Nova Scotia announces roughly $2.7M for 3 seafood sector projects

A lobster is seen in the St. Peter's Bay area of Nova Scotia. (CTV file photo)

The Government of Nova Scotia has announced new spending on “innovative seafood projects” aimed at increasing productivity and helping businesses adopt new technology.

Three seafood businesses are receiving roughly $2,720,228 with the goal of expanding their processing capacity for oyster, salmon, and lobster products.

Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith announced the projects on Tuesday.

Innovative Fishery Products Inc. in St. Bernard, Digby County, is receiving $870,228 for a new large-scale oyster hatchery and nursery to grow young oysters.

Jeff Bishop, executive director of the Aquaculture Association of Nova Scotia, says the announcement comes at a “critical time” for oysters.

“The diseases MSX and dermo have cut off historical seed sources for Nova Scotia’s oyster sector,” he says in a provincial news release.

The Cedar Bay Grilling Company in Blandford, Lunenburg County, is receiving $950,000 to install a salmon filleting and processing line.

Lobster Hub Inc. in Meteghan Centre, Digby County, is receiving $900,000, “to support a new freezing and concentration process that will turn lobster byproducts into a concentrated lobster stock product, ready for export,” according to the release.

“Our seafood sector is one of Nova Scotia’s greatest economic strengths, supporting thousands of jobs and driving activity in communities across the province,” says Smith.

In 2024, Nova Scotia exported $2.4 billion in seafood and remained Canada’s top seafood exporter, according to the government.

The money announced Tuesday comes from the Nova Scotia Seafood and Agriculture Strategic Investment Fund.

The $4.7 million fund is managed by Perennia, a provincial development agency, and goes toward projects that “boost productivity, strengthen competitiveness and help businesses respond to changing markets,” according to the release.

The fund received 28 applications from the seafood sector.

“The quality of the applications made this an exciting program for us to administer. The fund had a lofty mission to select initiatives that would move the needle for the province’s economy and find solutions for real world problems,” says Lynne Godlien, CEO of Perennia.

The projects receiving the funds must be completed by January 2027.

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