In the spirit of David Foster Wallace, Canada's seafood capital is asking its youngsters to consider the lobster.
Driving the news: Nova Scotia is launching a new school program this fall that will teach students in grades 7 to 12 all about the province’s seafood industry, part of an effort to get more young people interested in fishery careers.
The courses will teach students broadly about Nova Scotia’s marine industry, but also shine a light on career options that aren’t just fishing, like ocean technology development, environmental research, and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Catch-up: As Canada's top seafood exporter, fishing is big business in Nova Scotia. Last year, the province’s seafood exports, including lobster, shellfish, and its world-famous Digby scallops, hit ~$2.2 billion.
Between 2012 and 2022, the value of Nova Scotia’s seafood jumped 168%, driven largely by demand for its lobsters in the U.S. and China.
Why it matters: Many of Nova Scotia’s ~19,000 seafood industry workers are nearing retirement age, and the province desperately needs some youngsters to take the reins. One industry report estimated that Atlantic Canada will need 7,500 new workers to fill vacancies in the fisheries industry by 2030.
Zoom out: Nova Scotia is one of only three provinces that actually sees interprovincial migration gains, but it has historically struggled to keep its young people from leaving (especially after post-secondary). Getting students excited about their career prospects at home — whether it's in fishing or not — is a crucial piece to solving that puzzle.—LA
