Brief History

• This type of fishing was essentially developed by groundfish mindshare fishermen from New Brunswick and Quebec, who chose to diversify their operations by specializing in this small crustacean. 
• Shrimp fishing started in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the mid-60s and in the Scotian Shelf in the late ’70s. New Brunswick shrimp fishermen were the pioneers of shrimp fishing in the Scotian Shelf. 
• Coming from competitive fisheries, the shrimp fishermen chose to have an individual fishing quota program (IQ) in 1991 that was modified in 1993 to an individual transferable quota program (ITQ) and, in doing so, rationalized themselves (5 in Quebec and 2 in New Brunswick).
• A shrimp fleet restructuring took place in New Brunswick in 2010 and 2011, leading to the establishment of Corporation 649676 NB Inc. This corporation, whose stakeholders are 10 traditional shrimp fishermen, acquired 4 licences that were for sale at the time. The Corporation manages the allowances provided for by these acquired licences.  The Corporation bought two others licences and now numbers of Actionnaires is 8.
• The economic benefits of this industry are not only important for the province, but also particularly so for the Acadian Peninsula. Jobs in this field, compared to those related to other types of marine products, are more stable and last longer, from April until November.
• Shrimp fishing in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is certified sustainable and managed in accordance with the criteria set by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).