Friday the 13th turned out to be lucky for the lobster industry when the federal government announced an investment of $70,000 to open up new international markets in China for Atlantic lobster.
The funding comes from the Community Adjustment Fund (CAF), an economic stimulus initiative contained in the Government of Canadas Economic Action Plan. Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, made the announcement in Yarmouth, N.S. on Friday, Nov. 13.
This investment will promote our seafood industry internationally and support a strong competitive seafood harvesting industry locally, said Kerr.
Earlier this month, Atlantic Canadian lobsters graced the tables of the China Seafood Exposition trade show in Qingdao, China. The event provided an opportunity to demonstrate the high quality of Atlantic lobster through cooking competitions, live lobster product demonstrations, and samplings. The Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association will continue to market live Atlantic Canadian lobsters in a selection of Chinese cities.
“This project will help identify the future market potential for premium quality, hard shell Atlantic Canadian live lobster in some new Chinese markets, said Denny Morrow, Executive Director of the Nova Scotia Fish Packers Association. The results will be fed into a promotional campaign for a premium Atlantic Canada brand live lobster that has great potential for boosting our exports to China.”
The Atlantic Canadian seafood industry is the backbone of our economy and the livelihood of many of our people, added Morrow. This funding will allow us to develop a secure footing in a new and growing market and promote our industry on a world stage.
Source: Community Adjustment Fund