There’s been no looking back in the past year since Allan MacLean took on the role as president of the board of directors of the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance.
“We have a good strong voice here with government and other associations. We have a very strong board that works very well together. A talented executive director. We have a good cross section of the industry for board members. All sectors have a voice at the table,” said MacLean.
Tariffs were the biggest story for the Nova Scotia seafood industry in 2025, said MacLean.
“I remember driving home from Halifax when the news came on about the 25 per cent Chinese tariff. That really took everybody by surprise. No one in the industry expected anything like that and given the importance of the Chinese market, not just lobster but other species as well, we really jumped on that. We really focused on having relationships with both levels of government. We worked very closely with the federal and provincial governments in understanding the impacts and how we as an industry can best address them… I think one of the things we really focused on in 2025 was making sure the industry as a whole fully understood how the tariffs were playing out. The Chinese tariff had a big impact on live products. It affected how product moved in the marketplace in 2025. Fortunately, there was a strong market in the U.S. We didn’t face tariffs in the U.S.”
Going into 2026, seafood exporters were given another hurdle with new traceability requirements for exports to the European Union, which came into effect Jan. 10.
MacLean said one of the things the Alliance really focused on was ensuring the industry could be as prepared as possible for the changes.
“They are quite substantial and lead to quite a few more administrative requirements. The E.U. catch certification, we will start seeing that come more into play in the spring of the year. It will create some additional challenges for our people. That will be one thing we will be focusing on — working through the issues we see. That is an ongoing piece of work to really keep our eye on so any of these traceability issues we are going to focus on.”
MacLean said the Nova Scotia Seafood Alliance played a major role in how the new Nova Scotia licensing policy was designed. “I think for the most part we are very satisfied with what the government has done with the licensing policy,” he said.
In the past, providing input to the provincial government meant knocking on doors, said MacLean.
“Now they are constantly calling because they know we represent a good portion of the shore-side sector here in Nova Scotia,” adding it’s the same with the federal government. The big thing for us is we want to be a strong voice for the industry so when there are issues that arise, we jump on them right away,” said MacLean.
“We serve two purposes. We want to be the voice for the shore-side sector and that voice with the federal and provincial governments and also working with colleagues and other regions and other associations. We have really strong working relationships with the Lobster Council of Canada, the Lobster Processors Association (and others), so it’s really ensuring that the voice of the industry in Nova Scotia is well heard and also so we understand what is going on in other parts of Atlantic Canada.”
A number of other issues are on the Alliance’s radar in 2026, including the continuation of tariff threats from the U.S., which they will continue to monitor, said MacLean.
The introduction of electronic slips or ELOGs is something the shore-side sector is going to be responsible for, said MacLean.
“We’ve been working for the last couple of months to ensure whatever gets put in place we are able to manage. So members understand any new requirements and to really help walk them through the implementation process with no major hiccups along the way. We’ll see that really come into play when the seasons open on the eastern shore.”
The Alliance will also be continuing to lobby the federal and provincial governments for a new Atlantic Fisheries Fund.
“It’s a work in progress,” said MacLean. “We administered that for our members. I think it was a success. I think the role the Alliance played in that was part of the reason it was so successful. It did make a substantial difference in the competitiveness of the shore-side sector in Nova Scotia.”
MacLean said the Alliance expects the Nova Scotia government will be looking at other policy pieces in 2026. “We plan to continue to work with the province so our interests are well understood,” he said.
The removal of the 25 per cent Chinese tariff on March 1 for Canadian lobster and crab gives the industry “some stability” at least until the end of the year, said MacLean.
“I think last year one of the biggest things for the industry in Nova Scotia is that we didn’t have stability and we didn’t have predictability. We were pleasantly surprised when the lobster tariff removal was announced. It will have a very positive impact on the live lobster trade and some of the in-shell processing. We hope the inroads the government has made with China will continue for 2026. They are a key market not just for lobster. The Alliance will keep working with government to make sure the importance of not having tariffs on seafood is well understood.”
