Nova Scotia will lift two long-standing bans on seafood buying and processing licences—a move the province says will strengthen economic opportunities in its seafood industry, and help cushion against the impact of China’s ongoing tariffs and other potential levies from the United States.
The Nova Scotia government will lift the moratorium beginning Aug. 1 on all seafood buying and processing licences, a measure that was introduced in 2018. A moratorium on ground-fish that was imposed in 1994 will also be lifted.
The move will help open up the province’s seafood sector to new applicants and boost Nova Scotia’s economy, according to Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Kent Smith, who noted that industry players are looking to diversify their markets.
“Now, more than ever, we have the opportunity to reimagine the economic potential of our traditional and natural resources,” Smith said in a May 13 statement. “Accepting applications from new entrants, or established businesses that want to diversify or expand their products, will help drive the economy and grow our seafood sector.”
The moratoriums will be lifted in two stages, the province said. Applications for most seafood species buyer and processor licences will be accepted starting Aug. 1, while those for lobster and snow crab are set to open up on Jan. 2, 2026.
The lifting of the 2018 moratorium follows a seven-year review of Nova Scotia’s seafood industry policies and regulations, which was conducted by the provincial government.
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“The moratorium was a temporary measure to maintain fair competition and to reduce speculation during the review period,” Smith’s department said in the release, adding that the province carried out the review by consulting with industry representatives.
The moratorium on groundfish buying and processing licences was established in 1994 due to the “collapse of the groundfish fisheries” at the time, the department added.
China and U.S. Tariffs
The announcement by Smith comes amid concerns about the impact of Chinese tariffs, as well as threats of potential U.S. tariffs, on Nova Scotia’s seafood exports.
China imposed tariffs on Canadian agricultural products on March 20 in apparent retaliation for 100 percent levies Canada put on Chinese electric vehicles last year. Beijing’s measures included 100 percent duties on Canadian canola oil, oil cakes, and pea imports, as well as 25 percent levies on Canadian seafood and pork.
Canada’s seafood sector was spared from 25 percent U.S. tariffs introduced in April owing to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which secures tariff-free trade for qualifying Canadian goods. Yet, uncertainty remains for the sector, which is Nova Scotia’s primary export.
Seafood products accounted for 36 percent of the province’s exported goods in 2024, according to Smith’s department. The department also noted that the industry was worth $2.4 billion in 2024 and supports approximately 20,000 jobs.
The United States and China are Atlantic Canada’s biggest buyers of seafood exports, according to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
Smith said lifting the moratoriums will allow the province to remove trade barriers and mitigate the impacts from tariffs.
“With the implementation of Chinese tariffs and the recent threat of U.S. tariffs and other global uncertainties we need to explore new opportunities using a fair and modern approach,” Smith told reporters.
‘Market Diversification’
Smith’s comments echoed his statement on March 13 that his government “wants to assure the 20,000-plus workers in our seafood and aquaculture sectors that we’re here for them and for all Nova Scotians.”
“We are already actively working on market diversification activities for our seafood sector, and we will accelerate our work on this front,” Smith said. “In fact, the Premier and I will be making new connections and promoting our seafood to the world at North America’s largest seafood expo this weekend in Boston.”
Premier Tim Houston and Smith travelled to Spain from May 5 to 10 to attend Seafood Expo Global, the world’s largest seafood event, a provincial statement said.
Houston told reporters on May 12 that industry professionals and buyers from all over the world had interest in Nova Scotia’s seafood at the international event. He said that he spoke with a supermarket company with 1,600 chains that is interested in Nova Scotia hake, a fish harvested from the cold waters of the eastern province’s shores.
Carolina Avendano, Omid Ghoreishi and The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
