Port of Caraquet

Caraquet, NB · Private · Le Comité du port de Caraquet inc · Chaleur Bay (Baie des Chaleurs), southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence

The Port of Caraquet is a commercial fishing harbour on Chaleur Bay in the southwestern Gulf of St. Lawrence, located about 40 km from the bay's entrance on the Acadian Peninsula. It serves a fleet of roughly 75 fishing vessels (rising to as many as 150 during festivals) and handles fishery products almost exclusively — snow crab (thousands of tonnes annually), shrimp, lobster, mackerel, herring, oysters, and historically cod — with 12 unloading sites for fishery products plus boat construction, maintenance, and repair facilities; adjacent processors include Belle-Baie Industries and Ichiboshi (crab). It is described as the second-busiest port in the province by traffic and landings, accommodating vessels up to 135 m long and 6.22 m draught, with about 260 m of mooring (165 m West Pierhead, 91 m East Pierhead) and a marina for over 100 pleasure craft; general commercial cargo shipping is minimal. Divested from the federal government in 1987, the port is administered by Le Comité du port de Caraquet inc. (now Port de Caraquet inc.), a community committee with representatives from the Town of Caraquet, the Caraquet Chamber of Commerce, and local fishermen's/maritime organizations.