Ottawa, ON - The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) today released its Submission for the 2023 Pre-Budget Consultations. This is tabled just after the devastation wreaked by Storm Fiona and its aftermath, which highlights the importance of several vital requests to aid seafood farmers’ recovery.
Early estimates are that shellfish farmers in PEI have at minimum $50M in damages. Almost all these marine farmers are small and medium-sized businesses who cannot access private insurance for crop loss and disasters, while land farmers have access to government cost-sharing programs to support them.
“Food security and inflation are the top concerns of Canadians, and we have a massive opportunity to grow healthy, sustainable seafood in Canada through aquaculture. However, our sector growth has flatlined for two decades, in large part because of a lack of will at the federal level. An event like Fiona sets us back, but also brings to attention the lack of consistent, national programs for seafood farmers to succeed,” says Timothy Kennedy, President & CEO.
“We appreciate the Prime Minister’s commitment of $300M for Fiona recovery, but the federal government must build the proper system of long-term supports to grow the seafood farming sector in Canada.”
The CAIA Budget 2023 requests show the path forward. This includes:
That DFO focus on science and regulation and build its reputation as a world-class regulator, while responsibility for sector development and sustainable growth be formally moved to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada;
That a pilot program for shellfish farmers for Business Risk Management (BRM) (such as crop and disaster insurance programs) must be created, as those offered to land farmers; and
That the federal program that oversees shellfish must be properly funded after 20 years of funding flatline.
Canada’s seafood farming sector is poised to advance Canada’s objectives of domestic and sustainable food supply and security; reduce carbon emissions; grow employment and economic opportunity in rural, coastal and Indigenous communities; and capitalize on the opportunity to expand our blue economy. With the right policy and market signals, Canada’s sustainable aquaculture sector is ready to be a major contributor to Canada’s present and future health and wellbeing.
About Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance
Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance (CAIA) is the national association that speaks for Canada’s seafood farmers, representing their interests in Ottawa and internationally to regulators, policy makers and political leaders. CAIA members generate over $5 billion in economic activity, $2 billion in GDP, and employ over 20,000 Canadians delivering a healthy, growing and sustainable seafood farming sector in Canada. For more information, please visit www.aquaculture.ca.
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Sheri Beaulieu
Manager of Marketing and Communications
Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance
Tel: 613-853-0612