Question Period Note: Support of Small Craft Harbours

Support of Small Craft Harbours

• Investing in infrastructure is a priority for our government.
• Small craft harbours are key economic hubs helping to build strong and resilient coastal communities across Canada, supporting regional fishing industries, supporting roughly 45,000 jobs in fishing, tourism and recreation.
• Since 2016, we have announced $484 million in new funding for the Small Craft Harbours Program to focus on keeping harbours that are critical to the fishing industry open and in good repair. This is on top of the program’s ongoing regular annual budget of $92 million.
• We will also move forward with increasing investments in small craft harbours by $40 million per year because we will always support our coastal communities.

Background
General
• As of November 2019, the Small Craft Harbours (SCH) program was responsible for 1,003 harbours:
o 688 core fishing harbours;
o 190 non-core fishing harbours; and
o 125 recreational harbours.
• Small craft harbours provide key support to the commercial fishing industry. The SCH program keeps the harbours that are critical to the fishing industry open and in good repair.
• SCH’s total budget for 2019-20 is $275 million. The budget breakdown is as follows:
o Regular, A-base
- $87.8 million for projects
- $19.8 million for salaries, program and property administration
and harbour authority support
o Supplemental, B-base
- Year 2 of Budget 2018: $167.4 million (of the total amount of $250 million)
• Approximately 90% of the Canadian fish harvest is landed at harbours operated through the SCH program. The value of landings in Canada in 2017 was estimated at almost $3.9 billion.
• Another key objective of the SCH program is to transfer ownership of designated harbours to third parties, particularly those that are not widely used by fishers or that are focused primarily on recreational boating.
• The SCH Program is delivered in cooperation with Harbour Authorities, local not-for-profit organizations representing the interests of local commercial fishers and the broader community.
• Each year, more than 5,000 volunteers assist the program.
• The SCH Program's annual regular budget has been stable at about $92 million (includes salaries and administrative costs) since 2007-08. Since 2008-09, the Government of Canada has provided the SCH Program with more than $1.07 billion in temporary funding.

Funding Divestitures of Small Craft Harbours
• In Budget 2018, our government announced $250 million over two years for small craft harbour projects, including many that focus on divesting recreational and non-core fishing harbours.
• Divestiture of these facilities is important because it will allow the Government to focus ongoing investments on harbours that are critical to the fishing industry.