Tag Archives: Kent Smith
Electric lobster boats: Bringing future resiliency to energy infrastructure
It’s called The Sea Cucumber. A prototype diesel electric hybrid fishing boat made by Glas Ocean Electric in Nova Scotia. If you plug it in, it’ll charge overnight. It has 98 kilowatt hours, so you could drive to your fishing ground on diesel, operate for six to eight hours on electric power, then head home on diesel. “You can take your eight hour day now and replace six or seven of those hours with cheap electric power instead of diesel power,” The boat, which could produce fuel savings from 50 to 70 percent, was on display as part of a Nova Scotia government announcement of a new Fisheries and Aquaculture Energy Efficiency Innovation Fund for the province. Video, photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 08:25
N.S. spends $6.5M on fund to reduce emissions from boats, commercial fisheries
Nova Scotia is seeking to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions from the seafood sector with a greenhouse gas emissions. According to a news release from the province, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Energy Efficiency Innovation Fund will support initiatives to reduce emissions from boats, buildings, aquaculture operations and commercial fisheries. “Our industries are already leaders in fighting climate change through the investments they’re making to reduce energy use,” said Kent Smith, minister of fisheries and aquaculture, in the release. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:18
Ottawa revamps redfish allocation in Gulf of St. Lawrence, but N.S. keeps largest share
Following months of anticipation and lobbying in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Nova Scotia, the federal government has announced how it will allocate fishing access to the redfish population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The allocations were announced on Friday by Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier at a news conference in Gaspé, Que. Under the new terms, Nova Scotia will continue to receive the largest portion of the allocation, but it appears the province has received in the past will decline. It is unclear by how much. more, >>click to read<< 15:55
Hundreds of jobs, industry stability at stake in pending Atlantic Canada fishery decision
The Trudeau government is poised to allocate fishing access to the massive redfish population in the Gulf of St. Lawrence at the end of the month, a highly anticipated decision generating both dread and hope throughout the industry in Quebec and Atlantic Canada. Nova Scotia, which has the most to lose, is warning Ottawa that “hundreds of jobs” are at stake if it loses its long-standing share of the fishery. Now that the redfish population is estimated to weigh in at a whopping four million metric tonnes, Scotia Harvest and the other Nova Scotia operators are looking nervously at other provinces lobbying for access. Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador interests, to take one example, are lobbying for a piece of the action to compensate for a drastic reduction in shrimp quota for fleets in their province. more, >>click to read<< 09:06
Some N.S. lobster fishers report serious decline in catches
Some lobster fishers are reporting a major drop in catches this year compared to last, and they’re calling on the provincial government to drastically increase illegal fishing fines to keep the lobster population stable. Heather Mulock, executive director of Coldwater Lobster Association (opens in a new tab), said this season is one of the worst for catches in the region since the 1990s, and she attributes some of that to illegal fishing. “We saw millions of pounds of lobster that came out illegally,” she said. “Unauthorized fishing in the summer and fall affected us.” “We’re in the process of a regulatory review that will include updates to the Nova Scotia Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act(opens in a new tab),” he said. “Provincial fines for offences under the Act are part of this review.” more, >>click to read<< 14:21
