Kitchen Table Green Economics

Case study: Guysborough County Inshore Fisheries Association’s trap caught shrimp initiative

Katherine Reed

Since the 1990s a new shrimp fishery has been under development in Chedabucto Bay. It employs a sustainable fishing method and produces a premium quality catch. This fishery has not yet reached its potential, and its success varies from year to year. However, it has significantly expanded the amount of work and earnings available to in-shore fishers and others in related businesses, and it has increased the availability of high quality, sustainably produced local food. The Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association has been actively promoting it, with the support of the Ecology Action Centre and their “Off the Hook” program.

The vast majority of shrimp fishing in eastern Canada is done far off-shore using otter trawl nets, which are dragged over the sea floor, resulting in destruction of marine habitat. They also capture a lot of “by-catch” – other species unintentionally killed or damaged. Large amounts of diesel fuel are needed to reach the fishing grounds, thereby contributing to environmental degradation and global warming. Harvesting shrimp close to shore is more environmentally sustainable. The shrimp can be brought to market very quickly, are handled more gently, and it is mainly the fully grown shrimp that are caught because the immature ones are small enough to escape the traps. Fishers sell this premium seafood for $0.95 to $1.20 per pound, but they can get as much as $2.00 per pound if product is sold for a special event.

The late Mike Newell, a Guysborough County fisherman, developed the shrimp trapping method in order to expand his own capacity to earn a living and to spread that benefit to other local fishers. In the early 1990s, Mike studied the environment and the shrimp, and he modified lobster traps for catching them. He was granted an experimental shrimp license from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Catches were small at first, but they steadily improved. In 2000, DFO issued 18 temporary permits to Chedabucto Bay fishers to trap shrimp, which complemented, but did not compete with, existing fishing activity because it took place between September and March when no other fishing was done. Start-up is relatively easy for someone already in the fishing industry because the trapping is done close to shore, it requires no costly special equipment, and operating costs and methods are similar to those of lobster fishing. A company in the Sydney area now builds shrimp traps, which are a wire construction that is similar to wire lobster traps. In addition to this increased economic activity, other spin-off activities such as retailing, processing and distributing have added to existing local employment.

15 permanent in-shore trap caught shrimp licenses are currently being fished, which bring between 500,000 and 600,000 pounds of catch each year. This makes up eight per cent of the

total quota for the east coast of Canada. Two First Nations hold licenses. In order to make trapping shrimp economically viable, developing ways to get this very fresh catch to market is essential. To this end, the Guysborough fishers partnered with the premium seafood marketing and community supported fishery network, “Off the Hook,” which was able to put fresh – even live – shrimp on the prep boards of chefs in Halifax who raved about its quality and the wonderful appeal of this novel menu item. The Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association also participates in food exhibitions where they introduce the product to new customers.

Although catches have not been as robust as anticipated, and the escalation in the cost of fuel has thwarted efforts to make the initiative an economic success, experimentation and refinement continue in the hope that more efficient marketing and distribution methods will be developed.

For more information

Off the Hook CSF: http://www.offthehookcsf.caNikoloyuk, J. & Adler, D. (2013). Valuing Our Fisheries: Breaking Nova Scotia’s Commodity Curse. Halifax: Ecology Action Centre on https://www.ecologyaction.ca/issue-area/valuing-our-fisheries-breaking-commodity-curse Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association: http://www.gcifa.ns.ca/Fisheries.html

Most of the information in this article is derived from a telephone interview with Guysborough County Inshore Fisherman’s Association representative, Ginny Boudreau on April 7, 2014