Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM)

Victoria, British Columbia, September 6, 2012 – Federal, provincial and territorial ministers concluded the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) today in Victoria, British Columbia. Ministers discussed a range of issues such as aquaculture, aquatic invasive species, and protecting Canada’s fisheries.

The meeting was co-chaired by the Honourable Keith Ashfield, federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the British Columbia Ministry of Agriculture. In addition to Minister Ashfield, the Honourable Ministers responsible for fisheries and aquaculture in Yukon (Currie Dixon), Nunavut (James Arreak), Manitoba (Gord Mackintosh), Nova Scotia (Sterling Belliveau), New Brunswick (Michael Olscamp) and Prince Edward Island (Ron MacKinley) attended the meeting . Representatives from Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta also participated.

“I am pleased and proud that we can come together as federal, provincial, and territorial partners to support the long-term sustainability and prosperity of our fisheries and aquaculture sectors," said Minister Ashfield. “Recognizing the economic contribution of Canada’s fisheries and aquaculture sectors, we are all committed to working together to make sure they continue to thrive in the future.”

Representatives from all provinces, territories, and the federal government recognized that cooperation is needed to protect Canadian waters from aquatic invasive species with the goal of preserving the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems, while avoiding duplication and ensuring alignment among both levels of government.

Representatives also discussed the development of an aquaculture regulatory program that will support sustainable fish and seafood production while ensuring the effective management of aquatic animal health and protection of the environment. This will provide stability and will allow aquaculture continued growth as a contributor to the Canadian economy. Aquaculture currently generates about $2 billion in economic activity, creates good jobs in rural communities and occurs in all provinces and in Yukon.

The Atlantic Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers and representatives also took time to meet and discuss matters relevant to Atlantic Canada. Atlantic Ministers discussed the importance of the lobster fishery to Atlantic Canada and agreed to continue discussions aimed at ensuring stability and viability of this important fishery.

At this meeting, Ministers also discussed ongoing science activities such as stock assessment and agreed that these activities are important to both the health of ecosystems and the long-term economic prosperity of the fishing and aquaculture industries.

The 2013 annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers will be hosted by Quebec.

 

Federal, provincial and territorial ministers concluded the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) today in Victoria, British Columbia.

Left to right are:
Front row: The Honourable Norm Letnick, Minister of Agriculture (British Columbia), the Honourable James Arreak, Minister of Environment (Nunavut), and The Honourable Currie Dixon, Minister of Environment (Yukon),
Second Row: The Honourable Sterling Belliveau, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture (Nova Scotia), and Co-chair, the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)
Third row: The Honourable Ron MacKinley, Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development (Prince Edward Island) and the Honourable Michael Olscamp, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture, and Fisheries (New Brunswick).

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For broadcast:
Federal, provincial and territorial ministers concluded the annual meeting of the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) today in Victoria, British Columbia. Ministers discussed a range of issues such as aquaculture, aquatic invasive species, and fisheries protection. The meeting concluded with an agreement to work towards opening channels for future collaboration on fisheries protection.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Frank Stanek
Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Ottawa
613-990-7537

Barbara Mottram
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
613-992-3474

David Crebo
Communications Director
Agriculture Communications Office
250-356-6998