Eastern Canadian lobster industry comes together to form Lobster Council of Canada

The Canadian lobster industry has announced the formation of the first

Lobster Council of Canada. The new council will work immediately on several major industry issues and will strive to establish a long-term means of improving the value of the industry for all its members. “Today’s announcement is the culmination of months of careful planning to develop an industry-driven organization to tackle the key challenges facing our sector,” said Gordon MacDonald lobster harvester from Sydney, Nova Scotia. “Most important is the fact that this organization has been conceived, developed and led by industry and this will be a critical factor in our success.”

The council will focus much effort on ‘telling the story’ of Canadian Lobster. It will develop promotional and educational campaigns, which are professional, engaging and global in scope.

It will clearly and effectively articulate why Canadian lobster is a superior product emphasizing key attributes such as sustainability, survivability, quality, versatility as well as its health benefits.

To support the council in its early days, the four Atlantic Provinces, the

Government of Quebec and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans have agreed to collectively provide approximately $370,000 in direct funding to the organization over the next two years. “On behalf of the council I would like to express our sincere gratitude to our government partners for all of the support that they have provided to our efforts.” said Olin Gregan Executive Director P.E.I. Seafood Processers Association. ”Government has stated to us on a number of occasions that support for the status quo is not an option. I believe that industry has adopted the same principle with our commitment to the Lobster Council of Canada”.

The concept for the council originated during a Summit of the Atlantic lobster industry in Halifax in the fall of 2007. The following year, an industry-wide

Lobster Roundtable was formed to determine the next steps in addressing industry-identified issues in a cooperative way.

Following meetings in 2008-2009, the Roundtable formed a steering committee to establish the Lobster Council of Canada. The Roundtable and Steering Committee are composed of harvesters, processors, live shippers, distributors and First Nations representatives with government officials in a support role. “I don’t believe we need to stress the significance of this accomplishment, given the overall diversity of our industry and the economic challenges we face” said

Ian Wentzell, Senior Fisheries Advisor with the Atlantic Policy Congress of First

Nation Chiefs. “While we acknowledge that this is but one of many steps that this industry has to take to address key viability issues, it is none the less a major step forward”.

The Council’s first major tasks will be the development and implementation of a long-term marketing strategy, an active communications strategy with industry and the development of a self-funding model for the organization beyond the first two years.

The Council is currently recruiting an Executive Director and anticipates having this position filled by late November. The council headquarters will be based in

Halifax. An official industry opening will be held once the office is operational.

The council would like to acknowledge the efforts of the Canadian Centre for

Fisheries Innovation in facilitating this initiative on behalf of industry.

For more information visit the council web-site at

www.lobstercouncilcanada.ca