The Honourable Gerry Byrne, Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, is announcing new value-added processing licences for snow crab in Newfoundland and Labrador.

These new licences will mean more jobs and increased investment in the seafood industry. The licences will be available to industry leaders who have been purchasing primary processed crab in the province and adding additional value such as snap and eat, meat extraction, etc. Successful applicants will be able to buy directly from harvesters, then primary process and add that same value to the volume that is sold as value-added crab.

To be eligible, applicants must demonstrate that they have been active in producing value-added crab for a period of three years prior to receiving a primary processing crab licence. Applicants must also submit the appropriate application and a viable business plan and be:

• registered as an incorporated entity in the province and in good standing with the Registry of Companies and Deeds
• registered and in good standing with the Workplace Health, Safety and Compensation Commission, and
• clear of debt owed to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

To apply, interested parties should contact the Licensing and Inspections Division at 709-729-3736.

This new category of licences comes in addition to the recently announced Industry Balance and Opportunity Licensing Approach to increase the sector’s competitiveness, increase capacity, and strengthen controls over corporate concentration.

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“This new category of licence will further strengthen our snow crab industry. Supporting leaders in our industry to purchase snow crab directly from harvesters to process it for the value-added market provides an obvious benefit to the sector here in our province. Through actions like this, we continue to demonstrate our commitment to the growth and prosperity of this key industry in Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

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