Minister Lamontagne makes fisheries-related announcements

The Quebec Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne, was in the archipelago last weekend as part of a tour of the eastern part of the province.

At a press conference at Auberge La Salicorne on Friday, the minister announced that Quebec now has access to the Canadian Seafood Initiatives Fund.

Implemented in 2018, the fund has an envelope of $42.8 million, of which nearly $7 million has already been allocated.

He explains that the cost-shared multilateral agreement will provide money to fisheries and aquaculture companies to carry out seafood promotion projects.

Up to $7 million can be awarded per project.

Also present at the announcement, Joël Arseneau, Member of Parliament for the Islands, deplored the fact that the management of the fund is being done by both levels of government, contrary to what had been discussed in the past.

Mr. Lamontagne also presented the results of the First Time Commercial Fish Harvester Program.

16 new captains received financial assistance totaling $775,000 in 2021-2022.

In addition, the Minister took the opportunity to confirm the renewal of the financial assistance granted to the Bon goût frais des Îles, which amounts to $30,000 per year until 2025.