The late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said “we may have all come on different ships, but we’re in the same boat now.”
Given the uncertain, rapidly changing geopolitical climate we find ourselves in today, Dr. King’s words could not be any more appropriate. Now, more than ever, commercial fishery stakeholders in Atlantic Canada need to be united and pulling on the oars in the same direction.
While the on-again, off-again threat of U.S.-based seafood tariffs have subsided for the time being, not to mention the 25 per cent duty recently imposed by China, an air of uncertainty and concern remains over Atlantic Canada’s seafood industry.
Perhaps it would be prudent for all of the seafood stakeholders in this region to come together to share concerns and develop strategies? That’s exactly what happened recently in British Columbia.
Amid the talks of tariff-impacted sectors, one industry often left out to dry is B.C.’s fisheries.
“Seafood is often the forgotten food,” said Sonia Strobel, co-founder and CEO of Skipper Otto, a Community Supported Fishery and Local Catch Canada committee member, “when we think about food we think about farms, we think about agriculture.”
Strobel was one of 40 seafood harvesters, businesspeople and researchers who attended the very first Local Catch Canada Conference held in Vancouver from April 14 to 16.
Local Catch Canada, founded in 2023, is a network focused on building a more resilient and equitable seafood system, with a conference that offers a space for harvesters and allies to share their knowledge and foster solidarity.
The conference was held at a critical time when the Canadian seafood industry faces the ongoing impact of international tariffs.
Strobel said that around 90 per cent of the fish caught in Canada is exported, while 80 per cent of the seafood Canadians consume is imported, leaving Canada’s seafood industry in a vulnerable position. With China spending $300 million on B.C.’s seafood annually, China’s 25 per cent tariffs imposed on March 20 could be a huge blow to B.C.’s seafood industry. This pressure results in smaller independent harvesters facing uncertainties.
Despite this, Strobel said the seafood industry has often been overlooked in conversations about tariff-impacted sectors. But she’s hopeful that by bringing attention to the impact on the seafood industry, they can strengthen the seafood systems in B.C. and Canada, ensuring it’s community-based and sustainable.
“For 25 years or so, that’s been my mission, to raise awareness. By connecting harvesters from across the country, the organization hopes to amplify voices often forgotten, particularly as B.C. harvesters and Canadians begin to feel the impact of tariffs. Strobel says this is significant as seafood is not just a business for many of these people, it’s a livelihood, it’s a way of life.”
The three-day 2025 conference featured presentations, panels and workshops led by harvesters. Half of the attendees were also Indigenous, with several of them members of the Vancouver Island Tseshaht Nation, such as fishers Natasha Marshall and Melanie Cranmer, as well as Andy Olsen, the founder of Indigenous Fishers First, an organization dedicated to fostering partnerships between Indigenous fishers and communities.
The conference demonstrated that coming together in the face of economic uncertainty allowed B.C. seafood stakeholders to offer each other support through learning.
As the seafood industry in Canada continues to face uncertainties, organizations such as Local Catch Canada hope to continue to bring together seafood harvesters to ensure that those most affected by trade policies have a seat at the table.
Perhaps it is time we take B.C.’s lead and do the same thing on this coast?
