The fishing industry recorded a solid performance in 2003.
Landings, which were projected to remain on par with 2002 in the
March forecast, should exceed earlier expectations. The value of
landings is also expected to increase and is likely to exceed
$500 million. |
Landings
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Higher landings of clam, shrimp, flatfish, turbot, capelin and
mackerel are expected to more than offset a significant
reduction in cod landings this year. Both the Northern and
Gulf cod fisheries were closed during the year by the federal
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. Total fish landings are
expected to be around 6% to 7% higher than the 262,000 tonnes
recorded in 2002. As of September, more than 90% of this
year's anticipated landings had been realized.
Increased landings, in combination with higher prices for some
species (e.g., crab), are expected to result in landed values
in excess of $500 million this year. It is estimated that the
total value of all species, including seals, will reach close
to $525 million, marking the fourth time in the past five
years that the $500 million level will have been surpassed.
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Share of
National Fishery
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The province's share of the national fishery has
increased significantly in recent years. In terms of volume,
the share of total landings ranged between 30% and 40%
throughout the late 1970s and 1980s, a period when groundfish
was the main species harvested and landings, at times,
exceeded 500,000 tonnes. This share dipped to a low of 13.4%
following the collapse of the groundfish fishery and has been
slowly regaining ground with diversification into other
species. In 2002, the province accounted for 26.0% of
commercial seafood landings in Canada.
In terms of
value, however, the story has been quite different. In 1988,
when the province's fishery was mainly concentrated on
groundfish and pelagics, the province only accounted for 18.8%
of the value of seafood landed in Canada. Over the last six
years, this situation has changed as shellfish, generally a
higher valued product, has become the primary source of
industry revenue. In 2002, the province accounted for 25.3% of
seafood landed value in Canada. |
| Provincial Landings as a % of Total Canadian Landings
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| Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada |
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Employment |
Fishery related employment is expected to be down in
2003 due to lower processing activity. Labour Force Survey
data indicates that, on a monthly average basis, processing
employment was 6,500 for the January to October period, down
2,000 from the same time last year. Lower employment was a
reflection of decreased harvests of cod, increased
efficiencies and shifts in product mix (i.e., a stronger
emphasis on sections versus meat) at crab facilities.
Harvesting employment averaged 8,900 for the period, up 2%
from 2002. Combined, harvesting and processing employment is
expected to average about 15,000 person years in 2003.
Fisheries
employment fell dramatically in the early 1990s when
groundfish stocks collapsed. Total employment in the
provincial fishery, including both harvesting and processing,
fell to an all-time low of 12,100 person years in 1995, in
contrast to annual average employment of more than 24,000 in
the late 1980s. The restructuring of the industry throughout
the 1990s saw the employment situation improve but fisheries
employment remains lower than it was in the late 1980s. |
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| Fishing Industry Empolyment
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| Statistics Canada
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While overall employment
levels in the fishery today are lower, the number of
active harvesters working in the industry is about the
same. Because of the seasonal nature of the fishing
industry, Employment Insurance (EI) statistics provide a
reasonable indication of the number of people deriving
income from the fishery in any given year. According to
this data, 13,900 harvesters registered for EI in 1992.
This figure dropped to a low of 8,700 in 1995 before
gradually increasing to 13,700 in 2002.
The fact that fish harvesting related EI claims have
recovered to levels recorded in 1992 is attributable to
several factors. EI regulations for harvesters have
changed considerably over the past years and have become
more accommodating to their needs. Furthermore, with the
diversification into high-valued shellfish, revenue to
harvesters has increased considerably. This has further
accommodated harvesters whose EI is based on landed
value. Finally, with the collapse of the groundfish
fishery, many full-year offshore harvesting jobs were
replaced with employment in nearshore fishing
enterprises.
Compared to a decade ago, however, there are fewer
processing workers in the industry today. In 2002,
approximately 8,200 people in the processing industry
registered for EI compared to about 16,600 in 1992. The
reason for the drop in the number of processing workers
is two-fold. The quantity of fish landed today is less
than that landed prior to the groundfish collapse in the
1990s. Furthermore, the products manufactured (i.e.,
mostly shellfish products) by the industry today are
generally less labour intensive than those produced a
decade ago. As a result, the number of jobs in
processing has failed to recover to the same extent as
in harvesting.
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Exports
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Changing circumstances in
world seafood markets have implications for the
province's fishing industry. While the US is still by
far the largest market for the province's sea-food products, China is
now the second largest customer. In 1993, the province
exported less than $3 million in seafood to China. By
2002, this situation had changed dramatically with China
importing about $140 million in fish products from this
province. This trend of increased exports to China is
part of that country's bid to become a major supplier of
seafood products in the global market. Trade data, for
the first nine months of 2003, suggests that China
continues to be a major importer of the province's fish
products.
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| Seafood Exports Non-US Markets
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| Industry Canada
Note: Excludes exports to the United
States |
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| For periodic updates on fish landings: |
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