Canada launches £1.6m aquaculture sales push
Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard Ministry (DFO) has announced an investment of CAD 2.48 million (£1.6m) to support the aquaculture sector and meet the global market demand.
The announcement was made by Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc on behalf of Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Lawrence MacAulay.
“This investment will help Canada’s high-quality farmed seafood find new markets around the world while creating well-paying jobs especially in our rural and coastal communities,” said MacAulay.
Through this investment, the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) will implement a diverse range of what are described as both traditional and innovative marketing activities targeting the markets of the United States, Europe and Asia.
High demand
With exports valued at CAD 1 billion (£590m) in 2016, fish and seafood are a key part of meeting the Canadian government’s ambitious goal of reaching CAD 75 billion in annual agri-food exports by 2025.
“Our industry’s ultimate goal is further developing Canadian farmed seafood excellence, and delivering uniquely responsible, healthy and nutritious seafood that is in high demand from consumers around the world,” said Timothy Kennedy, executive director of CAIA.
Kennedy said the program continues to help the industry to establish new and long-term global demand for Canadian farmed seafood products like salmon, mussels, oysters and more.
