With a landed value for seafood products exceeding $1 billion, despite the pandemic, 2021 will go down in the books as one of the best years in the history of the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery.
“This has been a great year for the fishery,” said N.L. Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture Minister Derrick Bragg. “We were lucky to keep COVID-19 out of all our facilities and fishing boats so no loss of time this year.”
As of December 12, 2021, the landed value for seafood was $1,035,452,172, representing an increase of 77 per cent over 2020, making it one of the best years in history for the Newfoundland and Labrador fishery in terms of landed value, said the minister.
Much of the growth in 2021 was attributed to a shift to direct consumer sales and reduced restaurant demand stemming from the COVID-19 global pandemic.
This is “very positive news for the province’s fishing sector and the over 16,000 workers and 400 rural communities which rely upon the fishery for their economic well-being,” said Bragg.
The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture has made many significant investments and undertaken several meaningful initiatives in support of the province’s fishing and aquaculture sectors in 2021, the minister explained.
The provincial government welcomed the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) announcement of an overall increase in the total allowable catch (TAC) for snow crab for 2021, but also lobbied for the continuation of a sustainable spring cod fishery in 3Ps. Due, in part, to the efforts of the provincial government, this fishing area received a quota of 1,346 tonnes that supported harvesting and processing operations, the minister said.
The provincial government also supported expansion of the province’s shellfish aquaculture sector by providing a non-repayable $248,608 contribution to Merasheen Oyster Farms to assist with oyster cultivation research in Notre Dame Bay. This support provided the company with the tools it needed to continue its growth and development in a very competitive marketplace. The anticipated increase in export activity will help create jobs and economic benefits for the continually emerging provincial aquaculture sector, the department stated.
The provincial government also invested $75,000 into Labrador Gem Seafoods of Ramea which is intended to increase the company’s global market reach for its seafood product line which includes lobster, snow crab, shrimp and cod. The funding was provided through the provincial government’s Business Development Support program and is expected to support fishing sector employment for the Ramea area.
In June, Bragg and the ministers responsible for aquaculture in other Atlantic provinces signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the ongoing development and management of their industries, based on common principles. This extended a previous MOU signed in 2008.
“Cooperation between the provinces and the aquaculture industry has led to improvements in pest management, environmentally-sustainable aquaculture methods, aquatic animal health and policies to support the shared use of marine and freshwater resources. The enhanced cooperation also seeks to align regulation and policy between the provinces to make the regulatory requirements easier to understand by industry and the public. This MOU recognizes aquaculture is an important economic driver for rural, coastal and Indigenous communities. It also sets the framework to better position Atlantic Canada to increase aquaculture production and meet growing global demand for sustainably-sourced seafood. While the MOU is anticipated to lead to positive results, the provincial government remains cognizant of pressures facing the aquaculture sector.”
In July, Newfoundland and Labrador, other participating provinces and the Government of Canada announced strategic investments through the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund (CFSOF) to help expand markets, build on strong international brands and grow trade opportunities for this country’s high-quality, sustainable fish and seafood products.
“Newfoundland and Labrador is pleased to be a partner in the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund and to have contributed funding to seven pan-Canadian marketing initiatives for the benefit of the seafood industry in our province and throughout the country. This program allows the fish and seafood sector to work collaboratively on marketing Canadian fish and seafood products at home and abroad.”
Specifically for Newfoundland and Labrador, investments are being made in support of the provincial fish and seafood sector, resulting in a positive impact on communities and local economies. This included:
- $2.64 million for the Fur Institute of Canada/Seals and Sealing to strengthen sector organizations and market conditions for Canadian seal products in domestic and international markets.
- $4.57 million for the Atlantic Groundfish Council to support the future development of a comprehensive marketing and promotional strategy for international markets.
- $225,000 for the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance/Fisheries Council for marketing and consumer research to support the development of a national positioning strategy for Canada’s farmed and wild fish and seafood sectors.
- $662,400 for the Lobster Council of Canada for activities to support the implementation of a generic marketing and promotional strategy for Canadian lobster in domestic and export markets.
- $112,800 for the Canadian Organic Seafood Association to support the establishment and maintenance of a standards interpretation committee for the Canadian Organic Aquaculture Standard.
- $333,000 for the Fisheries Council of Canada to develop and implement a sector-wide communications strategy to address sustainability and public trust-related market issues, in an effort to create greater awareness of domestic product availability.
The province’s fishing sector continues to benefit through investments from the Atlantic Fisheries Fund. In 2021, Newfoundland and Labrador received a contribution of $11.2 million invested in 36 projects which focus on equipment modernization and improving productivity and sustainability.
The $400-million Atlantic Fisheries Fund, jointly funded by the federal and provincial governments, focuses on increasing opportunities and market value for sustainably-sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products from Atlantic Canada.
Specifically for Newfoundland and Labrador, investments for 2021 included:
- Harvesting – 28 projects for fish harvesters, supporting new equipment and innovative technologies that will advance onboard handling techniques and increase productivity and quality of products.
- Processing – Five projects targeting advancements in processing technologies, diversification and product quality improvements to improve competitiveness and add value for the industry.
- Aquaculture – Two projects enabling adoption of new technology and processes to support sustainable development in the oyster and salmon sectors.
- Indigenous partnerships – One project with the Nunatsiavut Government through the Torngat Joint Fisheries Board investing in Adaptive Remote Imaging Sonar (ARIS) technology to collect information about Arctic char, which will better inform total allowable catch decisions for food, social, ceremonial and commercial Arctic char fisheries.
Bragg said the province’s fishing industry is poised to build upon the success of 2021 and is well positioned to achieve further success in 2022.
“The provincial government looks forward to continuing working with fisheries stakeholders to achieve new growth and strengthen our province’s reputation as a respected, trusted source of safe sustainable seafood,” the minister noted.
