Tim Kennedy: Excited to represent Canada’s seafood farmers towards the HLP mission. Photo: CAIA.

Seafood industry spokesman to advise world leaders

Canadian seafood farming spokesman Tim Kennedy is to help advise a panel of world leaders on the best ways to sustainably increase food production in the sea.

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Kennedy, president and chief executive of the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA), will work with expert partners around the world as an invited member of the Advisory Network to the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (HLP).

“The expert report on ocean food for the HLP has said that the largest potential carbon reduction gains for global food production lie in the sustainable expansion of marine aquaculture,” said Kennedy in a press release.

“Canada has such a massive opportunity – largely untapped – for its oceans and ocean farming to be an important solution to climate mitigation.”

Ocean health and wealth

The HLP aims to develop, catalyse and support solutions for ocean health and wealth in policy, governance, technology and finance. By focusing on the protection of, production from and investment in the ocean, the panel will chart a path to a sustainable ocean economy.

The HLP is the only ocean policy body made up of serving world leaders. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is among the 14 heads of government with the authority needed to trigger, amplify and accelerate action for ocean protection and economic development in policy, governance and finance.

‘Sustainability in action’

“I’m excited to represent Canada’s seafood farmers towards the HLP mission to inspire ambition, motivate action, and accelerate progress towards a healthy ocean,” said Kennedy.

“Our industry’s work to realise Indigenous reconciliation, grow jobs in remote coastal communities and achieve constant improvement in operations, is sustainable economic activity in action: meeting economic, social and environmental goals.”

The Advisory Network will provide input and knowledge to the HLP on its preparation for the United Nations Ocean Conference 2020 in Lisbon in June. A series of scientific and technical papers, innovative and actions-based solutions, and recommendations to catalyse and implement actions will assist the HLP in driving the ocean agenda well beyond 2020.