Pacific Region Licences
On this page:
- Number of personal licences issued by type
- Number of commercial fishing licences issued, by species
- Number of commercial fishing vessels registered, by size
Browse this section to find statistics on commercial fishing licences issued by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in the Pacific Region. You will also find information collected through the registration of commercial fishing vessels. Data are available from 1985 onward.
The number of individual annual commercial licence holders in the Pacific region has been declining since its peak in 1987 to a new low of 3,865 in 2024, down 75% over this period. These individual licence holders were issued a total of 5,210 species-specific licences, down 5% from 2023. Over the most recent decade (compared to 2015), the number of individual licence holders and the total number of commercial fishing licences issued are down by 27% and 15%, respectively. Herring (29%), Salmon (19%), and Shrimp/Prawn (9%) represent the majority of commercial licences issued in 2024.
Northern Native Fishery Co (NNFC) Salmon licences were converted to the Communal Commercial licence category in 2023. In 2024, the number of Salmon licences decreased due to retirements under the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) Retirement Program. U.S.A. Albacore Tuna licences were issued again in 2024 after the Canada-US Pacific Albacore Tuna Treaty lapsed during 2023, during which time there was no agreement in place to allow transboundary tuna fishing.
Continuing its long-term trend, the number of registered commercial fishing vessels in the Pacific region declined slightly from 2023 to 1,932. The number of registered commercial fishing vessels has decreased by 21% from 2015 and 39% from 2005. Smaller vessels (less than 45 ft in length) represent 82% of the total fleet, while mid-size vessels (45 ft to 100ft) and large-size vessels (more than 100 ft) represent 18% and less 1%, respectively. The relative shares of the vessel sizes have remained consistent over time.
For further information on the declining numbers of fishing licences and vessels, please refer to the DFO Pacific Region report Overview of socio-economic concerns in Pacific Region fisheries related regulations, policies and practices (2023).
Data tables:
Personal licenses information
(Number of personal licences issued by type)
Species information
(Number of commercial fishing licences issued, by species)
Vessel information
(Number of commercial fishing vessels registered, by size)
- Date modified: