Shellfish Sanitation Assessment

The Government of Nunavut has, on several occasions, raised with the Government of Canada the need for the delivery of the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) (or equivalent) in the North. The absence of such a program is seen to be a limiting factor preventing the development and commercialization of the shellfish industry in the North. The Government of Nunavut would like to take a comprehensive approach to managing the harvest of bivalve molluscan shellfish that addresses all of the relevant concerns including food safety, sustainability (of harvest), enforcement and the feasibility of commercial development (cost analysis, market access, market development etc.) to ensure that the investments to be made to achieve these objectives contribute to the sustainable development of the resource to increase economic activity and job creation in Nunavut. This initiative would have applicability to northern coastal regions currently without a similar program.

The objective of the work is to develop suggestions or an outline of a shellfish sanitation program in the North so anyone consuming molluscan shellfish has a degree of safety (this will need to be defined by the Consultant). This program will need to have applicability to other regions (northern Quebec and northern BC where CSSP does not exist).

This objective will be achieved through conducting an assessment of the shellfish industry and harvesting in Nunavut and options for program delivery and, based on this information, develop a program for shellfish sanitation acceptable to the major stakeholders and federal government partners.

The consultant will recommend options for designing and delivering a program to ensure that shellfish harvested in the North is safe for consumption by working with the Government of Nunavut and the Government of Canada.

The consultant will undertake a full assessment of shellfish harvesting in Nunavut, including identifying the extent of current shellfish harvest – where/who/quantity/where being sold, consumed, etc. In addition, the consultant will review options for alternative service delivery and provide an assessment of these options. This information may subsequently be used to develop program options for the future development of a program in Nunavut or other northern/remote areas.

This information will offer an opportunity to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, DFO and Environment and Climate Change Canada to understand the extent of the industry as well as potential options for delivery of a program and to understand potential options for delivery of a program.

The contractor will need to engage and collaborate with key stakeholders involved with shellfish harvesting and shellfish safety. This will require travel to Iqaluit, Nunavut. Key stakeholders include, but are not limited to, the Government of Nunavut (Nunavut Health and Nunavut Environment), key communities where shellfish harvesting is taking place (including but not limited to community leaders and HTOs from Pond Inlet, Qikiqtarjuaq, Iqaluit); Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (NTI).