OTTAWA – The Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC) plays a critical role in collecting, processing and marketing freshwater fish on behalf of close to 1,600 harvesters, many from Indigenous communities that depend on this vital service.
In July 2019, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, released the Advisory Panel’s Final Report: Transformation of the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation. The Panel’s recommendations recognize the potential for a harvester-led or partnership model for inland fisheries, with an emphasis on bringing harvester groups together to be a part of, and provide leadership in, a transformed FFMC. To that end, it also recommended the appointment of an interlocutor to help facilitate the transformation process.
Building off the Panel’s recommendations, today, Minister Wilkinson, announced that Kevin G. Anderson will serve as the dedicated interlocutor, to lead next steps in the transformation process.
Acting as a liaison between fish harvesters, Indigenous groups and other partners, the interlocutor will work directly with harvester associations, co-operatives, and other partners to assess the industry’s willingness and capacity to sustain and co-operate under a harvester-led model.
The interlocutor will also work to establish a committee of representatives from the fishing industry to improve communications and information sharing both within the industry and with the FFMC, and to promote industry-led solutions that support harvester ambitions for the future of the inland fishery. The committee will also provide opportunities for collaborative and cooperative action within the industry and to build the foundation for transformation.
The FFMC will continue to operate normally and to serve harvesters’ interests throughout the interlocutor-led process.
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“The Government of Canada is committed to the long-term viability of the freshwater fishing industry, which is of particular importance to Indigenous peoples in remote and northern communities. A dedicated interlocutor will help to mobilize harvesters in western and northern Canada and facilitate industry-led solutions to grow and sustain this important industry.”
The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
Quick Facts
About Kevin G. Anderson, interlocutor
- Kevin Anderson is a graduate of the London School of Economics and Political Science, having specialized in Marine Policy.
- Mr. Anderson began his career at DFO as a Fishery Officer in 1991, spending most of his career in the regional office in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), where he progressed into different executive roles over 28 years of service.
- Mr. Anderson was a former Director of Conservation and Protection in 2008 before becoming the Regional Director of Fisheries Management in 2012, and later was appointed as Regional Director General in Newfoundland and Labrador in 2016. Through these positions, he was able to lead and demonstrate his extensive knowledge and experiences towards Canada’s marine and inland fisheries.
- He was instrumental to ensuring the successful conclusion and signing of the historic reconciliation agreement between the Government of Canada and British Columbia Coastal First Nations, as well as the Fraser Salmon Collaborative Management Agreement between DFO and the Fraser Salmon Management Council. He continues to support negotiations and reconciliations with other First Nations in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada.
- Mr. Anderson’s experience is concentrated in the areas of fisheries management, enforcement, habitat protection, sustainability and Indigenous relations and negotiations. He also continues to deliver masters-level courses in fisheries policy at Memorial University in St. John’s.
About the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation(FFMC)
- The FFMC is a federal Crown corporation established in 1969 and headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
- Under the Freshwater Fish Marketing Act, the Corporation has the exclusive right to market and trade freshwater fish in interprovincial and export markets. This applies to designated products supplied by participating jurisdictions.
- The FFMC’s mandate is to purchase all fish lawfully harvested and offered for sale in its jurisdiction, create an orderly market, promote international markets, increase fish trade, and increase returns to fishers. The FFMC seeks to do this through effective marketing, efficient supply chain management, and value-added processing of quality freshwater fish products.
