Canadian Seafood Highlighted at Seafood Expo North America
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) was part of Canada’s delegation to this year’s Seafood Expo North America.
The Seafood Expo, which ran from March 16 to 18, 2025, in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest trade exposition of its kind in North America. The Seafood Expo is an opportunity for Canada to promote its high-quality, sustainably sourced fish and seafood products. It provides a global platform to share its best practices when it comes to managing Canadian fisheries and protecting its marine ecosystems to ensure a healthy and sustainable industry.
Fish and seafood are among the largest single food commodities exported by Canada. Canada exported fish and seafood to 118 countries in 2024. Lobster was Canada’s most valuable export species, worth $2.9 billion in 2024.
“Fish and seafood are a part of our culture and way of life. We are proud of the fish and seafood that we catch. Showcasing Canadian fish and seafood at the Seafood Expo North America lets us share with the world how hard our fish and seafood harvesters and processors work to bring high-quality, sustainable seafood to the table,” said newly appointed Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Canadian and U.S. seafood harvesters and processors are closely interconnected, supporting North American food security.
Canada’s most valuable exports by species in 2024 were lobster, snow/queen crab and Atlantic salmon. In 2024, these species represented 63 per cent ($5.1 billion) of the total value and 41 per cent (214,000 tonnes) of the total volume of fish and seafood exports.
Union Optimistic About Halibut Fishery
The bi-annual Gulf Groundfish Advisory Committee held its latest meeting in March, delivering positive news for the 4RST Atlantic halibut fishery.
According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Science, the Gulf Atlantic halibut stock has reached its highest level ever recorded in the time series, bolstered by strong recruitment prospects. This milestone underscores the growing value and sustainability of this vital fishery.
Representing FFAW-Unifor in person at the meeting were harvesters Chris Genge, Kevin Hardy, and Boyd Lavers, and Secretary-Treasurer Jason Spingle. FFAW staff member Jeff Griffin participated virtually.
“Confirmation of this positive stock assessment for Atlantic halibut is a testament to the collaborative efforts of our harvesters and the success of the post-season longline survey,” said Spingle, who played an important role several years ago in establishing the survey alongside FFAW Scientist Dr. Erin Carruthers. “The commitment of our harvesters and partners throughout the Gulf has been instrumental in driving this success,” Spingle said.
With the stock thriving, discussions around the total allowable catch (TAC) point to a promising increase. The FFAW expressed confidence that Newfoundland and Labrador harvesters are well-positioned to see meaningful progress.
“Most every harvester I know wants to see steady increases and build on a fishery that’s growing more valuable each year,” said Chris Genge, a halibut harvester and Executive Board member representing the Northern Peninsula and Labrador.
Spingle echoed this optimism, concluding, “With the projected increase, everyone should benefit.” The continued growth of the 4RST Atlantic halibut stock signals a sustainable and prosperous future for harvesters and communities across the Gulf region.
Search Called Off for Russian Sailor Lost at Sea
A 56-year-old Russian sailor was pronounced dead after being lost from a cargo ship approximately 650 nautical miles northeast of St. John’s on March 18.
The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax received the call of a man overboard on the morning of March 18.
A Hercules and an Aurora aircraft out of Greenwood, Nova Scotia, were sent to the scene, while two commercial vessels and a P-8 fixed-wing aircraft out of the U.K. joined the search.
Weather conditions were favourable, but despite the effort and a search that extended 20 hours beyond expected survivability, no sign of the missing man was detected and the search was called off.
Feds Fund Scientific Research on MSX Disease in Oysters
Recent detections of MSX disease, or multinucleate sphere unknown X (MSX), in Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.) and New Brunswick, have posed significant challenges for the oyster industry across Atlantic Canada.
While much is known about MSX, which affects oyster health and growth, significant knowledge gaps remain. While MSX is not a food safety concern, it poses a serious threat to Canada’s oyster industry.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) recently announced more than $850,000 in funding to support further scientific research activities on MSX.
MSX is not a food safety concern and was first detected in Canada in Bras d’Or Lake, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia in 2002 and has continued to impact oyster populations in that area. In July 2024, it was detected in oysters in P.E.I., followed by sites in New Brunswick in November 2024.
Haplosporidium nelsoni (H. nelsoni) is the pathogen that causes MSX disease in cultured and wild American oysters.
Canada’s National Aquatic Animal Health Program (NAAHP), co-delivered by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), is responsible for preventing the introduction and/or spread of significant aquatic animal diseases of finfish, molluscs and crustaceans.
Cooke Acquires Aqua Bounty Canada
Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd. (KCS), the Atlantic Canadian salmon farming division of Cooke Aquaculture Inc., recently announced the acquisition of the defunct operations of Aqua Bounty Canada Inc. on Prince Edward Island.
Aqua Bounty was focused on land-based biotech farming and was best known for the development of its Genetically Engineered (GE) salmon. Cooke does not farm or sell any GE seafood products and has no plans to do so with this acquisition. Cooke supports transparency for consumers and has “egg to plate” traceability capability to demonstrate the origin of its product. KCS intends to produce large smolts for stocking its existing ocean salmon farming sites in Atlantic Canada.
This strategic acquisition marks a significant milestone in Cooke’s ongoing commitment to investing in Atlantic Canada to expand operations, create local jobs and advance the sustainability of the aquaculture industry through innovation and technology. Cooke has operated its True North Salmon smoked salmon processing plant in Charlottetown since 1997.
The Aqua Bounty assets include a series of four buildings on P.E.I., including a hatchery facility with modern egg incubation and a high-tech laboratory in Bay Fortune. Rollo Bay hosts another modern hatchery facility, a new large modern recirculating aquaculture facility (RAS) facility and a second unfinished building intended to house another large RAS unit, which KCS aims to complete.
The operations will be run by KCS and the company has already rehired seven of Aqua Bounty’s former employees following the wind down of the Aqua Bounty hatchery announced in December 2024.
In addition to growing large smolts for its existing salmon farming sites in Atlantic Canada, KCS also plans to begin use of a new shipping route via well boat at the Port of Souris.
Fundraiser Underway for Safety Advocate Merv Wiseman
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise money for Merv Wiseman, a retired Canadian Coast Guard employee best known as a tireless advocate for a variety of causes from wild commercial fisheries and the fur industry to search and rescue services and agriculture.
“Merv has lent his hand to good causes his entire life, and it’s only right we lend him a hand now in his hour of need,” says Peter Leonard, spokesman for the fundraiser.
Merv suffers from pulmonary fibrosis, a chronic lung disease, but has been approved for the waiting list for a life-saving, double-lung transplant at the Toronto General Hospital.
He and his wife, Eileen, must relocate from their home in North Harbour, Placentia Bay, to a residence within 10-minutes of the hospital to be ready for an operation at any time. Only depending on when a double-lung match becomes available, the wait may take months and rent alone will cost thousands of dollars a month.
Merv spent a 35-year career with the Canadian Coast Guard and is perhaps best known for leading the charge to reopen the marine rescue sub-centre in St. John’s in 2017 and as a search and rescue advocate.
Merv also operated a fox farm in North Harbour since the mid-1980s and served for years on the executive of the province’s fur breeding and agriculture associations, including terms as president.
Find the GoFundMe campaign at this link: https://gofund.me/220ee449.
The fundraising campaign’s goal has been set at $18,000 — funds to cover a wide range of costs including travel, accommodations and living expenses associated with the move to Toronto to be near the hospital.
Repairs Coming to Grande-Entrée Harbour in the Magdalen Islands
The federal government recently announced an investment of $1.15 million for the Grande-Entrée harbour.
This investment will be used to rebuild the western end of the Magdalen Islands’ harbour, which was damaged in 2022 by Hurricane Fiona. The work, underway since early January by Constructions des Îles inc., will be completed in March 2025.
In addition, a $942,000 contract has just been awarded to Sani-Sable L.B. inc. of Maria, Gaspé Peninsula region, for the acquisition of materials required to temporarily install a new line of floating pontoons to accommodate a dozen fishing boats. A call for tenders is also underway to dredge the basin, stabilize the wharf with riprap, and set up this new line of pontoons in time for the next fishing season.
Investments like these underscore Canada’s commitment to strengthen coastal communities, promote sustainable growth and ensure the prosperity of the fishing industry’s workforce.
Moncton Hosted the International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit
In Late February, Moncton, New Brunswick, played host to the second International Fishing Gear Innovation Summit.
This solutions-driven forum showcased the leadership of Canada’s fish harvesting community in protecting the economic prosperity of Canada’s fisheries and coastal communities, while finding ways to improve protections for marine species and habitats, including endangered whales.
During this two-day event, over 200 harvesters, technical experts, Indigenous groups, regulators, academia and other partners from around the world shared knowledge about a range of innovative solutions to address abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ghost gear) and advance fishing gear technology to reduce the risk of whale entanglements.
These discussions provided valuable takeaways that will guide our work on Canada’s Whalesafe Gear Strategy which will be finalized in Spring 2025.
Information shared at the Summit will also inform the development of ghost gear-specific regulation and policy to further prevent gear loss. In the coming months, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) will hold consultations about the development of responsible gear management regulations to further reduce gear loss while supporting sustainable fisheries.
DP World Investing in Growth of Port Saint John
As DP World continues to invest in modernizing Port Saint John, the need for a highly skilled workforce has never been greater.
The company is actively working to expand employment opportunities and is encouraging its labour partners to increase the capacity of the longshore workforce to meet rising operational demands.
Doug Smith, CEO of DP World in Canada, said: “A skilled and readily available workforce is essential for DP World to execute our ambitious growth plans in Saint John. Fortunately, these highly trained individuals are available in the local community, and they would be a valuable asset to our operations while strengthening the regional economy. Additional skilled talent is key to sustaining this momentum and unlocking new economic opportunities.”
Since beginning operations in 2017, DP World has significantly increased container-handling capacity in Port Saint John, creating new employment opportunities for New Brunswick. Container traffic has surged 300 per cent, growing from 57,402 TEUs in 2017 to over 175,000 TEUs in 2024, underscoring the impact of DP World’s investments.
With a six-decade lease agreement, DP World is committed to the port’s long-term expansion. In 2024, the company added two high-capacity cranes, bringing the total to six — a record for the port. These additions align with the completion of the port’s $250 million terminal modernization project, further solidifying Port Saint John’s status as a key Atlantic gateway for global trade.
In the same year, DP World expanded its operational footprint by taking over management of Canpotex’s potash facility, employing a team of longshore workers under ILA Local 273, a union known for providing well-paying, skilled jobs in the region. DP World currently employs over 250 people in Saint John, with plans to add more than 100 jobs as operations continue to grow.
