Engaging commercial fishery interests on socio-economic issues in commercial fisheries

We are engaging with commercial fishery interests to explore socio-economic issues that have been raised about commercial fisheries licensing and management in Pacific region, and possible solutions to those issues.

Multiple initiatives over the past several years have proposed reviewing aspects of Pacific commercial fisheries licensing and management policies:

• The Commercial Salmon Advisory Board interest in 2017 to review existing licensing policies and seek flexibilities in response to changing market conditions and uncertain salmon returns
• The parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans 2019 report on Pacific coast commercial fisheries – West Coast Fisheries: Sharing Risks and Benefits, which made recommendations to:
• The BC Government’s Wild Salmon Advisory Council which recommended strategies to protect and enhance the economic, social and cultural benefits to B.C. communities from seafood resources

A number of themes emerged from these initiatives. For example:

• Increasing the transparency of fishing licence/quota holdings and restricting foreign holdings of licences and quota
• Making the fishery more accessible to new entrants, especially younger individuals
• Ensuring a fair distribution of benefits among those involved in the fishery
• Ensuring that the benefits derived from fish harvesting flow to active fishers and communities in BC
• Providing more flexibility for harvesters to respond to changing circumstances

What’s happening now

We have initiated discussions with First Nations, commercial fishery organizations, and fishery advisory boards about these issues and how best to consult on them. Future engagement on these issues will include:

• Commercial fishing industry advisory bodies
• Indigenous communities
• Those engaged with commercial fisheries

To support informed discussions during consultations, we are undertaking or commissioning a number of analyses and reports that can provide background information. Among other things, these analyses will provide summary information about our current fisheries policies and regulations, compare fishery policies and management approaches on Canada’s east and west coasts, and assess the socio-economic data that we currently collect.

We are also ensuring that the necessary linkages are made to other emerging initiatives that may relate to the issues described here, such as the Blue Economy Strategy and the Pacific Salmon Strategy that we are leading for the Government of Canada.

How to participate

Please check back to this page for updates on our progress and for information about your opportunity to be involved.

Related links

• Comparative analysis of commercial fisheries policies and regulations on Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts - Gardner Pinfold Consultants Inc.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada report on current Pacific fisheries regulations, policies, and practices affecting the distribution of benefits derived from commercial fisheries