The Government of Canada is committed to supporting the advancement of the fishing and fish processing sectors, which power the economies of coastal communities across Canada.

Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honorable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, met with harvesters to celebrate the first season opening of the commercial fishery for whelk in the waters off Eastern Cape Breton. Fishing began earlier this month, and the first catch of the commercial fishery has been landed.

Previously, the whelk fishery in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs was licensed only for exploratory harvesting, to determine if the stock could sustain a commercially viable operation, as well as to collect additional biological data. The fishery has transitioned from exploratory to commercial and it supports seventy good-paying jobs in Eastern Nova Scotia. This is a prime example of how Canadian fish harvesters are at the forefront of innovation in their industry, developing new products and cultivating new markets.

"I am pleased to announce that the new commercial whelk fishery in Nova Scotia is officially open for business for its very first year in Eastern Nova Scotia. This is great news for the harvesters and processors in the province and for international consumers of Canadian seafood,” commented the Honorable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

"Cape Bretoners are at the forefront of the fishing industry. This first season opening of the commercial whelk fishery is a prime example of how the collaboration between harvesters and scientists can lead to a new and healthy fishery,” added Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

Quick Facts

• Whelk is an edible mollusk, or sea snail, which is exported from Canada primarily to China, Japan, and Vietnam.
• There is one commercial whelk license holder in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs. As less than five license holders harvest whelk in this Area, information regarding landings and landed values cannot be provided due to privacy considerations.
• The Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for the whelk fishery in NAFO Area 4Vs is 700 tonnes. Fishing typically occurs between July and December.