Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)

Sea cucumber is an emerging but growing industry in Atlantic Canada that has yet to reach its full potential.x000D
Unlike most sea cucumbers exploited elsewhere in the world, which are hand-caught, manually processed andx000D
destined to luxury seafood markets, sea cucumbers in Atlantic Canada (Cucumaria frondosa) are trawled,x000D
mechanically processed and typically generate low to moderate returns. Moreover, no standards exist at presentx000D
for handling, transporting and holding the raw material to obtain standardized commercial products. Quin Seax000D
Fisheries is a prominent seafood processor based in Newfoundland & Labrador that seeks to optimize its seax000D
cucumber branch by drawing on the expertise of the Mercier Lab in the biology and conservation of seax000D
cucumbers. The objectives of the proposed project are to (1) address the challenges currently experienced byx000D
Quin Sea Fisheries in standardizing the aspect of sea cucumbers that enter the processing chain; and (2)x000D
experiment with various handling techniques that might enhance the end products or warrant future R&D. Thex000D
long-term aim is to develop optimal techniques for holding and handling sea cucumbers to increase the value ofx000D
the commercial end-products and their competitiveness on the markets, and ultimately maximize the associatedx000D
returns. This project will also constitute the first phase in developing a series of best practices for sea cucumberx000D
exploitation that should benefit all Canadian stakeholders involved and help grow this promising industry in ax000D
sustainable way.