Canada to rebuild small craft harbours damaged by Hurricane Fiona

The Canadian government will allocate CA$100 million (US$73 million) in funding to support the immediate and urgent work currently being carried out on the recovery of lost fishing gear and repairs of small craft harbours on the Atlantic coast damaged by Hurricane Fiona in late September.

The funding, which will be administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, will help clean up, dredge, and begin the needed repairs and rebuilding of critical infrastructure. This will help ensure small craft harbours impacted by the storm remain operational for users and are more resilient against future extreme weather, in addition to ensuring safe navigation so fish harvesters can get back on the water.

Of the more than 180 small craft harbours managed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec that were in the path of the storm, approximately 133 harbours are confirmed to have been impacted:

• 78 have minimal disruptions and are fully operational
• 35 have facilities that are more than 50 per cent usable
• 14 have facilities that are less than 50 per cent usable
• Six are currently non-operational, including one where pre-planned repairs had been undertaken prior to Fiona, and another that will be fully operational once dredging is carried out at the site

Examples of damage include breakwaters completely demolished and no longer protecting the harbour, floating wharves ripped from their mooring systems and washed away, and electrical systems destroyed by storm surges.

Sediment and extreme coastal erosion in many areas have also created unexpected dredging requirements, which are impacting ongoing fishing activities.