Question Period Note: Illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing

What is the Government doing to tackle international illegal fishing practices?

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada works with international partners to develop and strengthen fisheries management and compliance measures that regulate high seas fishing activity.
• We have committed nearly $12 million to develop new surveillance technologies, including our Dark Vessel Detection project
• On November 12, 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau announced a further $84.3 million over five years under the Shared Ocean Fund, which will support increased maritime cooperation and reinforce a healthy marine environment in the Indo-Pacific.

• Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated to account for up to 30 per cent of fish landings worldwide and removes as much as $30 B from the world’s economy annually. It is increasingly linked to crimes of convergence such as drug trafficking and human slavery, and therefore poses a serious risk to global security, in addition to contributing to the decline of marine habitat
• Much of the high seas, beyond national jurisdiction, are under- or un-monitored. These areas are particularly susceptible to activities of IUU fishing.
• Canada’s economy (75,000 jobs in the primary fishing and aquaculture sector) and natural resources (especially straddling and highly migratory fish stocks) are put at serious risk by IUU fishing.
• Canada is a member of seven regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), where Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the government’s engagement lead. Beyond securing Canada’s access to fish stocks managed by these organizations, DFO officials also work to ensure strong and effective management measures, based on the best available science, are adopted. Overall Canada’s objective is to prevent overfishing and activities that could undermine the sustainability of those internationally managed species (including those caught incidentally). A fundamental component of RFMOs’ work to improve compliance with adopted management measures is the implementation of a robust monitoring, control and surveillance scheme, including high seas boarding and inspection regime
• The High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy has agreed to a headline commitment of 100 per cent sustainable management of ocean under national jurisdiction, by 2025. For Canada, this will be pursued through the development of a national blue economy strategy. A key pillar of a sustainable ocean economy revolves around Ocean Wealth, of which sustainable ocean food to support global food security, is a key component. From a fisheries perspective, the goal of eliminating IUU fishing is integral to achieving the overall objectives of sustainable ocean food, and therefore a sustainable ocean economy. Canada has been involved in negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14.6) of eliminating subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing and prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, while recognizing the need for appropriate and effective special and differential treatment (S&DT) for developing and least developed countries. In June of 2022, these efforts culminated with the adoption of the landmark WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which prohibits subsidies that contribute to IUU fishing and subsidies for fishing or fishing-related activities on the high seas and outside the competence of a relevant RFMO, and disciplines subsidies for fishing on overfished stocks.
• DFO is continuing to implement the commitments outlined in the G7 Charlevoix Blueprint for Health Oceans, which included $11.6M in funding for developing new satellite based technologies to track illegal fishing, funding to develop an intelligence sharing network, and work with non-governmental organisations to combat IUU fishing around the world
• Canada’s surveillance and inspection presence is robust and IUU fishing is mitigated through international cooperation and joint enforcement missions. Canada is active in multilateral operations to combat IUU fishing and protect migratory fish stocks in the Atlantic and Pacific, including the deployment of aircraft and inspection personnel to international waters.
• Canada ratified the Port State Measures Agreement in 2019, which has as its objective, preventing IUU fishing vessels from landing their catches in the ports of member states.
• In June of 2022, at the United Nations Oceans Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, Canada, along with the United States and the United Kingdom, launched the IUU Fishing Action Alliance to drive global efforts at addressing IUU fishing through greater transparency, the use of technology, and supporting State and non-State partnerships.

If pressed
• Canada continues to work with key international partners to address the threat of illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.
• This includes conducting fisheries operations on the high seas to detect and deter this type of activity.
• In addition, Canada, along with the United States and the United Kingdom, launched the Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing Action Alliance at the recent UN Oceans Conference, to drive global efforts to tackle illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.