History

Our History

The GNSFPB has led and participated in many projects and activities over the years. The following is a brief list of some of the most prominent activities.

  • Groundfish licence buyback program (TAGS program)
  • Reducing costs to inshore harvesters
    • Paying Transport Canada required safety training fees for members – this has been ongoing for many years (approximately $1600 per harvester)
    • Reducing stability requirements for inshore harvesters
  • PFD program in Spring 2016. Two PFDs were given to all harvesters belonging to the membership and First Nations lobster harvesters, as part of a safety initiative undertaken by the Fleet Planning Board. The following is a breakdown of the PFD dispersal.
    • Members: 1100
    • Nova Scotia Native Council: 4
    • Afton First Nation: 8
    • Paq’tnkek First Nation: 10
    • Wagmatcook First Nation: 4
    • Pictou Landing First Nation: 44
  • AED program in 2017. One AED was given to each of the 35 commercial fishing wharves in the Gulf of Nova Scotia.
  • Safety equipment to comply with Transport Canada regulations in 2017. New Transport Canada regulations require each fishing vessel to have an EPIRB and survival suit for each crew member, which were provided by the GNSFPB.
  • Sponsored national fisheries conferences
  • Science projects funded:
    • Index program in collaboration with DFO (2016, 2017)
    • Blood protein and moult cycle program (2016, 2017)
    • Lobster Node project with participating universities, expanding on industry-academia collaboration (2016)
    • Halibut tagging study (2017)

Cost-shared projects with member organizations