James Douglas Fraser has been appointed as Canadian Commissioners to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) and Sam Elsworth will continue in the position.
Mr. Fraser, of Alberton, Prince Edward Island, replaces Barry Dean, whose term has expired. A self-employed inshore fisherman, he owns and operates Alberton Fisheries Ltd. The company purchases and markets fish and seafood and provides supplies to local fishermen. Mr. Fraser is the Co-Chairman of the P.E.I. Tuna Advisory Committee. He was a Canadian Commissioner to ICCAT in 2000-02 and also participated on the Canadian delegation at the 2003 International ICCAT meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
Mr. Elsworth, of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, is president of Elsworth Consulting Services Limited. He has served as member to several fisheries associations including the Eastern Fishermen's Federation, Nova Scotia Swordfishermen's Association and the Scotia-Fundy Large Pelagic Advisory Committee. He was also a three-term advisor to the Canadian delegation at the United Nations Conference on straddling fish stocks and highly migratory fish stocks.
Formed in 1969, ICCAT is the regional fisheries management organization (RFMO) responsible for the conservation and management of tuna and tuna-like species, such as swordfish and bluefin tuna, in the Atlantic and adjacent seas, including the Mediterranean. Canada is one of the organization's 41 Contracting Parties, along with countries from North, Central and South Amercia, Europe, Africa and Asia. Like other RFMOs, ICCAT is addressing various conservation and management issues, such as unsustainable fishing practices and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.
Canada plays a significant role at ICCAT and is a strong advocate for the precautionary approach to stock management. Identifying ways to strengthen the management of global fish stocks and improve international fisheries governance, including within ICCAT, is an important element of Canada's approach to combat overfishing.
