable of facing the climate challenges of
today and tomorrow. This is not only a question of economic
development, but also of food security. With Budget 2024, we're
giving ourselves the means to achieve our ambitions, by equipping
our harvesters with modern harbours where their children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren will carry on our finest
maritime traditions."
The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries,
Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
"Fishing is not just a way to earn a living – it's a way of life
for families and communities all along our coastline. These
improvements are vital to ensuring the long-term resiliency of our
small craft harbours, particularly in the face of more frequent
extreme weather events."
The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety,
Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs
Quick Facts
- Small craft harbours provide critical support to the commercial
fishing industry, which had landings valued at almost $4.7 billion in 2022.
- Small craft harbours support more than 45,000 jobs within the
Canadian commercial fishing industry, as well as many thousands of
additional jobs in supporting industries.
- DFO is responsible for keeping 949 harbours critical to the
commercial fishing industry open and in good repair.
- Harbour restoration projects are undertaken in cooperation with
the local harbour authorities, which are incorporated,
not-for-profit organizations that manage and operate facilities for
local users. There are more than 5,000 volunteers in harbour
authorities across Canada.
Related products
- Backgrounder: New Brunswick
small craft harbours, Budget 2024
- Building the small craft harbours of tomorrow: Minister
Lebouthillier highlights a nearly half-billion dollar investment in
Budget 2024
- Budget 2024: Fairness for Every Generation
- Small Craft Harbours Program
SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada