Executive Summary - Overfishing and International Fisheries and Oceans Governance

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Prepared for
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(DFO)

July 2007

Environics Research Group Limited
33 Bloor St East
Suite 1020
Toronto, ON M4W 3H1

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Executive Summary

Environics Research Group is pleased to present this summary of key results from survey research into Canadians' opinions on overfishing and international fisheries governance.

Introduction. For three consecutive years, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has placed a series of five questions related to Canada's strategy to combat overfishing and improve international fisheries governance on Environics' FOCUS CANADA national omnibus surveys. These surveys of approximately 2,020 Canadians were conducted in June 2005, June 2006 and, most recently, in June 2007. The objectives of the research are as follows:

• To measure domestic awareness and support for Canada's strategy, and guide the direction of the public information and advocacy campaigns;
   
• To measure the importance of sustainable fish stocks (environmental issues) in relation to the importance of sustainable fisheries (industry and economic issues) to Canadians;
   
• To establish the importance of fish to the world food chain and as an international issue; and
   
• To have the ability to analyze any changes in public opinion on these issues from June 2005 to June 2007.

In the current survey, Environics Research Group interviewed 2,021 Canadians 18 years of age and over between June 5 and 30, 2007. Results of a survey of this size can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Summary of key findings.

While awareness of actions taken by Canada to stop overfishing and illegal fishing in international waters close to Canada's 200-mile zone has declined dramatically since 2005 — when some of Canada's activities against overfishing figured more prominently in the media -- virtually all Canadians continue to place importance on actions to prevent illegal fishing, and to express concern over the future of ocean fish stocks.

The overwhelming majority of Canadians think it is important for Canada to take the necessary steps to stop overfishing and illegal fishing in international waters; this opinion is unchanged since 2006.

Currently, two in ten Canadians (19%, down 9 points from 2006) are aware of actions taken in the past year or so. Eight in ten (78%, up 11) are not aware of any actions. This marks a dramatic decline since 2005, when almost half (46%) said they were aware.

More than nine in ten Canadians (95%) continue to say it is very (78%, unchanged since 2006) or somewhat (17%, unchanged) important for Canada to take these steps. This overall proportion has been stable since 2005, although the intensity with which this opinion is held declined slightly between 2005 and 2006.

The majority of Canadians believe that the long-term health of ocean fish stocks is of greater importance than the health of Canada's fishing industry — and this opinion is held most strongly in Atlantic Canada and British Columbia, two regions where the fisheries are a key economic sector.

There has been little change over the past two years in overall public opinion on this question. Six in ten Canadians (62%, essentially unchanged from 2006) continue to believe that sustaining the health of ocean fish stocks is more important for Canada in the long run. Three in ten (28%, down 3 points) believe it is more important for Canada to sustain the health of the country's fishing industry. Seven percent say they are equally important. These proportions are essentially the same as those found in 2005.

Canadians remain more inclined to think that increased surveillance is the more effective approach to the problem of overfishing and illegal fishing; however, there was a slight increase in support for an approach that would be more diplomatic in nature between 2005 and 2006.

One-half of Canadians (51%, essentially unchanged from 2006) think that Canada is more likely to be effective in addressing the problem of overfishing and illegal fishing by increasing our surveillance of international waters. About one-third (35%, essentially unchanged) think it would be more effective to work through diplomatic channels with other countries involved in the international fishery. One in ten (9%, unchanged) think both approaches are equally effective. Opinions appear to have stabilized following a modest shift away from surveillance and toward diplomacy between 2005 and 2006.

The vast majority of Canadians continue to express concern about the future of the world's fish stocks as a source of food.

Almost nine in ten Canadians say that they are very (48%, essentially unchanged from 2006) or somewhat (39%, essentially unchanged) concerned about global fish stocks. Only one in ten is not very concerned (9%, unchanged) and three percent (unchanged) are not at all concerned. These proportions are essentially the same as those found in 2005.

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APPENDIX A

Questionnaire

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Omnibus Questions - Focus Canada 2007-2

1D. Are you aware of any actions that Canada has taken in the past year or so to stop overfishing or illegal fishing in international waters close to Canada's 200-mile zone?

01 — Yes

02 — No

99 — DK/NA

2D. In your view, do you believe it is very important, somewhat important, not very important, or not at all important for Canada to take the necessary steps to stop overfishing and illegal fishing in these international waters?

01 — Very important

02 — Somewhat important

03 — Not very important

04 — Not at all important

VOLUNTEERED

99 — DK/NA

3D. Do you think Canada is more likely to be effective in addressing the problem of overfishing and illegal fishing: READ AND ROTATE — CODE ONE ONLY

01 — By working through diplomatic channels with other countries involved in the international fishery

02 — By increasing our surveillance of international waters to deter overfishing

VOLUNTEERED

03 — Both equally effective

04 — Neither are effective

06 — Depends

99 — DK/NA

4D. Which of the following two priorities do you believe is more important for Canada in the long run: READ AND ROTATE — CODE ONE ONLY

01 — To sustain the health of ocean fish stocks

02 — To sustain the health of the country's fishing industry

VOLUNTEERED

03 — Both equally important

04 — Depends

99 — DK/NA

5D. Would you say you are very, somewhat, not very, or not at all concerned personally about the future of the world's fish stocks as a source of food?

01 — Very concerned

02 — Somewhat concerned

03 — Not very concerned

04 — Not at all concerned

VOLUNTEERED

99 — DK/NA

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APPENDIX B

Methodology

Methodology

The results are based on omnibus questions placed on an Environics' FOCUS CANADA survey, conducted with a representative sample of adult Canadians between June 5 and 30, 2007.

Question design

The questions were designed by Environics senior researchers in conjunction with representatives from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The questions were pre-tested as part of the overall survey, prior to being finalized.

Sample selection

The sampling method was designed to complete approximately 2,020 interviews within households randomly selected across Canada. The sample is drawn in such a way that it represents the Canadian population with the exception of those Canadians living in the Yukon, Northwest Territories or Nunavut, or in institutions (armed forces barracks, hospitals, prisons).

The sampling model relies on the stratification of the population by ten regions (Atlantic Canada, Metropolitan Montreal, the rest of Quebec, the Greater Toronto Area, the rest of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the rest of British Columbia) and by four community sizes (1,000,000 inhabitants or more, 100,000 to 1,000,000 inhabitants, 5,000 to 100,000 inhabitants, and under 5,000 inhabitants). The final sample was distributed as follows.

Sample distribution
	2001 Census* %	Weighted N=2,021	Unweighted N=2,021	Margin of Error
CANADA	100	2,021	2,021	+/- 2.2%
Atlantic Canada	8	156	249	+/- 6.2%
Quebec	24	488	500	+/- 4.4%
Ontario	38	771	601	+/- 4.0%
Manitoba	4	75	125	+/- 8.8%
Saskatchewan	3	66	124	+/- 8.8%
Alberta	10	201	201	+/- 6.9%
British Columbia	13	264	221	+/- 6.6%

* Canadians aged 18 years or over in 2001, excluding those in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon

Environics uses a sampling method in which sample is generated using the RDD (random digit dialling) technique. Samples are generated using a database of active phone ranges. These ranges are made up of a series of contiguous blocks of 100 contiguous phone numbers and are revised three to four times per year after a thorough analysis of the most recent edition of an electronic phonebook. Each number generated is processed through an appropriate series of validation procedures before it is retained as part of a sample. Each number generated is looked up in a recent electronic phonebook database to retrieve geographic location, business indicator and "do not call" status. The postal code for listed numbers is verified for accuracy and compared against a list of valid codes for the sample stratum. Non-listed numbers are assigned a "most probable" postal code based on the data available for all listed numbers in the phone exchange. This sample selection technique ensures that both unlisted numbers and numbers listed after the directory publication are included in the sample.

Telephone interviewing

Interviewing for this survey was conducted at Environics' central facilities in Toronto and Montreal. Field supervisors were present at all times to ensure accurate interviewing and recording of responses. Ten percent of each interviewer's work was unobtrusively monitored for quality control in accordance with the standards set out by the Marketing Research and Intelligence Association (MRIA). A minimum of five calls were made to a household before classifying it as a "no answer." From within each household contacted, respondents 18 years of age and older were screened for random selection using the "most recent birthday" method. The use of this technique produces results that are as valid and effective as enumerating all persons within a household and selecting one randomly.

Completion results

A total of 2,021 interviews were completed between June 5 and 30, 2007. A sample of this size will produce a sampling error of plus or minus 2.2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. The margin of error is greater for results pertaining to regional or socio-demographic subgroups of the total sample.

The effective response rate for the survey is five percent^[1]. This is calculated as the number of responding participants (completed interviews, disqualifications and over-quota participants — 2,075), divided by unresolved numbers (e.g. busy, no answer — 13,165) plus non-responding households or individuals (e.g. refusals, language barrier, missed callbacks — 25,784) plus responding participants (2,075) [R/(U+IS+R)]. The disposition of all contacts is presented in the following table.

Completion results
Total sample dialled	49,144
UNRESOLVED NUMBERS (U)	13,165
Busy	451
No answer	5,103
Answering machine	7,611
RESOLVED NUMBERS (Total minus Unresolved)	35,979
OUT OF SCOPE (Invalid/non-eligible)	8,120
Non-residential	718
Not-in-service	6,491
Fax/modem	911
IN SCOPE NON-RESPONDING (IS)	25,784
Refusals — household	14,296
Refusals — respondent	5,802
Language barrier	1,421
Callback missed/respondent not available	3,912
Break-offs (interview not completed)	353
IN SCOPE RESPONDING (R)	2,075
Disqualified	0
Quota filled	54
Completed	2,021
RESPONSE RATE [R / (U + IS + R)	5%

[1] This response rate calculation is based on a new formula recently developed by MRIA in consultation with the Government of Canada (Public Works and Government Services). [ return to text ]