Archived – Helping Canada's Fishing Industry Adapt to Changing Markets

April 2007

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The views of consumers and seafood buyers of Canadian fish and seafood products can impact the wealth of Canada's fishing industries. An important part of the Ocean to Plate agenda at Fisheries and Oceans Canada is to be more aware of the market demands as they relate to managing Canadian fisheries.

Increasingly, consumers and seafood buyers from around the world are calling for sustainable seafood products. This has led to the development of 'eco-labels' and processes for certifying seafood products. It has also led to increasing demands on Canada's fish and seafood industries and DFO to prove that these industries are managed sustainably. This includes ensuring that any certification procedures enhance trade, and raising awareness about the use of eco-labelling.

New funding of $1.6M per year over two years will allow the integration of precautionary and ecosystems approaches in fisheries management across Canada. It will also be used to develop "sustainability checklists" for key commercial fisheries across the country, based in part on the UN Food and Agriculture Organizations' guidelines on eco-labelling.

Sustainability checklists will provide consumers and seafood buyers with a clear understanding of Canada's sustainable fisheries framework for all commercial fisheries. The checklists will evaluate the status of management measures and their contribution to conserving fish stocks and the ecosystems in which they live. They will measure and review biological aspects of fisheries sustainability, such as biomass health. They will also report on the progress made to incorporate the precautionary approach and ecosystem approaches.

DFO is responsible for providing information to consumers and seafood buyers about our fisheries management practices to demonstrate Canada's sustainability. For example, as part of Canada's integrated fisheries management approach, the Department has been incorporating two core principles in recent years to ensure healthy fish stocks and oceans ecosystems. These principles are known as the precautionary approach and ecosystem approach.

DFO is working with government partners such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and provincial governments, as well as with stakeholders, to ensure Canadian industry remains competitive in international markets. DFO's goal for seeking improved market access for seafood products is being pursued through bilateral, regional, and multilateral negotiations.

Working with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, DFO will also continue to pursue options and advocacy efforts to improve market access for numerous seafood products, such as Canadian shrimp into the European Union.

The EU market is an important market for Canadian shrimp as the Canadian export value of shrimp in 2006 in more than C$88 million. On November 20, 2006, the EU's Agriculture and Fisheries Formation of the Council of Ministers adopted the adjustment package to the 2006 autonomous tariff rate quota (ATRQ) and, as expected, provided for an increase in the 2006 shrimp ATRQ to 10,000 tonnes from 7,000 tonnes. The adjustment package also provides for increases to tariff quotas for the processing of some fishery products, including cod, blue grenadier, anchovies, tubes of squid, and loins/fillets of tunas and skipjack.

To start the process of raising awareness about the use of eco-labelling, DFO will hold a national eco-labelling workshop on May 22 and 23 in Montréal for stakeholders to gather more information on this emerging issue.

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