Canada's West Coast fishermen now have a four times weekly, direct link, to Shanghai and the Chinese market through China Southern Airlines and its wide-body B777F cargo planes; also capable of carrying project cargo and oversized loads such as drilling equipment for Western Canada's oil, gas, biofuels and mining industries and generators for hydro electric plant rebuilds.
The service, started in July of this year, flies out of Vancouver International Airport and offers another air corridor window in Canada's rapidly expanding Asia-Pacific Gateway transportation initiative.
Canada's Minister of International Trade and Minister responsible for the Gateway initiative, Ed Fast, told a meeting of West Coast fish exporters August 29 that 'the efficient and effective flow of goods, services and people is a key goal of our government's Asia-Pacific Gateway Initiative, and a new direct air cargo service between Vancouver and Shanghai will lead to new jobs, stronger economic growth and greater prosperity for Canadian businesses, workers and their families.'
The launch of China Southern Airlines service offers the West Coast fishing industry an important transportation link for high value, time sensitive goods that are in great demand in Asian markets and Fast credited the elimination of British Columbia's aviation fuel tax as one reason for the airline's interest in Vancouver International.
Tony Gugliotta, Senior Vice-president, Marketing and Business Development for the Vancouver Airport Authority said: 'We congratulate China Southern Airlines for starting this new all-cargo service between Vancouver International Airport and Shanghai. It underscores the growth of the airport as a key international gateway for cargo on the West Coast of North America.'
SIDEBAR TO FLYING FISH TO SHANGHAI STORY
- CSA's new service is the first dedicated cargo service from Canada to Mainland China.
- The city of Shanghai is the largest seafood market in China.
- The new service is an important step towards meeting the Asia-Pacific Gateway cargo goal of 441,000 tonnes of air cargo (up from 228,000 tonnes in 2010), building on an already positive relationship with CSA.
- CSA is the world's third-largest airline in terms of passengers carried, and Asia's largest airline in terms of both fleet size and passengers carried.
- CSA operates Canada's only direct cargo service from Vancouver to Mainland China.
- B.C. exported $80 million of seafood to China in 2010, an increase from $68 million in 2009. Total seafood exports to Asia exceeded $313 million in 2010.
- Top seafood exports to China in 2010 were crabs, geoducks, hake and herring.
