HALIFAX — A dispute over the federal government’s decision to award a multimillion-dollar Arctic surf clam fishing licence to a Nova Scotia company continued to fester Wednesday, as Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc responded to complaints from irate Indigenous groups and politicians. LeBlanc rejected calls to reverse his decision, saying he wasn’t surprised there was discontent among those whose proposals failed to win approval. Both the provincial government and the Mi’kmaq group called on LeBlanc to reverse his decision. The Arctic surf clam fishery generated $90 million in sales in 2016 and mainly supplies the Asian sushi and sashimi market. The fishing grounds are located off Nova Scotia and eastern Newfoundland, and the current catch-limit is about 38,000 tonnes.

Source: National Post March 07, 2018 21:11 UTC