February 25, 2013
Canada is investing CAD165,000 (US$162,016) to promote Canadian prawns for export, specifically to China and Russia.
This was announced by the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada Peter Penashue.
The Canadian Association of Prawn Producers (CAPP) will use the investment to help create new marketing materials highlighting premium quality natural wild shrimp to its target markets. Promotional activities will include providing foreign retail outlets with recipe booklets, posters and brochures and information on the benefits of buying Canadian shrimp from well-managed, sustainable fisheries, as the offshore northern shrimp and offshore striped shrimp fisheries have both entered full assessment to be considered for Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification.
"Our marketing partnership with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has helped us to re-position our product in the extremely competitive Chinese market," stated Bruce Chapman, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Prawn Producers (CAPP). "As a result, we have been able to secure higher prices for our products, to the direct benefit of hundreds of people in rural Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Nunavut."
In 2011, Canada exported CAD340 million (US$333.9 million) worth of cold-water shrimp to over 30 different countries. The top three export markets were the EU with CAD139 million (US$136.5 million), Russia with CAD75 million (US$73.6 million) and China with CAD40 million (US$39.3 million).
Through the AgriMarketing Programme under Growing Forward, the Government of Canada is injecting CAD88 million (US$86.4 million) to help the industry carry out long-term international marketing strategies.
CAPP is a non-profit organisation created by Canadian at-sea producers of cold-water shrimp that represents the interests of these producers and focuses on the sustainable management of the fishery. The Association also endorses research into cold-water shrimp, nutrition and the health benefits of consuming cold-water shrimp, and runs promotional activities abroad.
The offshore shrimp fishery takes place year-round in different areas contingent on ice conditions. Recently, the fleet has been landing 50,000-60,000 tonnes per year; products are sold frozen-at-sea, raw and cooked shell-on, and are marketed mainly in Russia, Ukraine, China, Japan and Western Europe.
