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Between the Land & the Sea

Between the Land & the Sea. The Social and Economic Importance of Wharves & Harbours for Nova Scotia. Project Overview. Data base of harbours & coastal communities Provincial overview of trends impacting on coastal regions Policy analysis - DFO Small Craft Harbours

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Between the Land & the Sea

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  1. Between the Land & the Sea The Social and Economic Importance of Wharves & Harbours for Nova Scotia

  2. Project Overview • Data base of harbours & coastal communities • Provincial overview of trends impacting on coastal regions • Policy analysis - DFO Small Craft Harbours • Case studies -- 10 harbour communities • Planning workshop • Final report & communications plan PRAXIS Research

  3. Data Base • 2001 Census Canada Data used to create statistical model of Nova Scotia • 77 harbour communities covering entire coastline • provincial zones • Coastal rural • Non-coastal rural • Urban Cape Breton • Urban HRM • Other data loaded in including wharves and harbour facilities, labour force, tourism sites, aquaculture sites, etc. PRAXIS Research

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  6. Population by Zone PRAXIS Research

  7. Community Level Change Coastal-Rural Zone, 1991-01 • 8 communities showed significant growth • 9 communities had slight to moderate growth • 16 experienced slight to moderate population losses • 25 coastal areas show significant declines (from -5.1 to -10%) • 12 had very significant population losses (-10.1 to -15%) • 7 are labeled severe population loss • Lost more than 15% of their populations over the decade PRAXIS Research

  8. Migration, 1996 to 2001 • 124,000 Nova Scotians, 15% of the total population > 5 years of age, were migrants • 56,000 moved to Nova Scotia from other provinces or countries • 53% of immigrants from other provinces in rural communities • Over 67,000 people changed communities within Nova Scotia • Some 39,000 Nova Scotians migrated to/among rural communities PRAXIS Research

  9. Employed Labour Force PRAXIS Research

  10. Total Employment by Industry PRAXIS Research

  11. Sectoral View - Fisheries • Overall value of fishery continues to grow • Dramatic shift from groundfish to shellfish • Less employment in processing • Shellfish predominantly owner-operator • Widely distributed small enterprises • Dependent on small harbours close to resource • Emerging policy “crisis” • Intergenerational transfer and high cost of licenses PRAXIS Research

  12. Sustainable Utilization? PRAXIS Research

  13. Other Sectors • Aquaculture • $30 million in production 2001 • Up from $8 million in 1995 • 1,200 permanent jobs • Boatbuilding • 1,600 employees & $85 million in sales in 2003 • Tourism • Gross revenues of $1 billion in 2002 • Current industry goal to double revenues by 2010 • 174 tourism & recreation enterprises using wharves • Industry places high priority on public access to ocean PRAXIS Research

  14. Policy Trends DFO Small Craft Harbours SCH clearly acknowledges that deferred repair and budget shortfalls translate…. ….into unsafe or poor working conditions for users, increased client dissatisfaction and a growing potential liability for the Crown. The potential for public injury, loss of property and income due to degraded assets is high, as is public and political sensitivity associated with limited action. At active fishing harbours, closure or demolition is not a political or an economically acceptable solution Capital Plan for Small Craft Harbours 2002/2003 to 2004/2005, Small Craft Harbours, DFO, November 15, 2001. PRAXIS Research

  15. Planned SCH Spending in Nova Scotia • Current DFO Departmental Estimates set out spending plans • $82.5 million in 2001-02 • $96.0 million in 2002-03 • $91.3 million in 2003-04 • $91.4 million on 2004-05 • $86.4 million in 2005-06 • Possibility of further cuts through Program Review PRAXIS Research

  16. Maintaining the Asset BaseExpenditures on Repair, Maintenance, and Recapitalization of Assets in 1999SCH Vision Support Study, Elements 4 & 5, Draft Final Report. Mulcahy & Associates Inc. Prepared for Small Craft Harbours Branch, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, November 1999. PRAXIS Research

  17. Adequacy of Investment Levels • According to SCH’s own calculation of the costs associated with marine facilities, these levels of re-investment are clearly inadequate. “The appropriate percentage to calculate asset replacement and maintenance costs should normally be set at between 4.0% and 4.2% as derived from industry experience with marine structures (PIANC International Navigation Association, BS Ferries, PWGSC, Marine Atlantic, Transport Canada.)” Capital Plan for Small Craft Harbours 2002/2003 to 2004/2005. Small Craft Harbours, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, November 15, 2001 • Note: standard rate based on new assets PRAXIS Research

  18. Conclusions • Outside experts say additional $50 million needed annually to maintain the integrity of core harbours • “The most critical issue is the lack of an adequate stable refresh budget to address ongoing maintenance at core harbours, both to secure basic client service and to address public safety issues. Currently, 21% of our most active harbours register substandard performance ratings.” SCH Capital Plan for Small Craft Harbours 2002/2003 to 2004/2005 PRAXIS Research

  19. Policy Options • Significant growth in the DFO-SCH budget • Approx. $50 million annually needed to maintain status quo • Closure of more harbours to free up resources to support a shrinking number of core fishing harbours • Substantial increases in user fees • Access to new revenue sources beyond the current user fees and DFO-SCH budget PRAXIS Research

  20. Study Conclusions • Coastal-rural zone is a core component of provincial economy • There is substantial evidence that harbours are essential to the economic, social and cultural viability of coastal communities • Wharves are “bridges” that enable virtually all marine related activities in coastal zone • Critical issue of public vs privately controlled access to a diverse range of economic, social and cultural uses of the marine environment PRAXIS Research

  21. Overall Economic Impact • 28% of population lives in coastal rural zone • 24% of employed labour force works in coastal rural zone • 14% of labour force depends directly on wharves and harbours for jobs • 70% of provincial exports generated by largely rural-coastal based industries • 2 largest export industries, non-metallicmining and mineral fuels and fisheries (45% of overall exports), depend directly on harbours PRAXIS Research

  22. Key Trends • Overall population in coastal zone stable • Dramatic shifts in settlement patterns • Many communities have had serious population losses • Effects of 1990s crises leveling off • Groundfish collapse • Coal & steel in Cape Breton • Military bases • Underlying trends still to population shrinkage • Loss of jobs in primary industries through technological change & consolidation of ownership • Movement of young people to urban service jobs PRAXIS Research

  23. Threats to Community Stability • Loss of viability through population loss • Consolidation of ownership of shellfish licenses • Processors buying up licenses “under the table” • Former DFO Minister Thibault said he would “end trust agreements” (December 2003) • Continuing deterioration of wharves • Costs and risks increase for users • Pressure to consolidate harbours PRAXIS Research

  24. Major Challenge • The need to maintain investment levels in critical infrastructure as population declines • Healthy communities to attract and hold skilled workers and their families • Adequate health and human services, transportation and communications, recreational facilities, etc. • Wharves are essential socio-economic infrastructure • Impossible to maintain marine industries and access to the marine environment without them • Essential to quality of life & social viability in coastal communities PRAXIS Research

  25. CCN Action Priorities • Communicate findings to CCN member groups and plan and coordinate joint action • Share the database and skills to use it • Further develop small business perspective on economic significance of harbours • Promote/facilitate integration of government services, 1-stop shopping, for harbour management PRAXIS Research

  26. Research Follow-up • Need for deeper analysis of dynamics of shifting settlement patterns in rural areas • What’s really going on? • What are the thresholds for community viability in terms of population loss? • What are the implications for retention of essential supplies of skilled labour? • Does the harbour authority model need to be redeveloped to include more stakeholders? PRAXIS Research

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