Nova Scotia Regulation 154/2025 replaces prior regulations governing fish buyers and fish processors under the Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act. The regulation repeals the Fish Buyers’ Licensing and Enforcement Regulations, N.S. Reg. 99/2000, and the Fish Inspection Regulations, N.S. Reg. 286/1984, consolidating and modernizing rules for licensing, inspection, and compliance for fish buying and processing activities. The new regulations, set out in Schedule A, provide a comprehensive framework for regulating the purchase, handling, and processing of fish and fish products, aiming to ensure sustainability, food safety, and compliance with federal and provincial laws.

Licences are administered by a registrar appointed by the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, who maintains a registry of licence holders and oversees issuance, renewal, amendment, and termination. Licences are categorized as buyer licences, processor licences, or single-event licences. Holders must comply with all federal and provincial legislation, as well as the terms of their licence. The Minister has discretionary authority to limit the number of licences if deemed in the public interest. Applications for licences must be made on prescribed forms, accompanied by non-refundable fees, and may require submission of additional information such as business plans or details of intended activities. Licences may specify species, locations, duration, and conditions for buying or processing fish, and may be issued for up to two years with renewable periods.

Licence holders must carry and produce identification and their licence or designated buyer card while engaged in relevant activities. Records of fish and fish product transactions, including quantities, species, sources, and destinations, must be maintained and produced on request by the Minister or an inspector. Designated buyers may be appointed for up to two years and are subject to reporting and card return requirements if their appointment ends. The Minister may limit or cancel appointments of designated buyers for public interest reasons.

Processor licences include exemptions for fishers processing their own catch into whole, dressed, salted, or pickled fish, except in cases of contamination. Processor licences may specify processing locations, food safety requirements, sourcing from aquaculture operations, record-keeping obligations, and mandatory notifications.

The regulations establish prohibitions to prevent illegal and unsafe practices. Fish buying prohibitions include acquiring, selling, or possessing illegally caught, cultured, raised, or harvested fish, or fish caught by unlicensed commercial or certain aboriginal fishers. Processing prohibitions prevent processing tainted or unwholesome fish, illegally sourced fish, or fish purchased contrary to regulations. Obstruction of inspectors or attempts to impede inspections are explicitly prohibited. Additionally, the Minister has authority to direct the disposal of tainted or decomposed fish to prevent unsafe products from entering the market.

Nova Scotia (154/2025) August 20, 2025
Disclaimer: Insights are for informational purposes only and do not reflect RRI’s official position or constitute legal opinion.