Louisbourg Seafoods wants a chunk of Arctic surf clam fishery

A Cape Breton company is trying to break Clearwater Seafood's monopoly on the Arctic surf clam fishery.

Louisbourg Seafoods wants to fish a 6,000 to8,000tonne quota on Banquereau Bank offNova Scotia's east coast.

• Ultramodern clam boat Belle Carnell shown off in St. John's harbour

Dannie Hanson, Louisbourg Seafoods's vice-president of sustainability, saidthe quota would translate into 140 processing jobs at its North Sydney plant.He saidClearwater is not using its quota to create land-based employment.

"They harvest it on the vessel out there, they process it on the vessel out there, they land it in Newfoundland and send it to China," Hanson said.

Liberals stalled on quota agreement

More than sevenyears ago, Clearwater Seafoods processed surf clams in North Sydney, but sold the plant and movedprocessing to its offshore boats.

The previous Conservative government and fisheries minister Gail Sheaagreed to giveLouisbourg Seafoods access to the fishery, but thatwas stopped under the new Liberal government, Hansonsaid.

The company is now trying to convince the Liberal government to honourShea's decision.

'Precautionary principle'

Fisheries and Oceans Canada said in anemailto CBC that it wants tosupport the economic development of coastal communities by ensuringthe long-term sustainability of the resources on which they depend.

"Before our minister makes any changes to ...decisions on new entrants, we need to complete our science work and carry out an assessment of a possible spatial management approach," said department spokeswoman MelanieMellon.

"The department is committed to the precautionary principle and will base fishery management decisions for the Arctic surf clam fishery on the best available science and in consultations with current licence holders, industry and Indigenous groups."

'Premature to discuss new entrants'

Clearwater Seafoods said Wednesdayit supports thatscience process.

It's vice-president of sustainability and public affairs, Christine Penney, said in an email theprocess is "designed to evaluate the status of the resource and ensure adequate protections for the resource and world-class science-led management approaches.

"This fishery is Marine Stewardship Council-certified, and having science-led management of the resource is critical both for its long-term health and continued certification," she said.

"It is premature to discuss new entrants in any fishery if the resource cannot sustain additional removals that are biologically and economically sustainable."

There are three licences in the Arctic surf clam fishery. Penneysaid Clearwater holds all of them.

Committed to onshore processing

Still,Louisbourg Seafoodsis using an economicimpact study to bolster its case. The study, done byGroup ATN consultants, focused on2015 fiscal year operations.

"It blew our mind, to tell you the truth," Hanson said.

The study determined thatLouisbourg Seafoodsgenerated approximately $92.26 million in direct and spinoff spending in Cape Breton, creating more283 full-time equivalent positions, anda total of 547 direct and spinoff jobs.

It spentmore than$8 million in wages and salaries, for a total of $18.28 million in direct and spinoff household income on Cape Breton Island.

"We want government to understand that we are fully committed to deriving the maximum local benefit from the sector," Hanson said.

"As a corporate tenet, we use as many local products and services as possible and we oppose offshore processing."