Federal fisheries minister says European Union offers new market for Canadian seafood

Joanne Thompson, minister of fisheries, talks about rebuilding Canada’s wharves and docks.

The federal minister of fisheries said the European Union (EU) offers a new market for Canadian seafood.

Joanne Thompson, who recently visited Barcelona and Brussels as part of a mission to promote Canadian seafood, said there is a strong appetite for aquatic eats on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean.

“I can say with full confidence the EU values Canadian seafood,” Thompson told CTV News Atlantic’s Todd Battis. “It is highly desirable.

“That is an opportunity for us to look at new markets and I think that is always important.”

Last month, Thompson visited Barcelona to participate in the Seafood Expo Global 2026 before meeting EU counterparts in Brussels to discuss trade and sustainability.

“Our southern friends are an important market for us, but at the same time we can diversify and I think we should do that,” she said.

On Thursday, Thompson visited Sambro, N.S., to announce $1 billion for small craft harbours in Canada.