New Government Marine Plan to Have Major Impacts on BC Fisheries

Feb 07, 2023

The British Columbia Seafood Alliance (BCSA) responded today to the Northern Shelf Bioregion Network Action Plan (NAP) Endorsement by the Government of Canada and their partners at the IMPAC5 congress.

"Today's announcement by the Government of Canada flies in the face of commercial fishery advice provided by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous fish harvesters that would have met or exceeded government conservation objectives while reducing the impacts to commercial fisheries and food security," began Christina Burridge, Executive Director of the BCSA.

British Columbia currently leads Canada in marine conservation, and will soon exceed the federal target of protecting 30% of waters by 2030 with around 35% conserved and protected by the end of 2023. Furthermore, 33% of all commercial fishing licenses in BC are held by First Nations, with over 25% of commercial fishing employment being Indigenous.

"British Columbia's commercial fishing industry has already proven that we can work with government and Indigenous partners to meet common objectives. In the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area on Haida Gwaii, we worked with the Council of the Haida Nation, Parks Canada, and other industry partners to set a model for marine zoning that works for all stakeholders. Unfortunately, the NAP does not use this model," continued Burridge.

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Video: Food Inflation and Pork Demand - Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, discusses how food inflation is reshaping Canadian protein demand. He explains why pork remains competitively priced, consumer behavior, and why transparency, AI-assisted shopping, and protein demand will matter in the years ahead. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The potential of pork is there. We just need to see the product assume that role and take it away because all the elements are there."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Management and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. His research focuses on food distribution, food policy, food safety, food security, and traceability. Dr. Charlebois has written four books and more than 500 peer-reviewed and scientific articles. He holds a BComm from the Royal Military College, an MBA from UQAM, and a DBA from the University of Sherbrooke. Learn more from Dr. Sylvain Charlebois on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.