MONTRÉAL - Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)
Fish and seafood processors play a vital role in the resilience of Canada's food system and economy. They are at the heart of their communities, creating local jobs and buying products from Canadian fish and aquaculture harvesters. COVID-19 has presented many challenges to the sector, putting a significant financial burden on small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as they work to meet these challenges head-on.
That is why the Government of Canada has taken decisive action to support Canadians facing hardship as a result of the pandemic. The Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund (CSSF) is a $62.5 million fund that will help fish and seafood processors across Canada get through the crisis and prepare for the economic recovery so that their communities can continue to thrive.
Today, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, and the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, announced that Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED) will accept applications from indigenous and non-indigenous fish, seafood and aquaculture processors in Quebec wishing to access the fund as of June 22, 2020. CED will be delivering a total of $9.1 million in funding from Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Quebec's regions.
The CSSF will help fish and seafood processors put in place health and safety measures to help protect workers against COVID-19 and create more jobs for Canadians. It will increase plant capacity to process, store, package and distribute healthy, high-quality products, and to adapt processes and marketing to suit changing consumer demands. Bolstering the processing sector will be vital to supporting fish and seafood harvesters and strengthening Canada's food supply chain.
The CSSF is one part of the Government of Canada's ongoing effort to support Canada's fish and seafood sector, which has included over $500 million in investments this year through this Fund, the Fish Harvester Benefit and the Fish Harvester Grant.
Source : Cision