The Aquaculture Canada and World Aquaculture Society North America 2022 Conference is a perfect occasion to celebrate the tremendous work of all the people and organizations who have contributed to the growth and development of aquaculture in our country, and around the world.
They are to be celebrated because they recognize the immense opportunities that arise from providing sustainably sourced seafood to a growing world population that is hungry for it and because they are willing to face a wide array of challenges head on to make the most of those opportunities.
I know some of those challenges can be significant for aquaculture.
They can include everything from rapidly changing environmental conditions, to maintaining remote operations, to ensuring the safety of workers at sea, to keeping up with ever evolving best global practices.
As Managing Director for the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI), I want to emphasize to everyone involved in aquaculture (and the seafood sector broadly) that we are here to lead efforts to overcome obstacles you face on the water. We do that through research and development that protects and promotes the well-being of the environment, your employees and the future of your enterprise.
We have been building a great track record in this regard since 1989, in large part due to our close connection with the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University (MI) — one of Canada’s most comprehensive centres for education, training, applied research and industrial support for the ocean industries.
Time and again, we have brought together research leaders, funding institutions and seafood companies to pursue enhancements that set a higher bar for safety, sustainability and success. For example, when it became clear that the practice of bottom trawling would have to change to protect vulnerable sea beds, CCFI and MI worked together with harvesters to develop equipment that would minimize any impact on the sea floor.
When harvesters wanted to take action to prevent lost crab pots from harvesting, CCFI worked with them to facilitate the creation of a twine that would degrade if submerged for longer than its expected use.
When the processing sector wanted to purse greater efficiency, CCFI worked with a wide variety of plants and consultants to achieve greater energy efficiencies and other enhancements that improved the environmental impact and profitability of many companies. And in specific respect to aquaculture, CCFI has already been very involved in valuable research involving cleanerfish and other projects intended to promote fish health. That’s just a few of many examples where the national seafood sector has been strengthened through partnerships and projects facilitated by CCFI.
So, to summarize, today there is extraordinary excitement about the potential for a growing “blue economy” in which seafood companies throughout our country could be leaders. At the same time, there is also intense pressure to honour increased public expectations regarding environmental, ethical and safety standards. In many cases, the value of seafood is at historic highs, but in many cases, so are the costs and complications associated with seafood operations.
Navigating the problems posed in such an environment can require significant investment — both financial, and in terms of time and human resources, and everyone knows such resources are always in short supply.
The value proposition CCFI presents to the entire seafood sector throughout Canada is that we can help you overcome the unique challenges you face by connecting you with funding resources and expertise in ways that save you time and money; thus introducing valuable innovation to your operations that achieves greater success.
I invite you to contact me at keith.hutchings@mi.mun.ca if you would like to find out more. My team and I are always ready to engage.
By Keith Hutchings
Managing Director
Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI)
