Premier Tim Houston Directs $65 Million to Modernize 12 Nova Scotia Inshore Lobster and Seafood Wharves

YARMOUTH, NS — Premier Tim Houston and Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith traveled to Southwestern Nova Scotia on Tuesday to announce the "Harbour Renewal and Fisheries Resilience Fund," allocating $65 million to rehabilitate 12 critical commercial fishing ports.

The investment targets essential marine infrastructure supporting Nova Scotia's commercial inshore lobster and groundfish fleets, which have faced escalating structural damage from severe winter storms and Atlantic storm surges.

Modernizing Coastal Working Waterfronts Under the capital infrastructure rollout:

• Concrete wharf decks and heavy-duty steel fender pilings will replace decaying creosote timber structures at key landing harbors in Lower West Pubnico, Dennis Point, and Meteghan.
• $20 million is dedicated to raising harbor breakwater crests by 1.5 meters to protect docked fishing vessels from hurricane-force waves.
• Ports will install automated three-phase electrical shore power stations, allowing fishing vessels to shut down diesel auxiliary generators while tied up at dock.

"The commercial fishery is the economic heartbeat of rural Nova Scotia, supporting thousands of families and generating world-renowned seafood exports," Premier Houston stated at the Dennis Point wharf. "Our fish harvesters face dangerous conditions at sea; they deserve modern, safe, and storm-resilient wharves when they return to port. Today's investment ensures our working waterfronts are built to last for the next fifty years."

Economic and Fisheries Impact Nova Scotia exports over $1.3 billion in live lobster annually, primarily to markets in the United States, Asia, and Europe. Port authority managers praised the provincial funding, noting that modern electrical connections will reduce dockside diesel emissions while improving offloading safety during peak winter harvest seasons.