Seafood e-Bulletin June 2026 | The source of program information, engagement opportunities, important updates, and upcoming events for seafood producers and processors in British Columbia Feature of the Month: - Aquatic Plant Statistics Collection
- Seafood Revenue Data available
Events: - July 18: BC CrabFest – Victoria B.C.
- July 26: BC CrabFest – False Creek, B.C.
Programs and Resources: New This Month: - Video: Tax Considerations for Shellfish Farmers in B.C.
Available Funding: - Funding Update: Processor Productivity Program
- AgriMarketing Program: Market Diversification for National Industry Associations
- AgriMarketing Program: Market Diversification for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
- Rural and Remote Employment Initiatives Fund. Business Advisory Supports, Northern Development Initiative Trust
Available Services: Don't Forget: - Notice to Industry: Handling, Processing, or Transporting of Live Oysters
| Aquatic Plant Statistics Collection | Collection for the 2025 Annual Aquaculture Statistical Review (AASR) aquatic plant aquaculture survey is now underway. Please submit your data to fishstats@gov.bc.ca by June 12, 2026. | Seafood Revenue Data available | Seafood product preparation and packaging revenue data is available on the Ministry of Agriculture and Food website for 2014–2024, including historic estimates where applicable. Learn more | BC CrabFest – Victoria B.C. | When: July 18, 2026, from 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM (PT) Where: Ship Point, Inner Harbour, Victoria, B.C. Learn more | | Now in its fourth year, BC CrabFest is a one-day harbour gathering celebrating B.C. waters, coastal foodways, and the communities connected to them. The festival is anchored around the B.C. Dungeness Crab Boil, and features chef demonstrations, coastal storytelling, family activities, and local drinks - all at Ship Point in Victoria's Inner Harbour. Presented by BC Crab Co., a family-run seafood business founded by commercial fishing families committed to sharing sustainably harvested B.C. Dungeness crab with local communities. | Video: Tax Considerations for Shellfish Farmers in B.C. | The Ministry of Agriculture and Food has produced a five-part series to support shellfish farmers and businesses with business development and succession planning. This second video outlines key tax considerations for shellfish farmers, including business structures, capital gains, and intergenerational transfers. Tax planning plays a major role in how much value you ultimately retain when transitioning your shellfish business. This video provides an overview of common operating structures—proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations - and how each affects taxation, liability, and flexibility.
Find the rest of the series here. Each video in the series with be featured in upcoming editions of this newsletter.
| Processor Productivity Program | Update: Please note the eligibility criteria have been updated for this program to remove the revenue maximum for seafood processors only. This support is available only in the first intake, which opened March 25, 2026, and will remain open until the seafood stream has been fully subscribed. The B.C. Government has launched the Processor Productivity Program (PPP) to help food and beverage processors improve efficiency, reduce costs, and stay competitive. The program is offered in two phases and combines practical support with cost‑shared funding: - Phase 1 – Lean training and on‑site operational assessment:
Participating businesses receive industry‑focused Lean training, hands‑on assessments, and expert guidance to identify inefficiencies, reduce waste, and improve workflow. - Phase 2 – Cost‑shared funding:
Eligible participants can access cost‑shared funding to implement approved productivity improvements identified through the assessment phase. The program is delivered by Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Funding is provided by the governments of Canada and British Columbia through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Seafood businesses are solely funded by the Government of British Columbia. Learn more and apply | AgriMarketing Program: Market Diversification for National Industry Associations | The AgriMarketing Program offers targeted support tailored to specific sector needs. This includes a combined $75 million in contribution funding over 5 fiscal years (2026-2027 to 2030-2031) to promote market diversification, in addition to support already provided under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). The following support encourages greater diversification to respond to market instability in the Canadian agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sector, including fish and seafood.
Eligibility: See website for more information.
Funding: The maximum Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) non-repayable contribution toward a project under the program will normally not exceed $1 million per year or a maximum of $5 million over 5 years. See website for more details.
Deadline: September 30, 2030. Learn more and apply | AgriMarketing Program: Market Diversification for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises | The AgriMarketing Program offers targeted support tailored to specific sector needs. This includes a combined $75 million in contribution funding over 5 fiscal years (2026-2027 to 2030-2031) to promote market diversification, in addition to support already provided under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP). The following support encourages greater diversification to respond to market instability in the Canadian agriculture, agri-food and agri-products sector, including fish and seafood.
Eligibility: See website for more information.
Funding: The maximum Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) non-repayable contribution toward a project under the program will normally be less than $100,000 per project, with a maximum duration of up to 18 months from the contribution agreement effective date. Projects must have a minimum total cost of $20,000, for a minimum AAFC contribution of $14,000. See website for more details.
Deadline: September 30, 2030. Learn more and apply | Rural and Remote Employment Initiatives Fund: Business Advisory Supports | The Business Advisory Supports Program is designed to offset the costs associated with obtaining third-party professional support for small businesses. The intent of the program is for applicants to be able to access professional support for addressing specific tariff-related impacts and for sustaining and/or creating employment opportunities. Eligibility: Community Contribution Companies, First Nation Businesses (select industries), Not-For-Profits (select purposes), Small and Medium-Sized Businesses, Wholly-Owned First Nation Development Corporations – Please note this program is regionally specific to the Northern Development Initiative Trust. Funding: Up to $30,000 available to a maximum of 85% of the eligible project budget. - Funding up to $50,000 towards a maximum of 85% of the eligible project budget may be available for complex projects.
Deadline: December 31, 2026, or until fully allocated Learn more | Agricultural Land Inventory (ALI) | The B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food and the Partnership for Water Sustainability in B.C. are completing an Agricultural Land Inventory (ALI) across the Regional District of Nanaimo (June 8th to June 10th and July 27th to 31st).
The ALI program started in Pitt Meadows in 1996 to support the Ministry’s Strengthening Farming Program. Since then, ALIs have provided insight into the current state of the farming landscape across the province, including within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
Agricultural Land Inventory data has been used to:
- Model potential impacts of climate change and different adaptation strategies;
- Model agricultural water demand for current and future climates;
- Inform the development of municipal Official Community Plans and Agriculture Area Plans;
- Understand the extent of actively farmed land and other major activities on the ALR land base; and
- Understand impacts to agriculture from new developments, bylaws, or regulations.
To complete an ALI, Professional Agrologists and ALI technicians perform visual observations to help confirm mapped crops, irrigation, natural vegetation, buildings, livestock facilities, and farm practices within the ALR and parcels where significant farming is observable.
Visual observations are conducted only from public roads using vehicles marked with “Government of B.C.” or “B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food” signs. Watch for survey crews making frequent stops between the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. across the region.
This project was funded in part by the governments of Canada and British Columbia under the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. Learn more | Calling all producers, processors, retailers, farmers’ markets, and industry associations. Apply to get the Buy BC logo and add it to your packaging and marketing materials—for free. Reasons to join Buy BC: - Build customer awareness
- Increase exposure
- Expand market share and sales
Learn more | B.C. Indigenous Pathfinder Service | The B.C. Indigenous Pathfinder Service is a single source for support and referral to help navigate the relevant information, tools and funding available to start or expand activities in Indigenous food systems, food sovereignty, food security and the agriculture and food sector.
Staff provide provincial wayfinding services and program referrals as required to connect people to current supports and other available opportunities including: - Support for navigating existing programs, services and funding opportunities
- Support navigating government’s organizational structure
- Coaching through project development and planning
- Connections to sector organizations, potential industry partners, and other collaborators
To access this free service, email IndigenousFoodSystems@gov.bc.ca or call 236-426-5024 and a staff member will be in contact with you as soon as possible.
| AgPal Fish and Seafood Program and Service Finder | AgPal helps farmers and agri-businesses find relevant resources by gathering agricultural information and presenting it all in one place. Search and navigation tools make it quick and easy to find exactly what you are looking for. Find programs, services, market intelligence, research, and more! Click the button below for more information. Learn more | Notice to Industry – Handling, Processing, or Transporting of Live Oysters | This applies to licensed operators under the Fish and Seafood Act who are handling, processing, or transporting live oysters intended for raw consumption. Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp) is a bacterium that occurs naturally in shellfish such as oysters, clams, mussels, and scallops. Generally, Vp is found in higher concentrations during the summer months when water temperatures rise, often starting in May. During the summer of 2015, the largest Vp outbreak in Canadian history occurred resulting in a number of people becoming ill after eating raw oysters harvested from B.C. waters. The unseasonably high temperatures during the summer of 2015 were a contributing factor to the number of illnesses reported. With summer quickly approaching, implementing proper handling and storage processes is critical. It is important that shellfish destined for the market are properly handled, stored, and transported. Please review the Seafood Industry Notice and the BC Live Oyster Record Keeping Requirements infographic to ensure you’re taking the necessary precautions to prevent unsafe oysters from entering the market. Additional information on Vp can be found on the BC Centre for Disease Control website. To remain current on shellfish area closures, please check the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) real-time shellfish map and subscribe to the public fishery notices. If you have any questions, please contact Stella Lukman, Food Safety and Quality Specialist, by email or phone (778) 866-5287. Please see the Seafood Safety webpage for additional information. | Contact your Seafood Industry Specialist Anne Aubin Email: anne.aubin@gov.bc.ca AgriService BC connects farmers, food processors and new entrants to agricultural services, programs and information that can help them succeed. | | | | | |
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