Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced sweeping changes to his cabinet on 26 July, including a change of leadership at the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
Trudeau appointed Diane Lebouthillier to replace Joyce Murray as minister of fisheries, oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, and as such, she will take over management of the DFO. Murray announced on Twitter 25 July that she will not seek reelection.
“It has been a privilege to advance work in tackling climate change, nature conservation, and improving the lives of Canadians, and I look forward to continue engaging with these challenges,” Murray said.
Lebouthillier, a member of Canada’s Liberal Party, was previously the minister of national revenue and a member of parliament for Gaspésie and Les Îles-De-La-Madeleine, Quebec. She is familiar with key stakeholders in the fisheries sector, having recently met with seafood industry representatives on Magdalen Island.
The Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance welcomed Lebouthillier’s appointment.
The BC Salmon Farmers Association, representing salmon farmers in British Columbia, also welcomed the new minister, and said it looked forward to discussing the country’s salmon-farming industry’s importance to the province with Lebouthillier.
The aquaculture transition in B.C. is far from the only controversy roiling Canada’s seafood sector. Disagreements about prices in Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab sector led to a six-week standoff, with the Fish Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW) calling on the government to fix problems with the price-setting process. In recent years, FFAW has clashed with the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) – which represents processors in the region – in government-led negotiations over prices.
The FFAW and the ASP had initially agreed to cordial negotiations after a tumultuous 2022 that led to fishermen protests and calls for changes in management. However, negotiations failed in late March, forcing the price-setting panel to make a decision in favor of ASP.
After a standoff, fishermen eventually agreed to start harvesting in late May, but the long delay left them behind in fulfilling their quota, leading the DFO to repeatedly extend the season, which is now open through late July.
Conflict is also brewing between Canadian fishermen and petroleum drilling companies, with fishermen claiming existing government control boards ignored the requests of fishermen and are engaging in drilling that is in direct conflict with fishing activity.