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May 2009 Edition
What's Happening at the FCC
FCC Board of Directors Meeting
The FCC Board met in Ottawa on April 20th. Issues that the Board reviewed included (i)
FCC’s work with European processors and their associations regarding the new EU import
quota to be introduced in 2010 to replace the current three year regime. The FCC package
includes specific proposals for cooked & peeled shrimp; herring; yellowtail founder,
mackerel, lobster meat; five freshwater species, cod and hake; (ii) the upcoming EU Catch
Certificate requirement; (iii) exports to Russia; (iv) fishing licence review; (v) Lobster
Roundtable/Council; (vi) DFO’s resource management sustainable development framework;
(vii) the upcoming 2009 UN high seas fishing resolution; (vii) economic integrity (shortweight);
and the proposed NSERC Capture Fisheries R&D Network.
With respect to the exports to Russia file, the Board fully supported the initiative to enter a
Canada-Russia Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to guide the respective food safety
authorities. However, the Board wants the MOU to contain two specific annexes to address
recurring problems - (i) a protocol for re-inspection of continuing imports from a Canadian
facility where a shipment from the facility failed an entry inspection; and (ii) a protocol that
allows CFIA to conduct inspections of Canadian processing facilities on behalf of the
Russian authorities regarding a facilities request to be added to the approved exporters list.
The meeting was joined in the afternoon by DFO Deputy Minister, Claire Dansereau, as well
as Assistant Deputy Ministers, David Bevan, (Fisheries and Aquaculture Management) and
Michael Huard (Policy). Fisheries & Oceans Minister Shea along with officials from her
office and senior official of DFO and CFIA joined the Board for a reception and dinner in the
evening.
CFIA Short-Weight Initiative
Following a meeting of the FCC’s Short-Weight committee in Ottawa with CFIA’s Vice
President, Operations, Cameron Prince, CFIA initiated a short-weight inspection initiative.
The initiative includes:
(i) Notice to Importers
CFIA sent a notice to importers that the Strengthened Seafood Import Program came into
effect April 1, 2009. The notice high- lighted the net weigh compliance requirement.
(ii) Short-Weight Inspection Initiative
CFIA launched a dedicated short weight inspection initiative, doubling the effort over the
April 1 to June 30 period. The initiative will be targeted on (a) importers with previous record
of short-weight defects; and (b) imports of shrimp, squid, basa, and Alaska pollock. The
initiative is targeted regarding the species because of human resource constraints.
(iii) Import Licence Renewal
A CFIA national team has been formed to review renewals of import licences. Compliance is
a condition of renewal. Starting October 1, 2009, a licence renewal application will be
reviewed by the national team regarding a decision to renew or not. The importer’s record of
compliance will be reviewed to determine if licence is renewed.
(iv) Import Alert List Imports- Back of Line
CFIA inspection of products imported from an exporter on the Import Alert List will be
designated as low priority regarding resource availability. The importer, however, will be able
to get the shipment inspected by a registered private laboratory (i.e. pay for the inspection).
(v) Industry Complaint Follow-up
CFIA undertakes to investigate specific complaints brought forward by the Fisheries Council
of Canada or by companies regarding short weight products on the Canadian market.
(vi) CFIA-FCC Review
CFIA and the FCC Short-Weight Committee to meet in July to assess progress/success and
determine next steps.
ACTION: If you receive offers quoting net weigths below 100%, forward the quote to
pmcguinness@fisheriescouncil.org. The FCC will advise CFIA, contact the exporter, and
advise the appropriate Embassy in Ottawa of the fraudulent activity of the company.
Canned Tuna Industry & WWF Form a Sustainability Foundation
Bumble Bee Foods/Clover Leaf Seafoods; Bolton Alimentari; MW Brands; Princes ltd; Sea
Value Co.; Starkist Co; Thai Union Manufacturing Co. Ldt/Chicken of the Sea Intl.; TriMarine
International have formed the International Seafood Sustainable Foundation (ISSF) along
with the World Wildlife Fund.
The Foundation formed by major companies processing tuna for canned and shelf-stable
tuna products and the WWF, wants to ensure that targeted tuna stocks will be sustained at
or above levels of abundance capable of supporting maximum sustainable yield. Stocks of
skipjack, yellowfin, and albacore tuna, the species commonly processed into canned and
shelf stable products, appear to be in generally good health around the world. The
companies will refrain from using tuna from any boat listed by an RFMO as being engaged
in IUU fishing and refrain from using eastern Pacific bigeye tuna after September 2009
unless the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission enacts science-based conservation
measures before then.
ISSF will be working closely with the RFMOs managing the world tuna stocks. ISSF
initiatives will be based on recommendations of an independent ISSF Science Committee
chaired by Dr. James Joseph, considered the dean of science-based tuna conservation.
The Committee also includes scientists from each of the tuna managing RFMOs, the US
National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Commission of the Australian Centre for
International Agricultural Research. Dr. William Fox, Vice President and Managing Director
for Fisheries, WWWF-USA is Vice Chairman of ISSF. Dr. Fox is a distinguished marine
biologist. Chris Lischewski, President and CEO of Bumble Bee Foods, is the Chairman of
ISSF.
International Prawn Forum to be Revived
At a meeting in London, UK attended by shrimp industry members from Canada, Norway,
Iceland, Greenland, Denmark, it was decided to form a Steering Committee to revive the
International Prawn Forum. The Committee would be comprised of one industry member
from each of the countries participating at the meeting. The Norwegian Seafood Export
Council will provide secretariat support to the Committee. Dennis Coates, Clearwater
Seafoods is the Canadian industry representative. IntraFish attended the meeting and
stated they are prepared to organize the event. As such, they undertook to provide a formal
proposal to the Committee.
Preliminary directions were:
• first forum to be held in London and then rotated to other countries;
• event to be held every two years;
• Forum to be a two-day event
• Committee to work with IntraFish regarding Forum theme, content, etc.
Natural Science & Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Capture Fisheries R& D
Network
The Natural Science & Engineering Research Council is prepared to commit $1.million per
year for 5 years to establish an industry/DFO/academe research network to undertake
applied research initiatives in the capture fisheries. It is anticipated that DFO Science will
contribute and, perhaps, DFO Fisheries & Aquaculture Management. The intent is to
engage university based and DFO scientists in industry directed research projects.
A two day workshop was recently held in Ottawa. Three themes emerged – aquatic
ecosystem health; operational efficiency; and management evaluation systems. The
workshop identified a number of possible specific research areas under these themes; e.g.
identification of vulnerable habitat; data acquisition & consolidation; ecosystem modeling;
energy efficiency; by-catch reduction; etc.
A steering committee comprised of FCC, the Canadian Council of Professional Fish
Harvesters, DFO Science, and the University of Ottawa is formed to work with NSERC to
move the project forward. The intent is to have a detailed proposal submitted to NSERC by
the end of September with funding commencing April 1, 2010.
John Sackton, President, Seafood.com (confirmed)
Donald Kraemer, Deputy Director, USA Food & Drug Administration (confirmed)
Amanda Archibald, Field to Plate (confirmed)
Donald Savoie, Canada Research Chair in Public Administration and Governance (invited)
Gail Shea, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (invited)
Claire Dansereau, Deputy Minister and Panel (invited)
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