Forest
The forestry sector is the backbone of Restigouche county's
economy. Most businesses depend on this valuable resource.
The primary resource is transformed into lumber, into value
added products and into pulp and paper. The United States
and Europe are the prospective markets for these products.
The
timber resources of Restigouche are governed by the Department
of Natural Resources and Energy, the forest industry and
private woodlot owners. Wooded areas in the county belong
in great part to the province of New Brunswick (Crown Lands),
whare as private woodlot owners and industrial freeholders
own the rest. Forest companies such as Bowater Inc. and
Fraser Inc. have signed Forest Management Agreements with
the Province to undertake the planning and implementation
of forest management activities on Crown Land in Restigouche.
Agriculture
This industry plays a secondary role in the area's economy.
The agricultural production in Restigouche constitutes mainly
of milk, eggs, potatoes, turnips, sweet corn, cabbage, strawberries,
raspberries, and blueberries as well as the rearing of beef
and hogs. The county is divided into two agricultural zones:
Northeast, from Belledune River to Whites Brook, and Northwest,
from Whites Brook to Saint-Quentin.
The
maple syrup industry has experienced continuous growth for
the past few years in the western part of the county. It
is estimated that 70% of the provincial production of maple
syrup is produced in this region.
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Fishing
The commercial fisheries industry in this area is relatively
small compared to other regions of New Brunswick, but nonetheless
plays an important role for many families in the Eastern part
of the county. Most fishermen in the area belong to the "Restigouche
Inshore Fisherman Association". The licensed fishermen
have a territory that extends from Campbellton to Pointe-Sapin,
even though most limit their operations between Dalhousie
and Belledune. The fishermen capitalize on two docks of the
region, one in New Mills and the other in Jacquet River in
order to unload their catches. The Bay of Chaleur yields abundant
catches of lobster, cod, herring and smelt. Salmon fishing
on the Restigouche River and its tributaries also brings interesting
economic repercussions.
Mining
The mining sector offers the potential of becoming very
important in the future.
Presently,
zinc, lead, gold and copper are the metals being exploited.
There are also limestone and gravel quarries. The geology
of the region offers an excellent potential for discovering
exploitable deposits of copper and/or gold, as well as aggregates
and possibly dimensional stones.
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