Indicators:

• Status of major fish stocks

• Sustainable fish harvest

About the Target

Canada’s fisheries have long provided a variety of socio-economic benefits to Canadians such as sustenance, employment, recreation, and access to traditional foods. However, unsustainable fishing practices can compromise biodiversity as well as the long-term well-being of fish populations and the communities who depend on them. To ensure that these benefits persist, it is important to protect and promote healthy marine and freshwater ecosystems by avoiding destructive fishing practices, managing bycatch, recovering depleted stocks, and preventing overfishing.

Canada Target 9 is linked with the following global Aichi target under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020:

• Aichi Target 6 - By 2020 all fish and invertebrate stocks and aquatic plants are managed and harvested sustainably, legally and applying ecosystem based approaches, so that overfishing is avoided, recovery plans and measures are in place for all depleted species, fisheries have no significant adverse impacts on threatened species and vulnerable ecosystems and the impacts of fisheries on stocks, species and ecosystems are within safe ecological limits

2020 Final Assessment

As of 2020, the status of 180 key stocks were assessed and 56 stocks (31%) were in the Healthy zone, 23 stocks (13%) were in the Cautious zone, 23 stocks (13%) were in the Critical zone and 78 stocks (43%) could not be classified and have an uncertain status. The harvest level of key fish stocks compared to an established, science-based harvest limit was also assessed and it was found that 177 stocks (98%) were harvested at or below a removal reference or an approved level and 3 stocks (2%) were harvested above approved levels. Comparing harvest levels of key fish stocks with established, science-based harvest limits, offers one measure of fishing pressure on wild fish stocks.

The Harvest levels of key fish stocks indicator shows that almost all stocks were harvested within approved levels in 2020. As well, there has been considerable progress to apply the precautionary approach to the harvest of key stocks. However, the target has not been met given that a substantial number of the key stocks are classified as being in the Critical zone and a large portion of the key stocks have an uncertain status. In general, the management of fish stocks and aquatic plants does not apply an ecosystem-based approach as common practice. In addition, there is a lack of information on the cumulative discards of certain fish stocks intercepted as bycatch in fisheries and thus it is difficult to determine the risk that fisheries may pose to these stocks, some which are at low levels.  Further, there are other gaps in data and information that make the assessment difficult. For example, the 180 key fish stocks represent the majority of total landings in Canada, but the two indicators do not account for all federally managed fish stocks. Seaweeds and other aquatic plants are also excluded.

To continue to make progress, work is underway to improve the availability of scientific information to advance an ecosystem approach to fisheries management. Work is also underway to further implement the suite of Canada’s sustainable fisheries framework (SFF) policies, that include policies to strengthen the management of bycatch and to strengthen fishery monitoring to obtain dependable, timely and accessible fishery information from all fisheries. Strict measures are in place for fisheries that harvest or intercept stocks that are in the Critical zone and for these stocks, rebuilding plans are either in place, under development or planned.

Contributing Actions

In 2019, provisions of the new Fisheries Act came into force including new protections for fish and fish habitat. The Government of Canada can make biodiversity protection regulations to establish long-term fishing restrictions for the purpose of conserving marine biodiversity and protecting species and habitats in marine refuges. Other tools include targeted, short-term measures such as placing a restriction on vessels or fishing gear or enforcing a short-term pause on certain fishing activity in an area.

Amendments to the Fisheries Act also include the Fish Stocks provisions (s.6.1-6.3), which require major stocks that are prescribed by regulation to be maintained at levels necessary to promote the sustainability of the stock. The Fish Stocks provisions also require the development and implementation of rebuilding plans to rebuild stocks above their limit reference point if they fall below that level. Rebuilding plans are in place for some of the 23 key harvested stocks in the Critical zone while additional plans are under development.

As of 2020, the first phase of a public facing Fisheries Act Registry is in place, providing public access to records relating to fish and fish habitat protection and pollution prevention. The full Registry will provide additional content as well as new features over time.

In 2019, Fisheries and Oceans Canada released the Fishery Monitoring Policy to put in place fishery monitoring that provides dependable, timely and accessible fishery information necessary to conserve fish stocks and manage fishery removals. More dependable fishery information through the implementation of the Fishery Monitoring Policy will contribute to understanding and maintaining the biodiversity of Canada’s marine fish resources. This policy is part of the Department’s Sustainable Fisheries Framework (SFF) suite of policies. 

Canada is among 14 countries of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel) who have put forward a new ocean action agenda committing to sustainably manage 100% of the ocean area under national jurisdiction by 2025, guided by Sustainable Ocean Plans.  The Transformations for a Sustainable Ocean Economy: A Vision for Protection, Production and Prosperity was released in December of 2020.

Canada’s Wild Atlantic Salmon Conservation Policy stipulates an overall policy goal for wild Atlantic salmon and identifies basic principles to guide resource management decision making. This policy provides guidance for specific implementation plans and targeted programs.

The British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund is a contribution program funded jointly by the federal and provincial government. The fund is $142.85 million over 5 years ending in 2024. The aim is to support British Columbia’s fish and seafood sector, and to ensure the sustainability of wild Pacific salmon and other British Columbia fish stocks.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit dedicated to protecting the ocean and safeguarding seafood supplies for the future. The organization has been active for over 20 years. The MSC works with fishers, scientists, seafood companies, and healthy ocean advocates and operate a certification and eco-labeling program for sustainable seafood. The goal is to ensure that seafood can be enjoyed now and for generations to come.