The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, André Lamontagne, the Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks, Pierre Dufour, as well as the federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, are announcing that the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec will join forces to financially support Quebec fish farmers in the exceptional context created by COVID-19.
Quebec fish farmers are an important cog in the wheel of food production. The closure of restaurants and the cessation of fishing activities have had a major impact on Quebec's fish farming industry. This situation has led to a drop in the volume of fish purchased from fish farmers and generated a surplus of inventory. The financial contribution from the Quebec government and the federal government is in the order of $408,000 and $612,000 respectively. This financial support will therefore make it possible to minimize the fish mortalities related to these surpluses and to limit financial losses by supporting the stocking of public water bodies.