On the Waterfront – February 2022

Fish Canada Workboat Canada Delayed Until March

Master Promotions Ltd. recently announced that the Fish Canada Workboat Canada show, originally scheduled to take place January 21–22, 2022, has been delayed.

The event will now take place March 25–26, 2022, at the Moncton Coliseum.

This decision was not made lightly, but due to the increasing spread of the new COVID-19 variant and new gathering restrictions, Master Promotions felt compelled to take action.

“As always, the health and safety of our exhibitors, partners, visitors and contractors remains our top priority. Master Promotions Ltd. will continue to work diligently with the Province of New Brunswick and Moncton Coliseum Management to ensure the most up-to-date safety measures are in place during the event.”

Those who have pre-registered for the event — registrations will remain valid for the new dates.

“Master Promotions Ltd. would like to thank you for your continued support in the Fish Canada Workboat Canada Show and remain optimistic that this additional time will allow for a successful event.”

For complete show details, visit www.FCWC.ca and follow the show on Facebook.

SHOW HOURS:

Friday, March 25, 2022

10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Saturday, March 26, 2022

10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

LOCATION:

Moncton Coliseum

377 Killam Drive, Unit 100

Moncton, New Brunswick

Scallop Fishing Accident Claims Life on N.L.’s South Coast

A well-known resident of Harbour Breton died as a result of a December 19 fishing accident not far from the South Coast community’s harbour.

The man died after the 34-foot boat he was fishing scallops in capsized and sank.

The two other crew members onboard the vessel survived the ordeal.

According to reports, the vessel overturned in an area known as Salmonier Cove in Connaigre Bay.

The Harbour Breton Fire Department, which responded to the initial call, said one of the men was able to swim to shore and get help. The two other men were trapped inside the vessel and when rescuers recovered the men, one of them was unconscious. CPR was performed but the man didn’t make it.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s Fisheries Minister Derrick Bragg offered his condolences to family and friends of the crew member.

“Many brave people from Newfoundland and Labrador have died while earning a living at sea to support their families and communities. This loss will leave a permanent void in the lives of family, friends and everyone with a connection to our province’s fishing sector. Given the close proximity to the Christmas season, this tragic loss will be even more difficult to deal with. This incident is a reminder that while fishing is a noble occupation, working at sea comes with many risks each and every time one heads out to the fishing grounds. My thoughts are also with the two survivors at this time. I am confident our province’s tight knit fishing community will continue to provide support while they mourn the loss of a dear friend and partner,” Bragg said.

Daley Invests in Pêcheries Marinard

Daley Seafoods recently announced it will be investing in the Rivière-au-Renaud, Quebec-based Pêcheries Marinard.

Daley stated that the business move will expand its presence as one of the top producers of premium, sustainable shellfish to domestic and international markets and is another important step for Les Pêcheries Marinard in achieving long-term sustainability. Daley Seafoods said it is capitalizing on the state-of-the-art facilities with over 150 skilled employees.

Whitecap International Seafood will continue its role as the exclusive marketer of Northern shrimp for Les Pêcheries Marinard, a role Whitecap has held since 2009. This partnership has been instrumental in the expansion of Marinard’s sales across North America, Europe and Asia. Les Pêcheries Marinard is a world class producer of premium, wild caught, sustainable shellfish which has the top certifications and approvals to supply some of the most quality driven customers around the world.

Daley Seafoods has been active in Quebec for 30 years with a processing plant in Baie-Trinité and is already well established within the Quebec fishing industry. With the Rivière-au-Renard plant, it is now expanding its ambitions and putting forth a strategic development plan to grow Marinard’s business domestically, within North America and internationally.

Terry Daley of Daley Seafoods said “Our team is very pleased with Marinard and we’re excited about the potential of the Rivière-au-Renard community. The management team at the plant has been kind, professional, welcoming — things that we like to build around. Our company believes in using industry leading equipment and that was one of the reasons why we see so much potential in Marinard. The technology at the plant, along with the employees’ experience allows us to hit the ground running. These are skilled and competent people who will help the company grow. Our management team is genuinely excited to get going — they can’t wait to start next year. Our plan is simple, we work hard to be efficient and deliver the highest quality product. And we like to enjoy the process of doing so.”

P.E.I. Mussel Processing Plant Destroyed by Fire

A December 4th fire has completely gutted Atlantic Aqua Farms’ mussel facility in Orwell, Prince Edward Island.

The company said it was very fortunate and thankful that all 12 staff that were working on site got out of the building safely and went across the road to the evacuation rally point when the fire was small and smoke levels were still low.

“We are thankful for all the regional firefighters who responded to the call and did a great job safely managing a difficult fire in high winds. We are thankful to our neighbours William Visser and Don MacRae who provided their own personal tractors and heavy equipment to assist the fire department on site. William took off his winter coat and gave it to one of our shivering employees,” the company said in a statement.

Atlantic Aqua Farms said that PEI Mussel King has been helping by packing its product and Prince Edward Aqua Farms crews have been stripping mussels for them.

The company added that it was working at refitting its second factory site in Borden to pack mussels.

N.S. Investigation Leads to 66 Halibut Fishing Charges

After a 24-month major case investigation in the Sambro area of Nova Scotia, Fisheries and Oceans Canada recently laid 66 charges related to the illegal possession and sale of harvested halibut.

On December 13, a total of 41 charges were laid at the Halifax Provincial Court for offences under the Fisheries Act and the Atlantic Fishery Regulations, 1985. This is in addition to a total of 25 charges which were laid on January 7, 2021.

A total of 17 undersized halibut were seized in relation to charges for illegal possession and sale of harvested halibut in Sambro.

In total, eight individuals and five companies have been charged in relation to this investigation. The accused were charged on December 13 and were scheduled to appear in Halifax Provincial Court on January 19, 2022.

In addition to the charges, a number of goods were seized, including a 50-foot longline fishing boat and related fishing gear, two vehicles, a 28-foot enclosed trailer, a compact track loader, 7,461 pounds of Atlantic halibut valued at approximately $40,000, including 17 which were undersized and $36,000 in cash.

Atlantic halibut has become the most valuable species for groundfish licence holders in Nova Scotia over the past several years and accounted for 54 per cent of the value of the groundfish fishery in the Maritimes region in 2019.

Applications Open for 2022 Future Leaders Canada Program

The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC), in partnership with the National Fisheries Institute in the United States, has opened applications for their in-person 2022 Future Leaders Canada program.

The program is scheduled to return to its original format, with students travelling to Ottawa, Chicago and Halifax, plus the incorporation of two new virtual sessions.

Future Leaders Canada accepts participants working in the fish and seafood industry who are interested in gaining the skills and insider knowledge needed to become successful champions for their companies and the sector. After the 2021 program went fully virtual to accommodate COVID-19 precautions, the 2022 agenda has been developed with adaptations to safely resume travel where possible.

“We were pleased to be able to continue programming in 2021 with a virtual agenda, but the opportunity to soak up the environment of our destinations in person is one we’re excited to be returning to,” said Paul Lansbergen, President, FCC.

“The class of 2022 will appreciate the chance to experience the breadth of the Canadian seafood industry first-hand.”

The 2022 Future Leaders Canada program will run from March through August, with three three-day sessions in Ottawa, Chicago and Halifax, plus two bonus virtual sessions. A graduation celebration will take place at FCC’s Annual Conference in Ottawa in October.

Participants can expect to learn in-depth about export logistics, sustainability in seafood, and the retail side of the industry, while also exploring vessels, ports and production facilities, among other sessions.

“The goal of the Future Leaders Canada program is to equip our fish and seafood professionals with a well-rounded understanding of the sector, to strengthen the future of the entire industry,” Lansbergen said.

Applications, as well as a draft program agenda, are now available online. Interested participants should register before Jan. 28, 2022.

Successful Outcomes for Canada at ICCAT Meeting

The federal government said it was pleased with the outcomes reached at the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) meeting, which concluded on November 23.

Canada entered the negotiations with a position that was based on the best available science and aimed to conserve and regenerate fish stocks and the ecosystems on which they depend.

As a result of the successful negotiations, Canada and other member nations are better positioned to regulate the fishing, conservation and regeneration of a number of tuna, tuna-like and shark species.

Specifically, members agreed to important measures to reduce mortality rates and restore North Atlantic shortfin mako shark populations. The measures adopted will ensure harvesters are not permitted to keep any sharks caught in association with ICCAT fisheries in 2022 and from 2023, harvesters will only be allowed to keep these sharks under strict conditions.

Canada has banned the retention of shortfin mako sharks in its domestic fisheries since 2020. This agreement is a significant step in securing international cooperation in the protection and regeneration of the species.

ICCAT members also discussed management measures for Western Atlantic bluefin tuna. Despite some views calling for significantly higher catch allocations, Canada successfully advocated for only a moderate increase in total allowable catch, as supported by science. This moderate increase will prevent overfishing and promote the continued growth of the stock.