Fisheries management decisions
Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages fisheries in accordance with the Fisheries Act, using credible, science-based, affordable and effective practices. Learn about our priorities for fisheries management and find past fisheries decisions.
Priorities
Key priorities for fisheries management in Canada include:
- economic viability
- environmental sustainability
- inclusion of stakeholders in decision-making processes
Fisheries decisions
Fisheries decisions set out the management measures for a specific fishing season. They’re generally divided by species (or group of species) and fishing area. Information in a fisheries decision may include:
- management plans
- total allowable catches
- opening and closing dates for the season
Certain fisheries are managed through multi-year Integrated fisheries management plans and rebuilding plans. In this case, seasonal adjustments may be made through the fisheries decision process and listed on this page.
Fisheries decisions within Canada’s 200-mile limit in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the Arctic include fisheries off the coast of:
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia, Nunavut
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
Current year decisions
Past decisions for Atlantic Canada, Quebec and the Arctic
- 2021 fisheries decisions
- 2020 fisheries decisions
- 2019 fisheries decisions
- 2018 fisheries decisions
- 2017 fisheries decisions
Updates
For ongoing fisheries management updates, including variation and prohibition orders, visit the Fishery openings and closures page.
The Commercial fisheries section of the site also contains information about fisheries management, including access and allocation to resources within Canada’s fisheries.
- Date modified: