Question Period Note: Investing in Small Craft Harbours

Investing in Small Craft Harbours

In Budget 2021, our government announced it would provide $300 million over the next two years to repair, renew, and replace small craft harbours.

This would support Canadians in the fishing, aquaculture, tourism, environmental, recreational, marine engineering, and construction industries, and strengthen the resilience of rural and coastal communities.

With this new funding, our government has now announced $784 million in new funding for the Small Craft Harbours Program since 2016.

Benefits of Small Craft Harbours to the Fishing Industry
From coast to coast to coast, Fisheries and Oceans Canada owns, operates, and maintains a national system of harbours to provide commercial fish harvesters and other small craft harbour users with safe and accessible facilities.

90 per cent of Canadian seafood goes through small craft harbours and Canada’s fish harvesters depend on these facilities to support their livelihoods.

General
• As of November 2021, the Small Craft Harbours (SCH) program was responsible for 990 harbours:
o 675 core fishing harbours; and
o 298 non-core fishing 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.
• In Budget 2021, the Government announced it would provide $300 million over the next two years to repair, renew, and replace small craft harbours.
• Approximately 90 per cent of the Canadian fish harvest is landed at harbours operated through the SCH program. The value of landings in Canada in 2019 was estimated at approximately $3.7 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 $90 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 billion in temporary funding.

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