CCFI MD appeared as witness - Review of the Fisheries Act - House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

Hon. Keith Hutchings (Managing Director, Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation)

Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to present to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans and your committee's review of the Fisheries Act.

My name is Keith Hutchings. I am the managing director of the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation located in St. John's and driven by an industry-led board of directors representing the harvesting, processing and aquaculture sectors. The centre is a conduit between the fishing sectors, academia, science and research institutions, and companies that support the industry.

In the review of the Fisheries Act, I believe we need to focus on a renewed commitment to the social and economic benefits of the industry while ensuring its continued sustainability through collaborative knowledge sharing that supports innovation, technology adoption and applied research initiatives to maximize the opportunities of the seafood industry. The resource challenges and ecosystem shifts of recent decades have understandably focused our attention on and dedication to ensuring that our resource endowments are being sustainably managed. Though we should never lose sight of the sustainable fisheries imperative, we also need to ensure that we extract the maximum value from our seafood resources.

CCFI has a 30-year proven record of collaboration with industry and academia applied research supporting resource sustainability and increased economic output. As examples, we have supported fish bycatch reduction, innovative and safer fishing vessel designs, catch rate efficiency and reduction in carbon footprint, reduction in ghost gear fishing, development of new products for export and development of brood stock for a cleaner fish in the aquaculture sector to eradicate seal lice and support development of new fisheries.

Fish and seafood are among Canada's most significant exports of food products today, valued at more than $7.5 billion of the sector's total value of $9 billion and driving economic development in coastal communities and all regions of our country. Our sector is the leading sector of the blue economy in Canada. For Canada to meet its potential, we need to spur adaptation to changes in world markets, tariff threats, technology, the requirements for sustainable harvesting and conservation methods, skill development, resource management and labour force demographics.

As in transitions in other industries, the potential for transformation lies in technology and information. Automation, robotic technology and AI are key to developing a more competitive, sustainable and integrated business model. However, other technologies can help gain a better understanding of resources, create stronger linkages between consumers and producers, maximize value, reorganize value chains and create the information and knowledge transfer to improve decision-making.

To meet these challenges and seize the opportunities, CCFI is pursuing the establishment of the Canadian fisheries and aquaculture industry network, CFAIN, under the strategic innovation fund with Industry, Science and Economic Development Canada. This network would facilitate industry transition through unprecedented collaboration among participants across the country in Canada's fish and seafood industry. The technology sector, academia, industry players, indigenous groups and research institutions will collectively accelerate change in the industry. The overarching goal will be for the industry to adopt business models that increase output value while reaching full utilization of resources through advanced processing, improved efficiency and sustainability in operations, through collaboration with industry players from across Canada.

Although Canada's seafood industry generates significant economic activity across all coastal regions and is a leading food export sector, it is diverse and fragmented with respect to species, industry structures, jurisdictional overlap and markets. Our industry often lacks a cohesive, collaborative approach to development and value creation. Nowhere is this more evident than in applied research and development. There are issues of scale and focus that lead to piecemeal investments that lack coherence, are diluted in scale and, not surprisingly, have not demonstrated the success of other North Atlantic jurisdictions, including much smaller competitors, such as Iceland and Norway. The need and opportunity for a strategic seafood innovation alliance has never been greater.

A recent consultants report sanctioned by CCFI reflects discussions with over 70 stakeholders from the wild harvest, fish processing companies, aquaculture, technology and gear manufacturers, research and academia from coast to coast to coast to garner feedback on the need and participation levels towards an innovation network.

The overwhelming support was recognized by those we consulted. The discussion was about the opportunity to instill a drive towards greater innovation, increase the adoption of different technologies, and improve productivity, sustainability and production practices with greater utilization of resources.

Certainly, there is a need for provincial and national collaboration, assisting domestic and international trade markets, and the need to attract funding and to bring ecosystem players together, facilitating collaboration, knowledge and innovation from coast to coast to coast. It's truly a nation-building effect with an ability to increase the value, anywhere from to 10% to 34%.

I want to thank the committee for the ability to share some thoughts with you. I certainly look forward to any questions as we move forward.

Thank you very much.