Harvesters will be eligible for a maximum of about $10,000 through either a grant or a benefit. Federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan said they are "one pool of funding with two streams."

People who own their own boats will be eligible for the grant, while workers who share in the profits of an enterprise will be eligible for the benefit. Both pay a maximum of slightly more than $10,000.

They'll have to show earnings from the 2018 or 2019 season and show they've suffered at least a 25 per cent loss during this pandemic season.

Applications open online Aug. 24 and will be open for four weeks.

Jordan said the government made it a short application period so harvesters can get paid faster.

"Like all the programs we've had during the pandemic, we continue to assess them, see what we can do differently, how we can do better," she said. "So we know people have been waiting, so we figured four weeks was time for people to get the money they needed as quickly as possible."