Province asks finfish farmers to detail their community benefits
Posted Jun 19, 2025 05:04:49 AM.
Last Updated Jun 19, 2025 11:59:32 AM.
The provincial government is asking finfish farmers to explain what benefits they provide to their communities.
Fisheries Minister Kent Smith has sent a letter to the five current finfish aquaculture licence holders, asking them to identify how they contribute to their communities and the province.
Smith says the government has a responsibility to ensure Nova Scotia and Nova Scotians benefit from natural resources, and that development must be done responsibly.
“We have a shared responsibility to ensure that Nova Scotia and Nova Scotians benefit from the natural resources we are blessed with,” said Smith. “Resource development must be done responsibly, safely and with a commitment to provide defined community and social benefits.”
The province says the letter specifically asks about the social and economic contributions the companies make in the areas where they operate.
This is a new requirement that will apply to all marine finfish licence holders.
In 2023, Nova Scotia’s aquaculture sector was valued at $120 million and employed almost 800 people. Finfish accounted for about 89 per cent of that total.
