By Matthew Boudreau, Contributing Columnist
There certainly is no shortage of media covering the increasing food insecurity of Canadians. Every day, I come across a new article, video, or social media post highlighting this concern. Whether it be a plea for assistance from a food bank or the panning of a grocery executive, there is no question that Canadians increasingly need help and are frustrated by the lack of concrete solutions.
Over the last few weeks, I have also noticed an uptick in media coverer of Atlantic Canada’s fishing industry. There has been increased interest in the lobster shortage, which is driving February prices to an all-time high, transportation issues plaguing the snow crab industry, and companies swapping quotas of different species to better suit their processing capabilities. As a consumer, it can be hard to understand the breadth of the industry at times. At High Liner’s plant in Lunenburg as an example, they are on track to process over fifty million pounds of seafood this year. All of this must be moved by truck, rail, sea, and air to and from a plant until it ends up on someone’s plate. Where that plate is, however, increasingly seems farther away from us here in Nova Scotia.
Where does the balance stand then between our export interests which support the overall economy of Nova Scotia and the desire to put food on the table of those same Nova Scotians?
Personally, I side on ensuring that everyone here at home has enough to eat before sending our food to another global market. The seafood market is lucrative and profitable, and while we have taxation, it certainly raises an eyebrow that it is not a main dietary staple of a coastal Province. I recognize that these companies pay taxes and create employment opportunities. Fishing is a hard and dangerous living that certainly deserves to be well compensated.
Still, I wonder what the impact would be if even one percent of fish and seafood caught in Atlantic Canada had to be processed and provided to our food banks across the region free of charge? I think of it as no different than the royalties placed on fossil fuels or mining. I am sure there would be a backlash from corporate interests, but we also must recognize that we have a rather exclusive and finite resource at our disposal. Certainly, a study would need to be done to weigh the benefits and drawbacks. If it could lead to more food on the table for us here at home however, then I say, dig in.
Photo by Leora Winter on Unsplash
