Question Period Note: Fish stock rebuilding

What is Canada doing to rebuild its key harvested fish stocks that have become depleted?

• It is important to aim for healthy fish stocks to support resilient ecosystems and ensure economic returns over the long-term.
• This is why we require the development of formal rebuilding plans to promote the recovery of depleted harvested stocks on a priority basis.
• To support this objective, the Fish Stocks provisions in the Fisheries Act require rebuilding plans for all depleted fish stocks that are prescribed by regulation under the provisions.

Status of Rebuilding Plans and Critical Zone Stocks
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) annually surveys 180 key harvested stocks in its Sustainability Survey for Fisheries.
• Currently, 23 stocks of the 180 are in the Critical zone, which means these stocks are below their limit reference point (LRP), which is the point at which serious harm is occurring to the stock. Stocks in the Critical zone are considered depleted.
• Under DFO’s 2009 Precautionary Approach Policy, stocks in the Critical zone require rebuilding plans.
• DFO is working to ensure there are complete rebuilding plans for all priority stocks, in accordance with the Sustainable Fisheries Framework Work Plan that DFO publishes on its website annually. Some of this work was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Despite those delays, DFO has completed rebuilding plans for nine of the 23 stocks, and a further eight plans are under development. One of the stocks (Northern shrimp SFA 7) in the Critical zone is managed by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and is subject to moratorium and thus DFO will not be developing a rebuilding plan.
• Two of the stocks with a rebuilding plan (Yelloweye Rockfish – Inside population and Boccacio Rockfish) will not be listed as in the Critical zone on the next Survey and will no longer require their rebuilding plans.
Fish Stocks Provisions
• Amendments made to the Fisheries Act in 2019 include the Fish Stocks provisions which require the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to implement management measures to maintain major stocks listed in regulation at levels necessary to promote sustainability and to develop and implement rebuilding plans for depleted major fish stocks.
• These provisions came into effect on April 4, 2022 when amendments to the Fishery (General) Regulations(FGR) were finalized which prescribed the first batch of major fish stocks to be subject to the provisions.
• Schedule IX of the FGR sets out the first batch of 30 major stocks subject to the Fish Stocks provisions, of which 14 stocks are in the Critical zone and will require rebuilding plans. These stocks were selected from the 180 key harvested stocks included in DFO’s Sustainability Survey for Fisheries, with the exception of two Pacific salmon stocks (Chinook salmon – Okanagan and Coho Salmon – Interior Fraser) which were not on the survey at the time of prescription.
• The FGR set out the required contents (e.g., stock status and trends, probable causes for the stock’s decline, measurable objectives aimed at rebuilding the stock) of rebuilding plans as well as timelines to develop rebuilding plans for stocks subject to the Fish Stocks provisions.
Investments for Rebuilding Plans
• To support the development of rebuilding plans, the Government of Canada invested $940,000 over four years, starting in 2017-18. This funding was provided in response to the 2016 report “Sustaining Canada’s Major Fish Stocks—Fisheries and Oceans Canada” by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.
• The Government of Canada also invested an additional $107.4 million over five years, starting in 2019 and $17.6 million ongoing to support the implementation of the Fish Stocks provisions of the amended Fisheries Act. A large portion these resources are being used to increase scientific capacity for stock assessment of Canada’s fish stocks, including the development of reference points (like the limit reference point) to identify stock status and to inform the development of rebuilding plans.

If pressed
• Currently, 22 of 192 of Canada’s key harvested stocks need rebuilding. Six of these stocks have rebuilding plans in place, and another eleven plans are in development. For those stocks without completed rebuilding plans, DFO has specific fishery management measures in place to limit fishing and not compromise their rebuilding.
• The Department uses the best available science to ensure that strict fishery management measures are applied and fishing does not compromise rebuilding.
• While fishing restrictions aimed at rebuilding fish stocks can have economic impacts during the rebuilding period, more significant impacts can result from delaying or not taking sufficient action to promote stock rebuilding.
• DFO is working to develop rebuilding plans for depleted stocks and to prescribe additional stocks under the Fish Stocks provisions. This work aligns with the recommendations put forth in Oceana Canada’s 2022 Fishery Audit.