Question Period Note: Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) Fisheries

Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) Fisheries

DFO issues food, social and ceremonial fishing licences to Indigenous communities across Canada for a variety of species.

FSC fishing does not provide an opportunity for the sale of catch and may differ from region to region, occurring at various times of the year and not always aligned with commercial fishery seasons or areas.
FSC licence conditions reflect regulations as well as management measures and catch monitoring and reporting requirements to promote stock conservation as well as a that promote safe and orderly harvest.

• Several court decisions have found that certain Indigenous groups have the right to fish for food, social and ceremonial (FSC) purposes – essentially, the right to fish to meet the internal needs of their communities.
• Following those decisions, DFO established a policy to provide FSC access to Indigenous groups across the country, this includes both Section 35 rights holders as well as other Indigenous organizations, such as native councils.
• FSC licences are developed following consultations with affected Indigenous groups and conditions of the licence are based on specific considerations present within each Indigenous community.
• Once a communal licence is issued to a community, individual Indigenous harvesters are designated by their communities to access the FSC fishery, as specified under the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations.
• The Department’s position has been that FSC catches cannot be sold, but they can take place outside the established commercial fishing seasons.
• DFO will continue to conduct monitoring, control and surveillance activities, with the objective of ensuring access to orderly, safe, and sustainable fisheries in support of the Department’s management objectives.

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