Joint INAC-DFO announcement on investments to assist Atlantic First Nations fisheries enterprises

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Good afternoon. It is a great pleasure to be here with Chief Simon and Chief Paul of the Atlantic Policy Congress. Before I get to today's announcement, I just want to thank MP Armstrong for his hard work in his riding of Cumberland-Colchester-Musquodoboit Valley, along with Minister MacKay for his support and commitment to the issue that brings us here today.

Over the past decade, Mi'kmaq and Maliseet First Nations in the Maritimes and Gaspé region of Quebec have made significant progress in the development of the commercial capture fisheries. In order to help improve the long-term sustainability of this sector, I'm happy to announce an investment of $7.7 million in federal support for Atlantic First Nations fisheries enterprises.

This announcement builds on the First Nations' existing success and will help unlock more opportunities for employment and skills development and economic growth in other areas of the fisheries sector including aquaculture, seafood processing and marketing. Through strategic investments such as this one, First Nations will be supported and encouraged to seize new opportunities through increased funding and enhanced capacity building for business planning and management.

These investments are the first under the Government's Strategic Partnerships Initiative. This new initiative, which is part of the broader Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development, is focused on increasing economic development opportunities for Aboriginal people by establishing partnerships between federal and non-federal partners in key economic sectors.

Our Government is committed to improving economic opportunities for Aboriginal people across our country. Investments such as this one demonstrate the fundamentally new way that this Government supports Aboriginal economic development. Through the Federal Framework for Aboriginal Economic Development, which we announced just over a year ago, our government is working with Aboriginal people and communities to enable them to take advantage of real, significant and sustainable economic opportunities.

We will continue to make such investments because we know that increasing Aboriginal participation in the economy is the most effective way to improve the quality of life and secure a prosperous future for Aboriginal communities. That's good news for all Canadians. Thank you.