The agreement was reached during the Canadian Lobster Value Recovery Summit, which wrapped up today in Halifax. The event was hosted by the three Maritime fisheries ministers to discuss key recommendations from the Maritime Lobster Panel Report and was attended by more than 200 stakeholders.

“The lobster summit was an important forum for industry to develop a consensus on moving forward and for the Maritime provinces to discuss our next steps in working together to support the industry,” said Prince Edward Island Minister of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Rural Development, Ron MacKinley.

Participants at the Summit responded with support for a mechanism to collect a levy and clear direction to the three ministers to proceed.

The levy will support the creation of a generic marketing plan to promote Canadian lobster as a premium product around the world, the development of new markets, as well as the collection and distribution of up-to-date and accurate market information to all stakeholders.

Several presenters from different seafood sectors spoke of how a levy benefitted their industry, most notably Norway which has become a leading supplier of seafood around the world.

Federal Fisheries and Oceans minister, Gail Shea was the guest speaker at the Summit. “This summit is a terrific example of how industry can work together to make a difference in the lives of fishermen and their communities,” said Minister Shea. “While our Government is committed to helping fishers thrive, we also believe that industry must lead the drive for solutions."