Feds, industry invest in fish and seafood traceability
By Food in Canada staff
Business Operations Food SafetyA partnership between the federal government and industry organizations will lead to a more competitive industry here and abroad
Ottawa – A new fish and seafood traceability system will work to enhance the sector’s competitiveness, announced the federal government.
The feds and three industry organizations have partnered to create the traceability system, which they say will enhance the industry’s competitiveness in Canada and around the world.
The federal government also adds that a traceability system in the fish and seafood sector will benefit Canadian producers and processors by opening up more markets.
“This system is a win-win as it allows us to demonstrate Canada’s solid fisheries and aquaculture management practices, animal health emergency management, and food safety systems, all while boosting the bottom line of our producers,” says Pierre Lemieux, parliamentary secretary.
Projects
The government is also investing in three projects put forward by the Fisheries Council of Canada, the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and the Lobster Council of Canada.
Together, the three groups are receiving up to $816,000 in funding under the Canadian Industry Traceability Infrastructure Program component of the Canadian Integrated Food Safety Initiative (CIFSI).
The projects include:
• A traceability system and pilot in eastern Canada, representing every stage of the lobster value chain from boat to plate from the Lobster Council of Canada.
• A pilot of a Canadian eco-certification system as part of a traceability initiative to certify fisheries products as responsibly harvested and to track them from harvest to final sale from the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC). The eco-certification system will be based on United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) guidelines for the seafood sector, assuring buyers and consumers that their food can be traced to sustainable fishing operations.
• A pilot of a FAO-based certification system for use across the Canadian aquaculture sector, assuring buyers and consumers that their farmed seafood has been produced in an environmentally responsible manner, and with solid management practices for food safety and quality from the Fisheries Council of Canada.
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