OTTAWA – Dave Giddens, General Manager, Connors Bros Cover Leaf Seafoods Company, Chair of the Board of Directors at the Fisheries Council of Canada (FCC) is pleased to announce Paul Lansbergen as the Council's new President.
Lansbergen has over 20 years' experience in public policy, advocacy and association leadership. He spent the last 15 years at the Forest Products Association of Canada, with increasing roles, including a temporary appointment as Acting President in 2015-2016. Prior to that, he was Manager, Communications at the Canadian Fertilizer Institute and a Legislative Assistant on Parliament Hill. He is a Certified Association Executive and has two degrees in Economics.
Giddens is pleased with the appointment. "Paul's experience and energy will enhance the role of the Council," said Giddens. "I am confident he will advance the strategic direction of the Council, deliver results, and position it for the growth members want."
"Fisheries is one of Canada's longest standing industries and remains very important to our economy, communities and middle-class Canadians," Lansbergen said. "Canada is known for sustainably serving seafood markets at home and abroad. I am proud to be joining the Council and look forward to working with its members and partners on the priorities of access to sustainable fish resources, trade, and market access, while creating value for members."
The Canadian seafood industry creates 80,000 direct jobs, mainly in coastal and rural communities, and accounts for $6.6 billion in exports. 80 per cent of Canadian wild seafood production by value is certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, the international gold standard for measuring fishery sustainability.
Since the Council was established in 1915, the Fisheries Council of Canada has been the national voice for Canada's commercial fisheries. Our members include small, medium and larger-sized companies along with Indigenous enterprises that harvest fish in Canada's three oceans and inland waters. Member companies are also processors who process the majority of Canada's fish and seafood production. FCC members take pride in being key employers in their communities, providing jobs and creating an economic base for other local businesses.
Source: Fisheries Council of Canada