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September, 2005 Edition
What's Happening at the FCC
Bill C- 50 Animal Cruelty
The government is in the final phase of passing legislation to revise the animal cruelty
provisions of Canada’s Criminal Code. The stated intent is to increase the penalties for
animal cruelty offences and to simplify and modernize the offence structure of the animal
cruelty regime. Legal advice from the legal firm, Lang Michener, advises that fishing
enterprises could be subject to private criminal charges under the legislation pursued by
organizations such as IFAW, the Animal Alliance of Canada, etc.
The Fisheries Council of Canada has requested Justice Minister Cotler to amend the
proposed Bill in order to provide an explicit exemption for the killing of animals in the course
of conducting a commercial, licensed fishery. The FCC is joining with other groups to get an
exemption for traditional animal use industries and recreational hunting and fishing. We note
that in many jurisdictions that have animal cruelty legislation such exemptions are provided
The Animal Alliance of Canada has implied using the proposed legislation to pursue charges
against seal and gill net harvesting enterprises.
Endangered Species
FCC submitted comments to Environment Canada regarding proposed policies on incidental
harm permits and recovery initiatives. The proposed policies were generally acceptable but
needed improved precision regarding “risk” of extinction and the definition for a species that
has recovered.
FCC is working with DFO to organize a meeting in Ottawa in October between the FCC’s
Oceans Use/ Endangered Species Committee and senior DFO officials to review a wide range
of issues – listing criteria; integration of DFO science into the endangered species
assessment process; etc.
Bottom Impact Gear Sectors
In view of the calls by International and Canadian environmental groups for bans on bottom
impact gear sectors, the FCC, with the assistance of DFO’s statistical group, developed a
document detailing on a provincial basis the quantity and value of landings, the number of
vessels, and the number of fishermen involved.
With respect to Canada, bottom impact gear represents 24% of all landings by value,
amounting to $534 million in 2003. This converts to roughly $1.1 billion of fish and seafood
products.
In Atlantic Canada and Quebec, the sector landed 26% of all landings amounting to $482
million, converting to $1 billion in finish product employing roughly 14,500 fishermen and
processing employees. The provinces most dependent on the bottom impact gear sectors are
Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia where the bottom impact gear sectors
harvested 34% and 31% respectively by value of all landings for these provinces. The
Atlantic and Quebec inshore bottom impact sectors alone landed about $170 million
employing roughly 5,555 fishermen.
Key Meetings - September
International Coalition of Fisheries Associations (ICFA), Rome, Italy
As Vice-Chairman, Patrick McGuinness will attend the ICFA annual meeting. This year the
meeting is in Rome. ICFA will meet with the FAO’s Fisheries Division regarding a number of
FAO initiatives – quantification of the bottom trawling on the high seas, identification of
highly sensitive benthic ecosystems on the high seas; guidelines for fisheries MPAs; FAO –
CITES MOU regarding endangered commercial marine species; etc.
FCC Board of Directors Meeting, AGM, and Conference – Montreal, QC
Trade Policy/Market Access
Cooked & Peeled Shrimp - EU Tariff Quota
AIPCEE, the EU processing industry association, will meet with EU Commissioner Borg to try
to get the cod, squid, and cooked and peeled shrimp tariff quota compromise package back on
the EU’s political agenda so that increased tariff quotas can be introduce for 2006. AIPCEE
is lobbying Commissioner Borg to get it on the agenda for the EU’s Agriculture & Fisheries
Council meeting on September 19-20.
Cooked & Peeled Shrimp – 2005 Tariff Relief
As part of the EU’s effort regarding tsunami relief, the EU will reduce the import duty for
certain shrimp products for the period August 1 - December 31, 2005. However, to be
consistent with their WTO/GATT obligations, the EU had to extend the tariff relief
globally. As a result, the EU’s 20% import duty will be reduced to 7% for the following
shrimp & prawn products:
in airtight containers: tariff item 1605 20 10
in immediate packing of a net content not exceeding 2kg: tariff item 1605 20 91
The tariff relief is available for Pandalus borealis and Jordani species. The regulation has
been adopted and will be officially published the week of September 12.
Inspection/Technical
Canada – EU Equivalency Negotiations
CFIA, Fish, Seafood Production Division and the EU’s Health and Consumer Protection
Directorate (SANCO) have formally begun negotiations regarding an equivalency agreement
for fishery products and live bivalve molluscs. The aim is to have an agreement signed in
2006. If an agreement is reached, it would eliminate the need for CFIA issuing EU export
certificates for our shipments to the EU.
The FCC has been pushing for these negotiations. SANCO has been slow in allocating
resources to the initiative.
Traceability
Can-Trace completed its nation wide consultations on the Can-Trace traceability data standards.
Highlights of the sessions were:
need to enable the data standards to be integrated with existing programs;
ensure global compatibility for Canadian producers;
minimize costs;
continue to expand industry’s awareness and involvement;
more information on how to implement traceability and Can-Trace standards.
FCC is on Can-Trace Steering Committee.
International Fisheries
Straddling Stocks Advisory Panel
The Panel ,comprised of Art May, Chair; Derrick Roe, FPIL; and Dawn Russell, Dalhousie Law
School recommends the replacement of NAFO with a new Regional Fisheries Management
Organizations that incorporates needed improvements. Minister Regan has rejected this
approach for the time being stating he wants to continue to work within NAFO and the
international community to get the required improvements. The report makes significant
references to the FCC foreign over fishing strategy document of 1987 and the Dalhousie Law
School reports commissioned by the FCC in 1990 and 2003.
Art May will be discussing the report and the International Fisheries Governance Conference
he co-chaired at the FCC’s Conference later this month.
Market Issues
China – Market Development
Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada is organizing Canadian industry participation at the China
Fisheries and Seafood Show, Guangzhou, China November 10-12, 2005. If interested in
participating, contact Blair Gowan 613-759-7524.
Chinese Fillets
Chinese imports of cod-like fish are continuing at a record-breaking pace. Much of this fish
is processed into fillets and re-exported to Europe, supported by the strong demand for fish
in Europe and a steady supply of pollock from Russia. Chinese imports of cod-like fish -- cod,
pollock, hoki, southern blue whiting, etc -- during the first half of 2005 totalled 373,693
tons, or about 11% greater than the same period last year. The main supplier is Russia, which
supplied about 295,145 tons of this total -- 80% of the total cod-like species imports and an
increase of 19% over last year. Although some of the imports from Russia are recorded as
cod, it is felt that even this product is most likely dressed pollock. If this pace continues,
imports of these species could easily exceed last year's 583,937 tons (411,514 tons from
Russia).
The rapid increase in Chinese imports of cod-like fish isn't expected to ease in the near
future. The pollock quota in the Russian Far East is up this year -- 1.052 million tons, up from
the 909,450 ton allocation last year -- and this should result in increased Chinese imports
during the second half of the year. The strong demand for raw material is also sustained by
the rapid increase in fish processing factories in China; with a considerable amount of
processing capacity to fill, competition for frozen fish is somewhat fierce.
2005 AGM & Conference
Join your colleagues in celebrating Fisheries Council of Canada 60 years of service to the
Canadian fish and seafood industry. People are excited by the venue, beautiful Old Montreal,
the program, and the evening events.
Quebec’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ) and AQCMER, the Quebec
fish and seafood distribution association, to provide a spectacular fish and seafood reception
on the opening night. And, Madeleine Leguerrier will charm and delight us with her “Edith
Piaff” tribute show.
Larry Murray, Deputy Minister of DFO has assembled a top quality DFO Panel. Accompanying
Mr. Murray on the Panel are Assistant Deputy Ministers David Bevan (Fisheries and
Aquaculture Management) Wendy Watson –Wright (Science) and Sue Kirby (Oceans) and
Regional Director Generals, Neil Bellefontaine (Scotia-Fundy), Wayne Follett (Newfoundland
& Labrador), and Jim Jones (Gulf). Top notch presentations and question & answer sessions
will also be provided by Chris Lischewski, John Sackton, John Connelly, Art May, and Alastair
O’Rielly.
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