Marine Research Centre to assist new lobster quality and innovation centre – Port Hawkesbury Reporter

HALIFAX: The Marine Research Centre in Isle Madame will
be part of a new lobster quality and innovation centre conducting cutting edge
research.

On February 26, the province announced the new $2.5
million facility tasked with finding new ways to advance the quality and export
value of lobster.

The province and Université Sainte-Anne are working
together to develop the Lobster Quality Research and Innovation Centre based at
Université Sainte-Anne in Church Point

With hopes of attracting a world-class research team,
it will work closely with the university’s Marine Research Centre in Petit de Grat
to support innovation in the lobster industry.

Areas of focus will include live lobster quality,
handling and holding practices, storage and shipping and new technologies for
grading. It will be guided by an advisory committee.

It is under construction and is expected to be ready
for operation by summer.

“Be it for the betterment of our Acadian
communities, the prosperity of rural Nova Scotia or the economic growth of our
province as a whole, there is not a more logical area than lobster for
Université Sainte-Anne to focus its energies as it grows its research
enterprise,” Kenneth Deveau, vice president, Academic and Research, Université
Sainte-Anne said. “We therefore could not be prouder than we are today as we
announce the establishment of this Lobster Quality Research and Innovation
Centre.”

The three-year budget of about $2.5 million will be
used for personnel ($525,000 for a research lead and laboratory technicians),
lab equipment ($1.6 million), and operating costs ($282,000). The funding comes
from the province’s Building Tomorrow Fund which helps fisheries and
agriculture companies working to create new products, access new markets and
add value to existing products.

“The processors, buyers and sellers of lobster in
Nova Scotia take quality very seriously and we welcome this initiative to bring
a scientific look at ways to enhance lobster quality,” said Leo Muise,
executive director of Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance. “We market our live and
processed Nova Scotia lobster world-wide and always focus on providing the very
best.”

Nova Scotia lobster is known around the world for its
high quality. Nova Scotia exports $2.3 billion in seafood products to 80
countries, with lobster being the highest value export.

“We want Nova Scotia to provide the world with the
highest quality lobsters available, so we are proud to fund this research
centre to help work toward that goal for our growing seafood industry,”
said Keith Colwell, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “This centre
will help strengthen the role of the province’s lobsters as a sustainable, renewable,
natural resource in domestic and international markets.”

More information about the Lobster Quality Research and
Innovation Centre can be found at:  https://www.usainteanne.ca/en/community-and-industry-liaison.