Innovation, Business and Rural Development
November 6, 2012

Atlantic Seafood Companies, Learning Institutions
Explore Opportunities for Growth in China

Atlantic Canadian seafood exporters and learning institutions are visiting China to build business relations and expand overseas markets. One delegation has promoted Atlantic Canada as a study destination, while another is promoting the region’s seafood industry at the 16th China Seafood Show 2012 in Dalian.

“Increasing international trade is a key component of our government’s plan to create jobs, growth and long-term prosperity for Canadians,” said the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Associate Minister of National Defence and Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency) (La Francophonie). “That is why we are pleased to support these two trade missions to China, which will allow these two important industries to open new doors in one of the world’s largest markets.”

The New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries is organizing the business mission to showcase Atlantic Canada’s expertise in the seafood sector. The delegation has a booth at the Dalian show to promote Atlantic Canada’s products and services in one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing markets. Taking place from November 6 to 8, the event’s networking, marketing and learning events will allow delegates to target potential trading partners, buyers and agents, pursue sales opportunities, as well as gain industry knowledge. The 2011 edition was a record year with more than 800 companies from over 80 countries exhibiting and 15,300 visitors.

“The exploration of new markets is vital for industry and economic growth,” said the Honourable Keith Hutchings, Minister of Innovation, Business and Rural Development. “Trade missions provide the local sector the opportunity to develop relationships and meet directly with potential clients and consumers. China presents exciting opportunities for market expansion for Newfoundland and Labrador’s seafood industry and academic institutions, which will contribute to the overall growth of the provincial economy.”

The education mission was led by EduNova to position Atlantic Canada as a premier study destination at student fairs, networking events, Chinese schools and other outreach activities. The delegation’s travel itinerary included the Canadian Concord College Fairs and Chinese Education Expo where they are raising the profile of Atlantic Canada’s education and training programs to recruit new students. In 2009, 25 per cent of Canada’s international students were from China bringing some $8 billion of economic benefits.

“The China Seafood Show is one of the most important events of its kind in the global fish and seafood market,” said Phil Barnes, General Manager, Fogo Island Co-operative Society. “Our goal is to meet with potential clients from around the world and work with them to firm up new business opportunities.”

Funding for the missions has been provided through the Canada/Atlantic Provinces Agreement on International Business Development (IBDA). The IBDA is a federal/provincial agreement between the Government of Canada (ACOA, Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, and Industry Canada) and the four provincial governments in Atlantic Canada, and is designed to help Atlantic Canadian businesses enter, explore and succeed in international markets. The IBDA is the leading component of a pan Atlantic effort to foster business relations, attract foreign investment and nurture technological co-operation.

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Media contacts:

Andréa Richer Press Secretary Office of the Honourable Bernard Valcourt 613-790-3637 andrea.richer@acoa-apeca.gc.ca	Scott Barfoot Director of Communications Department of Innovation, Business and Rural Development Government of Newfoundland and Labrador 709-729-4570, 690-6290 scottbarfoot@gov.nl.ca
Greg Rogers Senior Communications Officer Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency 506-851-7814 greg.rogers@acoa-apeca.gc.ca	Phil Barnes General Manager Fogo Island Co-operative Society 709-627-3452

Backgrounder
Atlantic Canada’s Trade Delegations to China

Education Mission Delegates

Following is a list of Atlantic Canadian educational institutions and organizations that took part in the education mission to China:

Acadia Univeristy:
Located in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Acadia University is a predominantly undergraduate university but that also offers some graduate programs at the master's level and one at the doctoral level. Acadia is recognized as one of the best undergraduate universities in Canada.

Cape Breton University:
Located near Sydney, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton University (CBU) is the only post-secondary degree-granting institution on Cape Breton Island. CBU serves more than 3,400 full-time and part-time students, including several hundred international students from more than 40 countries.

Dalhousie University:
Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Dalhousie is a leading, research-intensive Canadian university offering more than 180 degree programs in 11 diverse faculties. Many of the university’s programs are unique to the Atlantic region, including architecture, community design and food science.

EduNova
With an office in Halifax, EduNova is a co-operative industry association of education and training providers in Nova Scotia. EduNova’s mandate is to work with members to raise the profile of Nova Scotia’s education and training expertise. EduNova’s focus is on collaborative international recruitment activities and the identification of international project opportunities.

Holland College
Holland College is the Community College of Prince Edward Island. The college has more than 65 career training programs, specializing in tourism and hospitality, justice, health, marine studies, aviation, industrial trades, computer technology and media and communications. Approximately 3,300 students attend programs in Prince Edward Island and China, and an additional 5,200 individuals are enrolled in adult education and continuing education programs.

Memorial University of Newfoundland
With historical strengths in education, engineering, business, geology, and medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland is one of the top comprehensive universities in Canada. The university’s primary campus is in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. There is also a campus in Corner Brook and in Old Harlow, Essex, England.

St. Francis Xavier University
St. Francis Xavier is an undergraduate university with majors and honours programs in 40 departments in the faculties of arts, science, business and education. Programs are diverse, ranging from aquatic resources to international development. The campus is located in Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

St. Thomas University
St. Thomas University is Canada’s only exclusively liberal arts university. The Bachelor of Arts is the central program of study. Located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, next to the University of New Brunswick campus, St. Thomas also offers post-degree Bachelor of Education and Bachelor of Social Work programs.

University of New Brunswick
The University of New Brunswick (UNB) is a non-denominational university located in New Brunswick. It is the oldest English language university in Canada. UNB has two main campuses located in Fredericton, and Saint John. UNB offers over 75 degrees in 14 faculties at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

China Seafood Show Business Mission Delegates

Following is a list of the Atlantic Canadian companies and organizations taking part in the business mission to the China Seafood Show:

Beothic Fish Processors Ltd.
Beothic Fish Processors Ltd. specializes in the production of world class groundfish, shellfish, and pelagics products. Centred along the north coast of Bonavista Bay, it operates two processing facilities.

BJ Marketing & Trading
Located in Montague, PEI, BJ Marketing & Trading ships a variety of seafood products worldwide, from rock and snow crab to shrimp and lobster.

Breakers Fish Co. Ltd.
Breakers Fish Co. Ltd is a purveyor of quality seafood products from around the world. Based in Halifax, NS, Breakers helps exporters and importers with sourcing and managing the logistics of a variety of seafood products.

By the Water Shellfish
By the Water Shellfish of Borden-Carleton, PEI, is a supplier of premium hard shell lobster from the cold waters of the Atlantic Canada, specializing in the delivery of live lobster.

Clearwater
Founded in 1976, this Bedford, NS, company has grown from a small, local lobster distributor into one of the world's leading seafood companies.

Fogo Island Co-operative Society Ltd.
The Fogo Island Co-operative Society Ltd. harvests various species of seafood in Newfoundland waters for markets in the United States, Japan, China, Taiwan, Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom. A fleet of 30 long liners and many small inshore vessels supply quality raw material daily to three modern processing plants.

Gidney Fisheries Limited
Located in Centreville, NS, Gidney Fisheries Limited is a wholesaler and worldwide exporter of live lobster and seafood.

Green Seafoods Ltd.
Owned and operated by the Green family for over 100 years. Green Seafoods Ltd. produces and ships shellfish, including blue mussels, snow crab, herring and capelin, to markets across the globe. Headquartered in Winterton, Trinity Bay, Green Seafoods has three processing facilities and a mussel farm.

Howard's Cove Shellfish
Howard's Cove Shellfish is a shellfish supplier based in Ellerslie, PE.

International Seafood and Bait Ltée
International Seafood and Bait Ltée is a wholesale supplier of food grade fish located in Shippagan, NB.

La Maison Beausoleil Inc.
Based in Neguac, NB, La Maison Beausoleil Inc. exports premium oysters to the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Minigoo Fisheries
Minigoo Fisheries is owned and operated by the Lennox Island First Nation. As such, it is the only lobster processing plant in Canada administered by aboriginal people.

Moncton Fish Market
Moncton Fish Market opened its doors in Moncton, NB, in 1917 and has been providing quality seafood since. The market makes daily shipments of lobster, smoked salmon, salt fish and other seafood.

Newfound Resources Ltd.
Founded in 1986 by 25 Newfoundland seafood companies to harvest and deliver large quantities of groundfish to Newfoundland factories. Following the demise of the Canadian ground fish stocks, Newfound Resources Ltd. received an offshore shrimp licence in 1991 and transformed into one of Canada's largest shrimp companies. Based in St. John’s, Newfound also harvests Greenland Halibut (Turbot) for its markets around the world.

North Lake Seafood
North Lake Seafood operates a seafood processing plant in North Lake, PEI.

Ocean Choice International
Ocean Choice International delivers over 100 million pounds of finished products to more than 30 countries every year. The St. John’s NL- based company is one of the largest seafood quota holders in Canada and offers the widest variety of species to its customers, including snow crab, lobster, coldwater shrimp, scallops, Atlantic cod, flounder and sole, redfish, Greenland halibut, mackerel and capelin.

Orion Seafood Group
Located in Shediac, NB, Orion Seafood Group is a supplier of fish and seafood.

Partner Seafood Inc.
Headquartered in Shediac, NB, Partner Seafood Inc. is an international business that focuses on marketing and production management, importing seafood from over 10 countries and exporting to over 40 countries around the world.

Pêcheries Chéticamp Fisheries Intl Inc
Pêcheries Chéticamp Fisheries Intl Inc. is a supplier of fresh and frozen seafood located in Chéticamp, NS.

PEI Mussel King
PEI mussel King operates one of the largest mussel processing plants on Prince Edward Island. The Morrell grower and processor provides fresh and frozen mussels under the Island Blue brand name.

Royal Star Foods
Royal Star Foods Ltd, a subsidiary of Tignish Fisheries Co-op Association Ltd., is the largest processor of lobster on Prince Edward Island. Co-operatively owned by 175 fishers, Royal has been providing seafood products to its customers for over 85 years.

Ships Lobster Pound
Family owned and operated, Ship’s Lobster Pound has been exporting cold water hard shell live lobster for 20 years, and also exports to Asia and the United States. The firm is located in Woods Harbour, NS.

True North Salmon Co. Ltd.
True North Salmon Co. Ltd. is one of North America's largest producers of fresh North Atlantic salmon and trout, as well as a variety of smoked and specialty seafood. True North has been providing fresh, naturally-raised, farmed Atlantic salmon to the U.S. and Canada for over 30 years from its Blacks Harbour, NB, location.

United Trans Ltd.
Based in Halifax, NS, United Trans Ltd. is a fish and seafood wholesaler.

Westmorland Fisheries Ltd.
Westmorland Fisheries Ltd., of Cap Pelé, New Brunswick, is a company specialized in lobster transformation and exportation. It's now one of the Atlantic Canada's leaders in lobster international exportation.

Whitecap International Seafood
Headquartered in St. John’s, NL, Whitecap International Seafood is a supplier of North Atlantic fishery products and the largest exporter of cooked cold-water shrimps in the world.

2012 11 06                           10:30 a.m.