The new head of the Marine Institute’s School of Fisheries began work remotely May 4.
Retired as regional director general of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) for Newfoundland and Labrador, Kevin Anderson recently served as senior advisor on Indigenous relations for the department and the Canadian Coast Guard.
Mr. Anderson, originally from L’Anse-aux-Meadows, began his career as a high school teacher and principal in coastal Labrador before joining DFO as a fishery officer in 1991.
He held a variety of positions with the department, including negotiator for the Labrador Inuit Land Claims Agreement signed in 2005; director of conservation and protection; and regional director of fisheries and aquaculture management.
As senior advisor for Indigenous relations, he was instrumental in last year’s signing of the Coastal First National Fisheries Resources Reconciliation Agreement in British Columbia.
Mr. Anderson taught graduate-level courses in fisheries policy resource management as a part-time instructor at the Marine Institute since 1999. He also served as a member of the institute’s industry advisory committee.
He holds a B.Ed. and BA from Memorial University, along with an M.Sc. in marine policy from the London School of Economics.
Unanimous decision
A search committee unanimously recommended Mr. Anderson for the position and it was approved Oct. 24, 2019. He replaces interim heads Fred Anstey and Ed Durnford and former head of the school, Carey Bonnell.
The School of Fisheries provides graduate degrees in fisheries resource management, marine spatial management and planning, fisheries science and technology, and stock assessment, as well as advanced diplomas in aquaculture, water quality and food safety and a diploma in marine environmental. It has four industrial research and training centres to support fisheries research, community-based training, aquaculture and seafood development.
