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Positions
On Issues
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The BC Seafood Alliance is a non-profit organization
established in June 1999 to represent British Columbia’s seafood
industries. It is an umbrella group that unites traditional capture
fisheries, aquaculturists, seafood processors, marketers and exporters
who collectively represent more than 90% of the seafood produced
in B.C.
The BC Seafood Alliance is committed to the conservation
and sustainable use of seafood resources in B.C. for the benefit
of all British Columbians. Its mandate is to foster public recognition
and support for B.C.’s seafood sector, to promote the high quality
of B.C. seafood products and to advocate for the effective management
of B.C. seafood resources.
Development of a ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood
Industry in B.C.‘
Over the past decade, B.C.’s seafood sector has
undergone dramatic change. It has faced difficult challenges; in
particular, the rationalization of the province’s commercial salmon
fisheries, which for more than a century had been the backbone of
the industry. It has also made tremendous strides toward sustainable
fisheries management, and the development of new commercial fisheries
and aquaculture sectors.
All of these changes have made B.C.’s seafood
sector more competitive, and better positioned to optimize the value
of the province’s seafood resources in the years ahead. The challenge
for the seafood sector now is to work together to develop and pursue
a common vision for the future a ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood
Industry in B.C.’.
The development of this ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood
Industry in B.C.’ has been a two-step process.
First, members of the BC Seafood Alliance worked
together over the past year to develop an information base concerning
the state of the seafood industry, and to assess progress towards
sustainability in the management of marine resources. Independent
reports on The State of the B.C. Seafood Industry and Progress
Towards Environmental Sustainability in British Columbia’s Seafood
Sector were commissioned, and are available online at www.bcseafoodalliance.com.
Second, in order to consult more broadly about
the future of B.C.’s seafood sector, the BC Seafood Alliance sponsored
the first ever B.C. Seafood Summit on May 29, 2001. The Seafood
Summit was the first event of its kind to bring together leaders
from B.C.’s commercial fishery and aquaculture sectors, as well
as the province’s seafood processors, marketers and exporters, federal
and provincial government officials, First Nations and union representatives.
The ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood Industry in B.C.’
presented in this document is the product of the BC Seafood Alliance’s
work over the past year, and input provided by delegates to BC Seafood
Summit 2001. It identifies the key principles that must guide the
development of B.C.’s seafood sector in the future, and defines
the ideal state of a modern seafood business in British Columbia.
Finally, it presents an ‘Agenda for Change’, including priority
recommendations for government and industry action and specific
development targets.
Building on the changes of the past decade, the
seafood sector believes British Columbia has the potential to substantially
enhance the value of the province’s seafood resources in the next
10 years. To achieve this, efforts must be focused on new opportunities
based on sustainability and competitiveness, whether these opportunities
occur in capture fisheries, culture fisheries, processing or marketing.
It will take leadership from industry and the
cooperation of governments to foster a vibrant and successful seafood
industry in British Columbia. This ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood
Industry in B.C.’ is intended to be the first step in that process.
Key Principles
Through industry-wide discussions, consensus has
emerged on a number of key principles that must guide the future
development of B.C.’s seafood sector. These include:
- Conservation and sustainable management must
be first principles for all seafood businesses in B.C. Without
water and habitat quality, and ecologically sustainable resource
use practices, the industry simply cannot achieve its long-term
goals.
- British Columbia exports more than 90% of the
seafood it produces. As such, the B.C. industry must earn recognition
as a world leader in the production of safe, environmentally friendly,
high quality and sustainable seafood products.
- Long term uncertainty is currently a significant
deterrent to investment in the development of sustainable seafood
resources in B.C. Governments must ensure certainty of access,
as well as a responsive and progressive regulatory and policy
environment, in all aspects of seafood production.
- The seafood industry in British Columbia must
work together and show leadership in developing and implementing
its ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood Industry in B.C.’
Vision for the Future
The BC Seafood Alliance’s vision for a competitive,
environmentally sustainable seafood sector in B.C. includes:
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the conservation
and sustainable use of seafood resources in B.C. for the benefit
of all British Columbians, both now and in the future; |
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a competitive and
successful seafood industry in B.C. that pursues new opportunities
and optimizes the long-term value of the province’s seafood
resources; |
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a seafood industry
that takes a more responsible and accountable role with government
in the cooperative management and regulation of both capture
and culture fisheries; |
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a positive business
climate for all seafood businesses in B.C. whether they are
individual operators, companies or First Nations that encourages
investment in future development. This requires greater security
of access and implementation of policies that ensure any new
access to capture fisheries must be retired with compensation
out of existing fishery access; |
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an industry that
can count on government to ensure that all commercial fishing,
aquaculture, and seafood processing interests in British Columbia
are regulated by a single, non-discriminatory management and
legislative framework that does not create unfair advantage
for some businesses over their competitors; |
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an industry that
is recognized around the world for meeting and exceeding consumer
demands for demonstrably safe, environmentally friendly, high
quality and sustainable seafood products; |
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an innovative industry
that is an acknowledged leader in the development and adaptation
of new technologies, information systems and e-business strategies;
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a seafood industry
that works together to advance common goals and objectives.
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Agenda for Change
In pursuit of this ‘Vision for a Modern Seafood
Industry in B.C.,’ the BC Seafood Alliance has identified a number
of priority action items, as well as series of performance measures
by which the sector’s development can be measured over time. The
BC Seafood Alliance intends to monitor the performance of the province’s
seafood sector in advancing the ‘Agenda for Change’ on an annual
basis.
Priority Action Items
- Within five years, negotiate cooperative management
agreements for all of B.C’s commercial fisheries that establish
the roles and responsibilities of the federal government, the
provincial government and fisheries interests and provides security
of access to the resource for tenure holders.
- Within two years, establish a federally and
provincially integrated and consistent policy framework for aquaculture
in B.C. to encourage private sector investment in sustainable
growth.
- Within one year, harmonize provincial and federal
seafood inspection regulations to eliminate unnecessary provincial
regulations by having all seafood in B.C. meet CFIA standards.
- Within one year, secure an explicit commitment
from both the federal and provincial governments that any new
access to capture fisheries must be retired with compensation
out of existing fishery access;
- Within six months, establish a joint federal/provincial/industry
task force to develop a proposal for the establishment of an organization
and infrastructure to support industry research and development
and to pursue an international marketing and brand development
campaign for B.C. seafood products.
- Beginning in 2002, ensure that every integrated
fishery management plan in British Columbia identifies key sustainability
issues, goals and criteria, as well as a detailed plan and timeline
to achieve them.
- By the end of 2001, implement performance-based
waste management standards for finfish aquaculture.
- Within six months, establish a formal process
for dialogue between B.C.’s wild fisheries and aquaculture sectors
to pursue common interests, including protection of the marine
environment, processing and other infrastructure synergies, technology
transfer, policy issues etc.
Performance Measures
- Increase the total wholesale value of B.C.
seafood products by an average of four per cent annually for the
next 10 years. This would increase the total value the province’s
seafood industry from approximately $1 billion to $1.5 billion
by 2011.
- By 2005, regain British Columbia’s status as
the leading exporter of seafood products in Canada. In 2000, B.C.
exported seafood products valued at $903 million, while the leading
Canadian province (Nova Scotia) exported seafood products valued
at $1,096 million.
- By 2006, increase B.C.’s share of total Canadian
seafood exports from 22 to 27 per cent. The total value of Canadian
seafood exports in 2000 was $4.07 billion.
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