by Marc Laframboise, MMNN Contributor

Located along the south shore of the Gaspé Peninsula at the intersection of the Gesgapegiag River estuary and the Bay of Chaleurs is the Gesgapegiag First Nation. The community of close to 700 residents is experiencing rapid expansion and diversification of its commercial fishery.

In September 2014, we reported that the First Nation had invested in a lobster trucking operation and a retail seafood store which had its official opening in June, 2014. These new businesses have created seasonal employment for 14 individuals. Both businesses are 100 percent owned by the Micmacs of Gesgapegiag Band.

The community has now finalized a business arrangement leasing a live seafood holding system that provides storage capacity for over 17,000 pounds of live lobster. This new wholesale lobster business will allow the year-long sale of bulk live lobster to buyers in the region. This new ability to hold large volumes of live lobster will allow the community to keep the Lobster Hut (retail seafood store) open well beyond the fishing season.

Gesgapegiag First Nation’s Fisheries Director Virginia Martin had this to say about the addition of the storage tanks: “The storage tanks give us a wholesale capacity that will allow the Lobster Hut to remain open in off-season periods. This will generate substantial revenue increases for our community and create employment.”

The Lobster Hut was such a success in its first year of operation that there are plans to exp ...