MINISTER’S CONFERENCE
FROM QUALITY TO EXCELLENCE

REGISTER

Conference registration for industry participants is $20 (taxes included) and registration for other industry stakeholders is $100 (taxes included).  Cost for the Nova Scotia Seafood Reception is $20 (taxes included) for all who wish to attend.  Payment can be made at the door in a variety of ways or please feel free to register and pay in advance using the registration form.

A block of rooms has been reserved at Cambridge Suites, 1583 Brunswick St. where they are offering a rate of $119 (including breakfast) for conference guests and parking at a reduced rate of $11 for guests of the hotel who are attending the the conference.

Parking Information

SPONSOR DETAILS

Join the conference as a sponsor for a great opportunity to access industry participants, participate in the conference and hear the discussions on the latest news and trends affecting the industry.  To enhance your profile, all coffee breaks and the Minister’s reception will be held in the trade show area.  Please note that booth space is limited and allocated based on level of sponsorship and date of payment.  There are:

• one $5000 Seafood Reception Sponsorships,
• three $2500 Coffee Break Sponsorships, and
• three $1500 Lunch Sponsorships remaining.

In addition to the above we have a $250 Conference Donation option, or a $500 + HST Tradeshow option.

For complete details about the benefits of each level of sponsorship please see the Sponsor and Trade Show Information.

TRADE SHOW

In conjunction with the NS Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister’s Conference there will be a trade show.  Last year we moved to a new venue and expanded the trade show, and we are planning to increase the trade show area again this year to accommodate more vendors.  Trade show spaces are 8 x 10 feet and include electrical, pipe and drape, a six-foot table and one chair.  When you register for a trade show space one conference registration along with refreshments and lunch is included.

You may also wish to read about sponsorship as there are trade show discounts based on sponsorship!

Please note that booth space is limited and allocated based on level of sponsorship and date of payment (based on receipt date of your form and full payment).

Sponsorship and Trade Show Information and Registration Form

A block of rooms has been reserved at Cambridge Suites, 1583 Brunswick St. where they are offering a rate of $119 (including breakfast) for conference guests and parking at a reduced rate of $11 for guests of the hotel who are attending the the conference.

Parking Information

AGENDA

Download 2019 Agenda (updated Feb 25)

SPEAKERS

Amanda Dedrick 

Amanda Dedrick is a graduate of the Nova Scotia Community College and is currently working towards her Safety Designation. She was more than thrilled to accept the position of Executive Director for the Fisheries Safety Association of Nova Scotia continuing to do what she loves, help people. Amanda has a vast amount of knowledge when it comes to the fishing industry and knows how dangerous yet rewarding the job can be.  

She was raised in the small fishing community of Shelburne and most of her family and friends make their living fishing. She grew up painting buoys and helping her dad around the boat. She is no stranger to the danger of the ocean and knows firsthand how scary it can be not only to be on the water but to have a loved one out to sea.

Amanda is passionate about what she does and continues to work hard to help the fishing industry in Nova Scotia become the safest it can be!

Amanda Langley

A graduate of Bachelor of Public Relations and the Culinary Institute of Canada and a professionally trained Food Stylist, Amanda Langley is a marketing professional with over fourteen years of experience in the full scope of marketing and communications, concentrated in business development for Nova Scotia. Working for the Departments of Agriculture and Fisheries and Aquaculture and Nova Scotia Business Inc., in various roles, has honed her skill set in engaging and developing meaningful connections with Nova Scotia companies and playing an instrumental role in their being locally and internationally successful. Most recently, Amanda led the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture in the creation of an award winning brand for Nova Scotia Seafood. She resides in Halifax with her husband and two children.

Professor Caleb Gardner

Professor Caleb Gardner is the Centre Head for Fisheries and Aquaculture Research at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), University of Tasmania (UTAS).  He is also Director of Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration, a partnership between UTAS and state government to provide all research services for management of fisheries and aquaculture resources.  He has qualifications in both fisheries science and economics with research activity in many areas of seafood production and policy including salmon farming, small pelagic fisheries, and recreational fisheries.  Most of his research has been on crustacean fisheries, especially rock lobsters which are Australia’s most important fishery economically. More significant projects include research on the effect of MPAs, use of bio-economic modelling to change management systems (leading to a 500% increase in market capitalisation from 2012 to 2018 plus higher stock levels), and the development of a commercial scale lobster translocation program to increase production.

Cody Lohnes and Ryan Power

Cody Lohnes and Ryan Power are tax partners with Grant Thornton and co-leaders of the fishing industry sector group in Nova Scotia.  Their focus is to gain a deeper understanding of what matters most to clients and, through that process, deliver tailored advice and exceptional service. As tax advisors, they deliver a wide array of tax and business planning advice related to areas such as succession and estate planning, corporate and personal tax planning, complex corporate tax reorganizations, and mergers and acquisitions.

Cove 

Kyle Burton
Program Coordinator at Start-Up Yard (an Innovacorp incubator).
Kyle helps lead Innovacorp’s ocean-focused acceleration programming and assists start-up clients with technological and business development challenges.

Sheamus MacDonald
CEO at Sedna Technologies Ltd. (Halifax, Nova Scotia) – www.sednatech.io
Sheamus is a commercial fishermen from Cape Breton who also leads a team that has developed a traceability system for the seafood industry to reduce waste and mortality.

Ross Arsenault
COO at Ashored Innovations (Debert, Nova Scotia) – www.ashored.ca
Ross is developing innovative solutions for capture fisheries. Ashored first product is a buoy system designed to protect endangered marine life and collect data to increase fisher efficiency.

Scott Dauphinee
CEO at The Lobster Trap Company (Yarmouth, Nova Scotia) – www.thelobstertrapcompany.com
Scott is using new technologies to design lobster traps to better survive the North Atlantic’s harsh ocean conditions.

Duane Dakin

Duane Dakin is the Academic Chair at the NSCC Shelburne Campus for School of Fisheries and Trades. 

Duane started his fishing career in 1979. He has been a deckhand, ship’s cook, engineer, mate and master. He has done several types of harvesting and for several years trucked seafood to the New England markets.

Duane has also worked with the Military, RCMP, Community Services, Correctional Services and several law firms as a subject matter expert.

Duane joined NSCC School of Fisheries in 2001 as a faculty teaching navigation and safety programs before becoming Academic Chair.   

Eddie Halfyard

Eddie Halfyard is a research scientist who studies the ecology of recreational fish species and species at risk. Eddie graduated with a BSc and MSc from Acadia University, and a PhD from Dalhousie University. He has worked as a post-doctoral research fellow with the Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research in Windsor, Ontario and has also worked for the federal and provincial governments and as a private consultant. Eddie currently works for joint initiative between the Nova Scotia Salmon Association and the province of Nova Scotia. His research interests include; acid rain mitigation, biotelemetry and invasive species. Eddie is an avid outdoorsman and lives in Sackville, Nova Scotia with his wife and three daughters. 

Jeff Mullen

Jeff Mullen is Director of Enterprise Development for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in Nova Scotia.  ACOA is a federal agency created to stimulate economic growth in Atlantic Canada.  A key focus of the agency is investing in and attracting knowledge industries such as the life sciences, ocean technology, clean technology and information technology sectors.  He is responsible for the management of ACOA investments in all types of business initiatives and activities, from research and development, trade and investment, to productivity and access to capital.

Recently Jeff has been working with a consortium of ocean related industries in Atlantic Canada to advance an Oceans Supercluster bid to the Government of Canada. This bid was successful per an announcement in February of 2018. 

Jennifer Thompson

Jennifer Thompson, is CEO/Director of Crown Lending Agencies, serving both the Fisheries and Aquaculture Loan Board and the Farm Loan Board.  Previous to her role as CEO, Jennifer supported Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and Agriculture as their Finance Manager.  Prior to joining the civil service, she worked in finance in the private sector.

Jennifer is a Certified Professional Accountant, and has a Bachelor of Science, and a Masters of Business Administration.  

Jim Meek

Jim Meek has extensive experience as a consultant, public values researcher, writer, and journalist. He has worked in project planning, media relations and training, advocacy campaigning and on the front lines in crisis environments. Jim worked in senior editorial positions at The Chronicle Herald and at CBC Television News in Nova Scotia. Jim holds an MA in English literature from York University and was awarded a Nieman fellowship at Harvard University. He is also a recipient of Canada’s Hyman Solomon Award, which recognizes excellence in public policy journalism. A published author, Jim is a columnist with The Chronicle Herald and Progress, Atlantic Canada’s leading business magazine. In his spare time, Jim likes to paddle, hike, travel, read, visit family members and golf badly. 

Karl Schamotta

Karl Schamotta, Chief Market Strategist, leads Cambridge’s currency research group, focused on analyzing shifts in the world economy and creating strategies that help businesses harness market volatility. He has built risk management and trading programs for hundreds of major corporations, and has extensive experience in managing complex exposures across major, minor and exotic currencies. Karl is a regular contributor to a number of international finance publications, and regularly appears in the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, BNN, CNN and CNBC.

Kevin Elder

Kevin Elder is the Project Manager for Labour Market Information at Food Processing Skills Canada. Kevin grew up in Alberta & California. He studied International Development at the University of Calgary and went on to live and work all over the globe. He joined Food Processing Skills Canada in 2017 to work on the Labour Market Information on Atlantic Canadian Fish and Seafood Processing. He lives in Ottawa with his wife and son. 

Lisa Fitzgerald

Lisa has been working as a liaison between the fishing industry and government for approximately 22 years.  As a resident of Yarmouth, NS she is well versed in issues faced by fishing communities in Nova Scotia and across Canada and has a willingness to find solutions to these issues. 

Lisa currently holds the position of Executive Director with the Nova Scotia Fisheries Sector Council.  Within this position she is responsible for human resources and training for the fish harvesting, seafood processing and aquaculture sectors.  She has worked on a number of training development initiatives related to quality handling, human resources and safety and manages a number of working groups focused on attraction and retention of labour in the industry.  Lisa was instrumental in the formation of a safety association in Nova Scotia, and is co-lead for Fishing Safety Now.

One of her recent projects is the coordination of the development of a Registration and Certification Act for fish harvesters in Nova Scotia and she is lead for the professionalization file in the Province.  She possesses a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in accounting and management.

Michelle Theriault

Michelle Theriault, is the Director of Université Sainte-Anne’s Marine Research Center and satellite campus in Petit de Grat, NS, and has over 23 years of experience in the lobster industry. She completed a BSc. In Marine Biology from Dalhousie University and an industry sponsored Masters of Science in Veterinary Medicine from UPEI.  Michelle spent the first 10 years of her career as a lobster biologist and biology manager at a live lobster storage facility in Nova Scotia, as part of a team responsible for quality and inventory management for several millions of pounds of lobster per year. Michelle was instrumental in establishing the Marine Research Centre, a self-funded Centre, known for specialization with American Lobster, which conducts applied research to support economic growth and development within the fishing and aquaculture industries in Nova Scotia. 

Rob McDonald

Rob McDonald, Director, Atlantic Fisheries Fund was appointed to the position of the Director, Atlantic Fisheries Fund with DFO in June 2017. 

Rob began his career in the Public Service in 1999 as an account manager at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  In 2002 he was appointed Manager of the Atlantic Innovation Fund at ACOA, where he was responsible for the management and delivery of a major applied research and development fund. In 2010, he became the Manager of Business Programs at ACOA Nova Scotia, where he managed the Agency’s flagship financial assistance program and its key tool for addressing skills and productivity gaps in small to medium enterprises, which included for the Fish and Seafood and Aquaculture sectors.  Rob has a broad range of skills including building partnerships and a solid knowledge of the economic challenges confronting Atlantic Canada.

Prior to joining the Public Service, Rob worked in the private sector for fourteen years in the areas of commercial banking and management consulting, during which time he obtained the professional designation of Certified Management Consultant.

Rob has a Master’s of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing from Dalhousie University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance from Acadia University. 

Roger Gervais

Roger Gervais has a Ph.D. from Université de Toulouse I. He is assistant professor of sociology at Université Sainte-Anne. While other sociologists study crime, work or family, professor Gervais’ extensive training in research methods has led him towards a career that is multifaceted. He is currently studying moral and psychological distress at work, francophone minority population (active offer), circulation of political ideas in newspapers and how lobster fishermen perceive their work and environment. Before joining Université Sainte-Anne, he was Executive Director of the Centre franco-ontarien de folklore, as well as Coordinator and Senior Research Associate for the Poverty, Homelessness and Migration Project.

Ross Hodge

Ross Hodge was the Executive Officer for Southern Rocklobster Limited (SRL), the national peak body for Australia’s Southern Rock Lobster Industry, from 2010-2016. Ross was also responsible for reviewing and updating the Clean Green Program during that time. 

Since late 2016 he has continued his association with SRL as the dedicated Clean Green Program Manager. 

With over 20-years’ experience in executive roles within industry associations, Ross’s first introduction to the fishing industry was his appointment as Executive Director at Seafood Industry Victoria (SIV) in 1997. Between the roles at SIV and SRL he was Executive Director of the Fire Protection Association of Australia for seven years during which time he also undertook the role of Independent Chair for the Victorian Fisheries Co-Management Council’s Rock Lobster and Fisheries Research Advisory Committees.

Ross’s initial career was in the building industry, followed by a short period as a secondary school teacher before moving onto leadership positions in adult training and employment. 

Safety Panel (Thursday Feb 28)

Tommy Harper

Tommy Harper has over 30 years experience in successfully delivering safety initiatives within the fishing and forestry industries. Within that timeframe he spearheaded fishing safety outreach for the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia for 10 years.

Tommy is well known in all sectors of the fishing industry for bringing a unique approach and undeniable passion for fishing safety. He is presently the Corporate Health and Safety Coordinator at Comeau Seafoods; Nova Scotia’s second largest seafood company.

Dale Richardson

Dale Richardson is a recently retired Captain of an independent fishing vessel based on Nova Scotia’s South Shore with over 50 years of fishing experience. Dale has known many fishermen lost at sea and was deeply affected by the loss of long-time friend and colleague Larry Sears in 2015.   

Recently elected to the board of the Fishing Safety Association of Nova Scotia. He brings international fisheries experience to this role. Dale has successfully represented the interests of the Canadian Swordfish industry as part of the Canadian ICCAT delegation for 17 years.  

Dale is currently the president of the SHQ Swordfish Harpoon Quota Society.

James Brow

James Brow Is an active Captain of a vessel based in Nova Scotia’s Gulf waters and has been a Captain since 1970. James has known many fishermen injured in fishing accidents and lost to fishing over his career. He successfully recovered a young crew member from the water during the 2017 lobster season.

He is a long-time advocate for safety at sea and pioneered safety initiatives aboard his vessels long before fishing safety was recognized as an industry-wide priority.James has been involved with fishing organizations for close to 20 years and is presently a Director of the North of Smokey Fishermen’s Association and Gulf Nova Scotia Feet Planning Board.

Owen d’Entremont

Owen d’Entremont has worked through ranks on many offshore vessels and understands the importance of everyone’s role in bringing a fishing vessel and crew home safely. Owen is currently the Captain of one of Nova Scotia’s most recognized offshore vessels; the Sealife ll.

Over his many years of experience, Owen has personally witnessed injuries and the tragic loss of a crewmember at sea and the life-long consequences to family, friends, and community.Owen offers the unique perspective as one of Nova Scotia’s most experienced offshore Captains and has seen what the ocean can deliver.

Dr. Shawn Robinson

Dr. Shawn Robinson has been working as a research scientist since 1988 with the Dept. Fisheries and Oceans at the Biological Station in St. Andrews, New Brunswick.  He is also currently an adjunct professor at the University of New Brunswick and works closely with several international colleagues. He is actively engaged in applied ecological research on a wide range of marine invertebrate species such as blue mussels, sea scallops, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, soft-shell clams, lobsters, worms, sea lice and marine bacteria.  His research team is studying the natural ecological processes by which these animals interact and utilise their environment so that better and more sustainable culture techniques can be developed; such as the concept of integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (or IMTA) for example.  Recently, he and other colleagues have been studying sea lice ecology, biodiversity in marine bacteria through eDNA approaches and interactions between lobsters and aquaculture farms.

Dr. Sherry Scully

Dr. Sherry Scully is the Director of Learning and Organizational Development at the Institute for Ocean Research Enterprise (IORE). In this role Sherry leads initiatives under the mandate of the Marine People Partnership relating to human resources development. This mandate was derived to fulfill the human capital component of the value proposition for the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS). Sherry is partnering with numerous interested stakeholders in government, academia, and the private sector, to pursue the core objective of this initiative; to attract, train, and retain highly qualified people to sustain the competitiveness and growth of the Canadian shipbuilding and marine industry.  This coast to coast to coast initiative is intended to benefit the national marine industry through enriched training programs, new marine-focused institutions, improved youth engagement, and increased connectivity to the marine industry. Greater integration of research and education will result in a skilled, highly capable, and adaptable workforce available to meet the demands of an innovative industry.
To this role Sherry brings broad working experience in organizational development within public and private sector organizations. Her areas of focus over the past 20 years have included learning and development, performance management, succession planning, and change management. Sherry is passionate about finding people-focused solutions to change and talent management challenges and initiatives.

Sherry holds an interdisciplinary PhD in social psychology and management from Dalhousie University. She completed her doctoral research examining social cohesion resistance amongst knowledge workers during a merger or acquisition. Sherry strives to combine scholarly insight and research with practical advice based on real world experience. Sherry also holds an MBA from Dalhousie University, a Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University, and an undergraduate degree in Education from Ryerson University. A strong advocate for learning, Sherry volunteers with educational development efforts internationally.

Having moved from Toronto to the Maritimes in 2009, Sherry is proud to call Nova Scotia home. She resides in Hammonds Plains with her two small children, Haley and Ty. When Sherry’s not working she enjoys traveling and hiking abroad, backcountry kayaking and camping, puttering in her many gardens, or cooking for her friends and family.

Stacey Frame

Stacey Frame, a Senior Seafood Strategist for the NS Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, completed her BSc in Aquaculture at the Dalhousie Agricultural campus. Stacey has over 19 years’ experience as a manager, advisor and researcher within the Canadian fishing industry and government. Stacey worked for eight years as a lobster biology researcher and manager at a multi-million pound live lobster storage facility in Nova Scotia, during which she acquired extensive experience with all aspects of the lobster industry in Atlantic Canada.  After leaving this industry position in 2008, Stacey spent 6 years as a Fisheries Management Coordinator for DFO, Central and Arctic Region and the most recent 5 years with the provincial government working on processing sector items, live lobster quality and funding initiatives.