The Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) 2019 Annual Conference is scheduled for October 2-3 at the Delta Hotel Ottawa City Centre in Ottawa, Ontario. Its theme, Delivering Seafood to the World, will cover topics that relate to global markets, trade, food trends and public trust.
The Canadian seafood industry provides employment for 80,000 people, mainly in coastal and rural communities, and accounts for $7 billion annually in exports to 139 countries. The largest markets are the United States (63%), China (14%), the European Union (7%) and Japan (5%). Meanwhile, other overseas destinations for the nation’s fish and seafood, such as South Korea, are gaining in importance.
Canada has a strong reputation for sustainable fisheries management. Two-thirds of its wild capture production (80% by value) is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, compared with only about 14% of the world’s fisheries being certified.
John Sackton, president of Seafood Datasearch and founder and publisher of SeafoodNews.com, will be front and center at the conference to provide a market update supplemented with statistics and insights.
John Sackton
Luncheon keynote speaker Karl Schamotta, chief market strategist at Cambridge Global Payments, will share his perspectives on global currency markets and geo-political trends.
An important part of delivering seafood to the world is having the labor force in place to harvest and process fishery products. Without workers on the job, nothing happens. Dr. Sherry Scully, director of learning and organizational development at the Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), will talk about employment opportunities in the fisheries sector.
Other speakers scheduled to address various topics are: Jim Cannon, ceo of Sustainable Fisheries Partnership; Jennifer Lambert, senior manager of sustainability at Loblaw Companies Ltd.; Aran O’Connell, former executive director of Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement; Kenneth Paul, Assembly of First Nations director of fisheries; Jack Rice, chief scientist emeritus at Fisheries & Oceans Canada; Simon Shin, Alibaba Group’s director of fresh sourcing in North America.
Registration information is available by phoning the Fisheries Council of Canada (+1 613 727-7450) or visiting www.fisheriescouncil.com.
