ANNUAL REPORT
2023/2024
MANDATE
The BC Salmon Marketing Council is a provincial marketing council formed in 1991 under the BC Farming & Fishing Industries Development Act. We are an industry representation organization funded primarily through a levy on salmon harvesters and government programs. Our mandate is to benefit and promote the wild salmon industry and to communicate to national and international markets the quality, availability and value of wild BC salmon.
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR
I recently came across a headline stating, “Canada could see local salmon prices rise by $30/kg by 2026.” While this seems improbable, it highlights the critical importance of our seafood production systems, especially our wild salmon fishery. It is therefore imperative that this fishery receive the recognition it deserves before the infrastructure and expertise that have long been the backbone of our coastal economies are lost.
This situation raises an important question: how do we keep our wild salmon fishery sustainable amidst numerous challenges, including restricted access? Those of us whose livelihoods depend on healthy salmon fisheries understand the need for conservation. However, it’s equally essential to ensure the viability of the fishermen, the fishing vessels, and the entire support system that enables us to bring our salmon to market.
While we continue to advocate for government action to secure the future of the BC wild salmon fishery, we are also taking proactive steps to support the industry by maximizing the value of this precious resource. To validate our leadership in the development and adoption of sustainable harvest methods, we have been working with Ocean Wise, a global conservation organization which helps consumers and businesses make informed choices about the seafood they purchase to ensure it comes from sustainable sources.
While the investment we have made in better harvesting and handling practices is critical to restoring the health of the resource, it has also proven to be key to delivering a superior product to market. Given that we don’t have the high-volume production of other regions, we need to optimize the value of our salmon by positioning it as a world class product that commands a premium price.
The primary function of the BC Salmon Marketing Council is to communicate this message to our buyers in domestic and international markets. While they are limited in their resources, the team led by Steven Richards continues to do a phenomenal job. As a representative of the wild salmon fishermen, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank them for their hard work and the significant accomplishments they have made in elevating the reputation of BC salmon in Canada and abroad.
Dane Chauvel, Chair
BC Salmon Marketing Council
MESSAGE FROM THE MANAGING DIRECTOR
Welcome to the BC Salmon Marketing Council’s annual report.
Industry was hoping for a good season in 2023 and, in some ways, it was satisfactory. Opportunities available to the commercial wild salmon fishing industry were once again limited but DFO figures indicate approximately 2 million salmon were caught. While there were opportunities to fish, prices were quite low resulting in a disappointing season for many in the industry.
Based on industry estimated pricing, the sockeye catch was valued at just under $4 million, Coho at $2.3m, Pink at a very low $652k, Chum at $900k and Chinook at $8.5M. Total landed value is estimated at $16.2 million.
Although the season didn’t generate the revenue we had hoped, it did allow us to explore some great collaborations and an opportunity to work cooperatively with other fisheries, retailers and interested industry players.
During 2023, the BCSMC spent considerable energies trying to advance the concept of evolving to a BC Seafood Marketing Council to provincial government representatives. We see the benefits of marketing all BC seafood to markets in a coordinated and effective manner as a positive strategy especially as commercial access to wild salmon is changing. One has only to look at the success of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute or Seafood New Zealand to see the effectiveness of a coordinated provincial marketing strategy. Unfortunately, the concept was not well received by the provincial government.
The BC Seafood industry is significant creating 4,810 jobs. For 2022, the landed value of all BC seafood was $1.37 billion, with landed value of all wild commercial fisheries of $441 million. Our view is that an evolution towards a comprehensive seafood marketing council would not only align with other major seafood producing jurisdictions but provide the wisdom and economic efficiencies of a coordinated provincial marketing program.
Putting faces on fishermen, telling their stories, and understanding where your food comes from was a key part of our social media messaging. As you look through our report, you will see the value of our work and how it resonates with consumers. Through a government mandated levy on harvesters, a very small investment from most salmon fishermen benefits the entire industry and all its participants.
I want to thank and acknowledge our marketing, social media and administrative team of Lisa Simonsen and Leslie Budden without whose creativity and energy, this would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Council and Management Committee for their continued support of me.
I hope you find the Annual Report informative and useful in better understanding what we do. As always, we welcome your feedback on how to make things even better.
Steven Richards
Managing Director
GOVERNANCE
The Council is comprised of 12 members who provide broad representation across the wild BC salmon fishing and processing sectors including all gear types, processors, First Nations, and labour. The Council meets several times per year and provides strategic direction and oversight to administration. A Management Committee (in bold) comprised of 6 Council representatives provides day-to-day oversight
NAME | ROLE | ORGANIZATION
Dane Chauvel | Chair and Troll Representative | Organic Ocean Seafood Inc.
Bob Fraumeni | Past Chair & Troll Representative | FAS Seafood Producers Ltd.
Colin McMillan | Large Processor Representative | Canadian Fishing Company
John Nishidate | Large Processor Representative | Grand Hale Marine Products Co. Ltd.
Steve Hughes | Small Processor Representative | St. Jean’s Cannery and Smokehouse
Kris Nakashima | Gillnet Representative | Pacific Net and Twine Ltd.
Darin Chung | Gillnet Representative | J. Chung & Co.
Chris Ashton | Seine Representative | Area B Harvest Committee
William Gladstone | First Nations Representative | Cypress Seafoods
Henry Clifton | First Nations Representative | Native Brotherhood of BC
Guy Johnston | Union Representative | UFAWU
STAFFING
The Council contracts a core team of experienced specialists to deliver powerful and creative marketing and branding along with effective administration. The Managing Director is responsible for Council engagement and the overall management of operations.
PROGRAMS & SERVICES
The Council delivers on its mandate through brand development and promotion, industry engagement, advocacy, consumer awareness and education and financial stability. Explore our interactive website and visit us on social media to get a closer look!
The Council’s Strategic Plan provides our Mission and Purpose and identifies 6 key objectives.
Objective 1: Brand Development & Promotion
Our trademarked Go Wild! BC Salmon brand is the foundation of how we add value to wild BC salmon products. Through powerful images and messaging, our brand captures the story of BC’s hard-working commercial salmon fishermen, a vibrant and sustainable fishery, and the highest quality salmon products in the world. Through a variety of vehicles including retail promotions, celebrity chef partnerships, web and social media and even our own signature event, we deliver the brand with passion domestically and internationally 12 months a year.
Objective 2: Industry Engagement
Through targeted emails and newsletters, we aim to keep fishermen and processors informed on what the Council is doing on their behalf to enhance the economic value of the fishery. Constructive feedback is always welcomed as we try to meet the needs of a complex fishery in a highly competitive market.
Objective 3: Consumer Awareness & Education
We provide consumers with new ideas, recipes, stories, product and education - all designed to build brand awareness and loyalty to the Go Wild! BC Salmon brand. We do this through our updated and interactive website, targeted email, event promotion and collaborations.
Objective 4: Advocacy
We protect and defend the sustainability and quality pillars of the Go Wild! BC Salmon brand and support fair access to the resource for our fishermen through active participation in industry issues and campaigns.
Objective 5: Financial Stability
We ensure the ongoing financial health of the Council through prudent financial management and policy development.
Objective 6: Effective Governance
All of our efforts are enhanced with the active participation of Council members who create and review the foundational structures and processes that allow the Council to fulfill its mandate and mission.
YEAR IN REVIEW
This year, supported by BuyBC funding, we partnered with Chef Ned Bell to expand our media reach, securing two major TV features and running a successful radio campaign. Our focus on retailer engagement saw us providing comprehensive kits, streamlining delivery processes, and offering free branded “Go Wild BC Salmon” items for customers to enhance in-store experiences. Additionally, we hosted two events called the “Pacific Plate” at the Gourmet Warehouse, featuring Pacific Halibut and BC Crab, where customers learned more about the BC seafood products, sipped wine, learned how to cook and enjoy BC seafood. Our Wild Salmon Celebration continued for the 7th year and was held across ten restaurants, showcasing our commitment to quality and sustainability.
These efforts significantly boosted brand recognition and consumer awareness, strengthened retailer relationships, and successfully engaged our community through high-profile events. Moving forward, we aim to build on this momentum by exploring new media opportunities, enhancing retailer support, and expanding our event portfolio to further celebrate our products and culinary heritage.
CTV, Radio, Social features
Collaborating with Chef Ned Bell, our recent features on CTV and Radio amplified our message of enjoying wild BC salmon year-round. Despite being in the off-season, we strategically focused our narrative on the accessibility and versatility of wild BC salmon, advocating for its consumption throughout the year. Emphasizing the convenience of cooking from frozen, our segments aimed to inspire audiences to incorporate this nutritious and delicious ingredient into their daily meals, regardless of the season. Through these platforms, we’ve successfully conveyed the message that savouring the bounty of BC’s waters is not limited to any specific time frame but is a delightful experience to be enjoyed every day.
Retailer Kits
“Go Wild BC Salmon” retailer kits were distributed to retailers and fishermen, containing branded recipe cards and insulated shopping bags. These kits, designed to promote the sale of BC salmon and increase brand awareness, were provided at no cost to retailers and fishermen. By offering these resources, we aimed to assist retailers in effectively promoting wild BC salmon and enhancing customer engagement.
The Pacific Plate
This year, we proudly hosted the Pacific Plate cooking classes at the Gourmet Warehouse, in collaboration with Wild Pacific Halibut and BC Crab. Our goal was to spotlight the rich variety of BC seafood and bring greater attention to its quality and sustainability. Leveraging the Gourmet Warehouse’s dedicated audience, we enlisted the expertise of Caren McSherry to teach participants how to cook BC seafood. Throughout these engaging sessions, attendees enjoyed delicious dishes while learning about the value and benefits of BC seafood, enhancing both their culinary skills and their appreciation for local seafood products.and for consumers to enjoy.
Wild Salmon Celebration
The 7th Annual Wild Salmon Celebration, a collaborative effort between the Chefs’ Table Society of BC and Go Wild BC Salmon, was a resounding success, with ten prestigious restaurants from across the province joining forces to honour the rich heritage of wild BC salmon and advocate for sustainable fisheries. From October 27th to 29th, 2023, diners were treated to an exquisite culinary experience featuring an array of salmon dishes that showcased the region’s iconic seafood.
FINANCIALS
BUDGET PERFORMANCE
Actual revenues for the year ending March 31, 2024 were only $7k less than budgeted. Total expenditures for the year were $31k under budget reflecting $10k in reduced administrative expenditures and $20k in reduced marketing expenditures. The budget, which included $40k in provincial funding, was approved prior to BUY BC approvals and unfortunately only yielded $30k.
COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEAR
Net levy revenues were $58k lower than prior year, reflecting decreasing commercial opportunities. Total expenditures were $22k lower than prior year reflecting decreased marketing expenditures as a result of lower government funding. Administrative expenditures were managed carefully and finished the year $3k lower than prior year.
BUY BC FUNDING
The Council received $29,022 in BUY BC funding based on an application that proposed $41K in projects.
In the past, funding has been provided by IAFBC - an industry led, not for profit that delivers government funded programs to the agriculture and agri-food sector of BC. This year, the funding and contribution agreement was managed by MNP – an accounting firm. The provincial support was instrumental in our ability to provide continuing and responsible marketing support to the commercial salmon fishermen of BC. All reporting has been satisfactorily completed.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
There were no expenditures from the special projects residual funds and there continues to be a liability balance of approximately $18k.
ISSUES & PRIORITIES
2023 – 2024
Although the 2023 season yielded improved fishing opportunities, they were still relatively limited. Exacerbating this, pricing was quite low for all species yielding very low revenues to all industry participants including our organization.
The Council’s ongoing challenges with respect to low revenue is expected to continue in the 2024 season but offset to some extent with BUY BC funding.
Our organization has been streamlined to the greatest extent possible but nevertheless anticipates ongoing annual deficits in the $60-100k range.Obviously, this is not sustainable. If there is no change in the fishing opportunities to the commercial wild salmon seasons, we must plan for the dissolution of the organization.
We have sufficient resources to continue for at least 2 more years and, if at the end of the 2026 season, revenues have not shown any meaningful improvement, then the following year (2026-2027), we must begin the dissolution process.
For the 2024 – 2025 fiscal year, administration is recommending to Council that we continue our marketing efforts with a focus on collaborations and maintaining a strong social media presence to ensure Wild BC Salmon continues to be seen as the premium product of choice. Priorities are set out in the table below.
MARKETING PRIORITIES
Continue collaborations with retailers and provide useful support to empower the brand.
Leverage Buy BC funding to maximize program delivery.
Deliver exciting and dynamic social media that informs and engages.
Selectively support events that profile our brand and build sustainability.
Be proactive and responsive to topical advocacy issues.
MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES
Ensure accountable use of accumulated surplus to support operations on an ongoing basis.
Maintain management stability and effective governance.
Ensure responsible program delivery.
Explore opportunities with Ocean Wise and wild salmon eco-certification.
Continue to engage industry in program delivery.
