1 / 28

Sustainable Aquaculture in a changing world Observations for consideration

Sustainable Aquaculture in a changing world Observations for consideration. Scotian Pride, January 30, 2008 Trevor Swerdfager, DFO, AMD. THANK YOU for inviting me: I would like to offer you my take on …. The evol ving market context for aquaculture Successful company behaviours

elvis
Download Presentation

Sustainable Aquaculture in a changing world Observations for consideration

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Sustainable Aquaculture in a changing world Observations for consideration Scotian Pride, January 30, 2008 Trevor Swerdfager, DFO, AMD Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  2. THANK YOU for inviting me: I would like to offer you my take on … • The evolving market context for aquaculture • Successful company behaviours • What DFO is doing to help • And, anything else you would like to talk about … Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  3. Seafood markets are truly global in nature We never were an island: we are becoming more integrated with global markets every day • Overall demand for seafood is growing and diversifying globally • FAO projects continued rise in demand for seafood; • Consumers are open to a wider range of value added products • Market trends and policies in other countries have huge impact on Canada • EU is a major policy driver • USA emphasis on food safety will escalate hugely • Developments in Chile, Norway have major impact on Canadian salmon industry Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  4. Wild capture fisheries are the historic base for global markets… But are under increasing pressure • Many global stocks either fully or overexploited • Canada working to bring global attention to Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) activity on the high seas • Bottom line is that major production increases from wild fisheries are unlikely and aquaculture will assist in meeting the global demand for seafood products Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  5. Globally, aquaculture has grown steadily – it is the only way to address the gap between seafood production and demand The Canadian aquaculture sector has grown steadily from its origin in early seventies • Value of production in 2006 was over $912Million – up from $35M in 1986. Aquaculture occurs in all provinces • Accounts for 14% of total Canadian fisheries production and 33% of its value • Over 16,000 Canadians are employed in the industry, 2/3 of all workers are under the age of 35 Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  6. Canada and world aquaculture Canadian seafood value, 2005 • Aquaculture provides nearly 50% of the world’s seafood • In Canada, value of aquaculture products accounted for 33% of the total value of seafood in 2006 • Canada ranked 16th in world aquaculture in 2006 (in terms of value) • Canada is the 4th largest farmed salmon producers (8%) after Norway (43%), Chile (35%), and UK (9%) Canadian seafood value, 2006 6 Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  7. Structural changes affected production in 2007 • Production declined 1.3% from the previous year to 170 thousand tonnes worth $846 m • Consolidations and closures were responsible for the decline • However, compared to 2000: • production in 2007 increased by 33% • value in 2007 increased by 39% Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  8. BC produce and east coast production ~ equal • Benefiting from species diversity, BC produced 80,430 t • On the East Coast, NB held the highest share (26%), followed by PEI (12%), NS (6%), and NL (5%) • Ontario, Quebec production fairly flat • The share of the Prairies is small but its production in 2007 increased somewhat Regional distribution of production, ‘07 Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  9. Salmon accounted for 69% of total production • Of the total 117,306 t of farmed salmon, BC produced 71, 370 t, NB 39,000 t, and NS 6,936 t • Mussels—second important species—contributed 13% • Trout and oyster production has been somewhat stagnant for the last 4 years • Clams, scallops and a few other minor finfish and shellfish contributed a sizable portion (7.2%) Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  10. A variety of external factors are shaping markets for farmed salmon Few of them are within our control or influence including: • Production problems in Chile • Growing EU attention to Ilegal, Unregulated and Unreported fishing – IUU regulations • World wide economic downturn • Increasing competition for labour • Canadian dollar • Etc… Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  11. But most importantly, a “New Environmentalism” is shaping the context for seafood production “The environment” has become a mainstream issue; it is a tide that will not reverse • Effects of environmental change are more obvious – eg. weather • Information age is resulting in more aware and engaged public • Strong expectation for government and industry to act, but… • Personal concern/guilt about the environment is growing • Corporate social responsibility “movement” continues to expand with growing sustainability focus • And individual consumers are translating the new environmentalism into market decisions Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  12. The ENGO “community” is undergoing significant change as well ENGOs are accelerating the new environmentalism and capitalizing on its rise • Scope of ENGO activity broadening to include human health, animal welfare, social justice • Shift in focus from government policy to market-based measures • Strategic, sophisticated and well-resourced global campaignstargeting major retailers • Focussed and well-marketed science papers • Forging new strategic alliances amongst themselves and with business Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  13. ENGO focus on sustainable seafood is growing ENGOs typically have three main messages: • World fish stocks being unsustainably harvested through destructive fishing practices that impact stocks and wider ocean ecosystems • Aquaculture further depletes wild stocks for feed, destroys habitat, spreads disease, pollutes the marine environment, threatens genetic diversity of wild fish • Retailers and consumers have a responsibility to take action Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  14. The media is clearly interested and continues to develop the “sustainable seafood story” Occasional headline news, plenty of trade journal coverage, food media, blogs… • Giant’s Seafood Makeover – WashingtonPost.com, July 24 • Fishing for Sustainability – BostonGlobe (boston.com), July 2 • Grocers' Rules Follow Wave Of Sustainably Farmed Fish - WashingtonPost.com, July 16 • Greenpeace gives grocery chains failing grade on seafood buying practices – Seattle Times, B1-Front, June 19 • Supermarkets asked to take seafood off shelves– CTV News, June 17 • Finding seafood that is harvested in a sustainable way won't make you crabby – Vancouver Sun, B1-Front, June 21 • Love seafood? You'll need the FishPhone, wallet cards, and DNA testing before dining – Maclean’s.ca, June 18 • US Supermarkets not doing enough to protect fish – Greenpeace Report – BostonGlobe (boston.com), June 17 Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  15. Retailers/distributors are the connector point between producers and consumers The ENGO focus is switching from government policy to retailer behaviour • Retailer procurement policies and product lines decisions are the main focus • A variety of sustainability profiles and lists used to define “acceptable” purchasing behaviour • High quality communications materials and spokespeople • Collaborative approach underlain with threats of market action etc • Bottom line goal is to change retailer behaviour in a manner that drives change in the seafood production industry Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  16. Retailers/distributors are caught between producer views, ENGO “facts” and consumer demands They are not seafood experts; they seek clarity, certainty and positive market image • Retailers frequently express desire for a “single standard” for sustainability • Many trust yet fear ENGOs; often they look to government for impartial view • They are adopting sustainability policies of their own – M&S, Walmart… • And they are conducting their own assessments – Connors, Walgreens • Bottom line, they are not going backwards on sustainability, their demands will grow Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  17. But really, in this market context, Canadian aquaculture companies have choices to make Companies will likely fail if they choose to: • Debate the definition of “sustainablity” endlessly and hide behind the uncertainty the term gives rise to • View “the environment” as a fad and ENGO’S as enemies that can be vanquished • Meet environmental standards to the letter and nothing more • Cut marketing and communications budgets • Remain a “closed shop” sharing little information or data beyond annual reporting requirements • Underestimate Chile Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  18. But companies will obviously want to opt for success not failure Companies will likely succeed if they choose to: • Substantially surpass environment standards and regulations • Demonstrate and document superior environmental performance • Secure third party certification for 100% of their operations and products • Become highly transparent to the public, to regulators and to markets • Communicate effectively with their neighbours, with markets and with governments • Work together collegially as and strengthen their industry associations Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  19. DFO’s Sustainable Aquaculture Program is designed to create the conditions for industry success Our goal is to foster a stronger, larger more sustainable aquaculture industry across Canada by: • Improving the governance and regulatory regime for the industry • Substantially improving the science base for environmental regulation of the industry • Catalysing and supporting industry innovation • Supporting the development of certification systems and expanded market access Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  20. Regulatory reform is critical to industry efficiency and expansion In 3 years time, Canada will be viewed as a world leader in the environmental management of the aquaculture industry • Immediate priorities are to: • Develop and environmental management framework for ministerial signature in fall, 2009 • Modernize the Introductions and Transfers regime • Integrate with Health of Animals Act regs • Address aquaculture issues under the NWPA • Complete CSAS process re: Pathways of Effects for common risk assessment Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  21. Regulatory science will like at the core of our program In three years time, research results will directly support aquaculture decision making • Lead and coordinate the CSAS Aquaculture POE review workshop • Focused development of PARR priorities, objectives and governance to address key issues such as sea lice • Ecosystem carrying capacity and ecosystem and far-field indicators of aquaculture effects on fish habitat • Core funding for Centre for Integrated Aquaculture Science • Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture (IMTA) research and support for the development of an NSERC Canadian IMTA research network • Ongoing delivery and alignment of ACRDP with other programs Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  22. Innovation, technology development, product diversification are essential to a dynamic industry: AIMAP provides catalytic support for innnovation • 26 projects were approved for 2008-09 • Total of $4.7M in federal funds levered $29M in total project activity • Call for proposals for 2009-10 is on our website now • Priorities, applications guidelines etc are all there • Bottom line goal is to support industry innovation not conduct “new research” Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  23. We need clear national strategies for the major aquaculture sectors “Sector strategies” are in development to: • Chart a strategic direction for finfish, shellfish, freshwater • Guide government management action and priorities • Set out progress measures and means for reporting • Drive the establishment of provincial strategies for each sector as well • Communicate to the world re: where aquaculture is going in Canada Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  24. And we must be able to report on our progress In 3 years time we will have “sustainability reports” in place • Established performance indicators to be reported against • Reports will likely be by sector • They will chart progress toward sustainability; they are not judgements or “report cards” • Strong reporting will promote transparency, enhance our positioning re: certification Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  25. Certification is the wave of the future We need systems that work for Canada and for markets • Detailed analysis of various standard systems is under way in DFO • DFO has provided $105k to CAIA to form an “Aquaculture Standards Forum” to bring the industry together around certification • Will improve collective understanding of certification • Working groups will focus on sectors • Intent is to better position CAIA members to respond to and LEAD re: certification • FAO process is continuing and will result in global guidelines for aquaculture certification; DFO is very active there • Work is under way to develop an organic standard for aquaculture, target completion date is spring, 09 Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  26. We collectively need to communicate more proactively with the public and with markets DFO and industry are launching a major Sustainability Outreach Strategy • Initial training session for US based Canadian Trade Commissioners December 10th • Outreach sessions will be organized by all 15 Consulates in the US to convey information to market leaders and learn from them • Expanded presence at Boston, Brussels and San Diego trade shows • Training sessions and outreach with EU based DFAIT staff, possible sessions with Euro-markets • We can’t afford to remain passive; we need to push information to markets, not just individual customers or organizations Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  27. The federal government strongly supports aquaculture and is putting its money where its mouth is The challenges before the industry are great but: • The industry is Canada is strong and is built on a very solid foundation • It has tremendous market opportunities as a sector • The sector can and will compete well with the rest of the world • And we are Canadian! Canada: A Leader in Sustainable Seafood Production

  28. Questions / Comments?

More Related