First season of commercial whelk fishery opens in Cape Breton

The opening of the first commercial fishery season for whelk was celebrated in Louisbourg, N.S., Tuesday.

Whelk, a sea snail, is exported to China, Japan and Vietnam and fishing typically occurs between July and December.

Fishing in the waters off eastern Cape Breton began earlier this month and, according to a news release from the federal government, the first catch has been landed.

"This is great news for the harvesters and processors in the province, and for international consumers of Canadian seafood,” said Diane Lebouthillier, minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs was previously licensed for exploratory harvesting only. That was done to determine if the whelk fishery could sustain a commercially-viable operation.

The government says the now commercial fishery supports 70 jobs in eastern Nova Scotia.

"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,” said Mike Kelloway, parliamentary secretary to the minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, in the release.

According to the government, there is one commercial whelk licence holder in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Area 4Vs and the Total Allowable Catch (TAC) in the area is 700 tonnes.

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