Fisheries and Harbour Management

Arctic surf clam

• Clearwater Seafoods and First Nations communities in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador have entered into an agreement to harvest Arctic surf clam.
• DFO is committed to pursuing a path that supports reconciliation, which remains an important consideration for the future of this fishery.
• We are pleased that First Nations Communities and Industry are working in practical ways to support rights reconciliation and their own fishing aspirations.
• For 2021, the Department will analyse the options available, including the possibility of issuing the fourth licence.

Background:

• Three offshore artic surf Clam licence are currently held directly or indirectly by one company, Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated. The fishery is conducted on a year round basis from January 1 to December 31.
• In March 2019, Clearwater Seafoods announced that it had entered into an agreement with Nova Scotia’s 13 Mi’kmaq communities (as represented by the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs) and Miawpukek First Nation in Conne River, Newfoundland and Labrador.
• The agreement provides for revenue sharing, employment and training and development for the Indigenous participants. [Information was severed in accordance with the Access to Information Act.]

Pacific herring (general)

• Our Government is committed to evidence-based decision-making toward the sustainable management of Canada’s marine resources, including Pacific herring stocks.
• We will continue to consult First Nations, harvesters, and other interested stakeholders towards that shared objective, and consider their valuable input to inform fisheries decisions.

If pressed on Strait of Georgia (SOG) commercial roe fishery …

• We agree, Pacific herring fulfills a vital role in the ecosystem, and their conservation will always be our primary objective.
• We also recognize Indigenous fishing rights, and the important economic benefits generated from Pacific herring that flow to Indigenous and non-Indigenous harvesters, and coastal communities across British Columbia.
• Taking evidence-based decisions, informed by open and transparent stakeholder consultations, ensures decisions taken today do not cause undue harm to the ecosystem, nor do they unjustifiably impact those that depend on the resource.

Background:

• Pacific herring are managed as five major stock areas along the coast: Haida Gwaii (HG), Prince Rupert District (PRD), Central Coast (CC), SOG, and West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI). There are also two minor stock areas: Area 2W and Area 27.
• There are several directed fisheries for Pacific herring in each area: First Nations Food, Social, and Ceremonial (FSC), Spawn-on-Kelp (SOK, eggs on kelp), Food & Bait and Special Use (whole herring), and Roe (Seine and Gillnet fisheries). Moreover, the Gladstone Supreme Court of Canada decision affirmed a commercial SOK right for the Heiltsuk First Nation.
• Coastwide quotas continue to be at the lowest levels since the early 1970s. The herring fisheries generated about $40-50 million in export value per year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and allow fishermen and processing plants to remain open during the period of the year when very few other fisheries are active. There are over 1,500 commercial herring licences, with a high proportion of Indigenous participation as licence holders and harvesters.
• Upcoming commercial fisheries in 2021 are likely to begin in late February or early March, and are undergoing their pre-planning phase, including consultations with stakeholders. It is anticipated the upcoming season will be similar to last year’s season with closures in the HG, WCVI, and openings in PRD (SOK only), the SOG (roe), and CC (SOK only).
• An e-petition by Conservancy Hornby Island seeks an end the SOG roe herring fisheries, and has received over 150,000 online signatures. The petition makes the case to protect Pacific herring as the primary food source for Chinook salmon, which is the preferred prey for Southern Resident Killer Whales; and disputes the economic benefits of the roe fishery, specifically harvesting the roe for export and rendering the remainder of the fish into other products.

Atlantic herring (4t – Gulf)

• The Department recognizes the importance of the Atlantic herring fishery in the Southern Gulf of Saint Lawrence.
• The Department will continue to make decisions based on the best available science information following consultations with members of the Gulf Small Pelagics Advisory Committee.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada is committed to working with representatives from the herring fishery in the Southern Gulf, including Indigenous groups, commercial stakeholders, and environmental non-governmental organizations, to put a viable rebuilding plan in place for this important species.

Background:

• Atlantic herring in the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence (SGSL) is comprised of two distinct stocks: spring spawning and fall spawning components. These two components are managed independently with separate total allowable catch (TAC) and management measures for their respective fisheries.
• In 2017, landings in 4T Gulf fishery were valued at $12,787,589 (22,691,764 kg).
• Within the Gulf Region, herring is the second most landed species, accounting for an average of approximately 30% of total landed volume within the region over the past five years. The Gulf Region’s spring fishery is mainly sold commercially or kept as bait while its fall fishery is used to produce roe, smoked products, filets and sardines.
• Since 2002, the spring herring stock component has been in the critical zone of the Precautionary Approach Framework and TAC was 2,000 tonnes annually from 2010 to 2017 with catches being in the range of 1,000t each year. In 2018, the interim TAC decreased to 500 tonnes (no final TAC announced) and 2019 TAC was set at 1,250 tonnes with preliminary catches of 542t.
• The spring TAC was set at 500t for 2020 and approximately 445 t were landed, which included bait catch (172 t).
• A spring herring rebuilding plan working group was created in 2018. Meetings occurred in December 2018 and in February 2019. The plan is being finalized and should be posted online in 2021.
• The latest stock assessment, completed in March 2020, showed that the fall herring stock component in the SGSL has decreased and remained in the cautious zone of the Precautionary Approach framework since 2017. Catch levels must be set in order to encourage stock recovery back to the healthy zone of the PA. The TAC was reduced to 22,500t in 2019and landings reached 15,544 t.
• A fall TAC of 12,000t was announced on August 20 for 2020, which represents a decline of 47% over 2019 (22,500 t). An over-allocation was established by using 18,000 t as a catch reference based on current fleet shares in order to provide the opportunity for fish harvesters to land the full TAC .
• The fall fishery started on August 23 in some herring fishing areas. As of October 19, 96 per cent of the TAC was landed (11,572 t).
• Some herring fishing area were closed to avoid a quota over-run.
• Seiners have landed 253 t to date and will likely not be able to catch their share of the allocation since the quota will soon be caught. The fleet is also limited in the amount of bycatch of spring spawners caught during the fall fishery.
• The stock suffers from low recruitment, high natural mortality, declining weight-at-age, and continued environmental change. Reducing fishing mortality will slightly reduce the probabilities of declines in the short and long term projections.

Shortage in herring bait supply

• Our government continues to take action when it comes to sustainably managing our fish stocks and supporting our fisheries.
• The Department recognizes increased expenses for fishing enterprises due the high cost of bait particularly as a result of low stock abundance for mackerel and herring fisheries.
• The Department has encouraged harvesters to consider alternative bait sources and some harvesters have been importing herring and mackerel to reduce the pressures on domestic stocks.

Background:

• Along with mackerel, herring is one of the main species used as bait in the crab and lobster fisheries.
• With the general decline of the main herring stocks in North America, and an increase in demand, the price of herring has risen considerably in recent years.
• Bait costs for these fisheries generally represent one of the major expense items for fishing enterprises.
• Potential expansion of the Redfish fishey in the Gulf could potentially aliviate the dependency on pelagic species for bait.

Rebuilding Atlantic herring stocks

• Our government continues to take action when it comes to sustainably managing our fish stocks and supporting our fisheries.
• Where Atlantic herring stocks have experienced declines, the Department has taken action to try to arrest these declines and promote recovery of this important species.
• We will continue to take a precautionary approach to ensure that fish stocks are managed sustainably, as well consult with Indigenous groups and all stakeholders on the management of Atlantic herring.

Background:

• In addition to the situation facing herring in 4T, the population abundance of the four southwest Nova Scotia herring stocks in 4VWX has declined since 2001.
• The stock has not rebuilt despite reduced catch levels in recent years. In the Martimes Region, a rebuilding plan was published in 2013. A framework assessment began in the winter of 2019 to develop a model-based stock assessment using Management Strategy Evaluation (MSE). For the Gulf Region, discussions are ongoing with various stakeholders including Indigenous groups, commercial interests and environmental groups to finalize a rebuilding plan for the spring stock component for March 31, 2021.
• The status of stocks in Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec remain moderate.

Decline in the Fraser River steelhead trout – measures to date

• The Government of Canada is concerned about Steelhead populations and values working together with the Province of British Columbia on the complex issues concerning Interior Fraser River Steelhead trout, including the Thompson and Chilcotin populations.
• In July 2019, the Steelhead Action Plan was announced. It is a joint plan with the Province of British Columbia to conserve and recover Thompson and Chilcotin Steelhead trout.
• As part of the 2019 Action Plan implementation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) implemented significant restrictions in salmon fisheries where Steelhead could be intercepted as bycatch. These same measures continue to be implemented in 2020.
• DFO is actively engaging with Fraser River First Nations and the Province of British Columbia in a collaborative process to develop and implement an ecosystem-based recovery strategy for these stocks.

Background:

• In 2017, the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) recommended an Emergency listing of Thompson and Chilcotin Steelhead populations as endangered under the Species at Risk Act. The Government of Canada assessed this request and has determined that an emergency listing would not produce the best ecological, social, and economic outcomes relative to a comprehensive, long-term collaborative action plan with British Columbia.
• An emergency listing would necessitate very broad restrictions and fisheries closures along the Fraser River that would have highly significant impacts on Indigenous communities and on recreational and commercial salmon fisheries.
• Steelhead populations are managed jointly by the Province of British Columbia and the Department; the Province is responsible for freshwater non-salmon recreational fisheries while DFO maintains responsibility for all salmon fisheries (First Nations, commercial, and recreational).
• The Government of Canada is working jointly with the Province of British Columbia and Fraser River First Nations to address key issues affecting Steelhead productivity that fall within provincial jurisdiction (land management, forestry, agricultural practices, o and water usage).

Elvers

• The commercial elver fishery is a directed fishery for juvenile eels and must be managed sustainably.
• The Department became aware of significant fishing activity that was not associated with the commercial fishery.
• On April 27, I signed a Fisheries Management Order temporarily closing the fishery for 45 days to address threats to conservation and to ensure the proper management and control of the elver fishery.
• This order was subsequently renewed, effective June 11, for an additional 45 days.
• The Department has been consulting with First Nations on the management of fishery.

Background:

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada authorizes a commercial elver (eel under 10 cm) fishery in portions of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
• Some food, social, and ceremonial licences do not have a minimum size for American Eel, which authorizes the harvest of elvers (eel under 10 cm), with no limit on the quantities that can be taken. Sale is not permitted.
• The elver fishery is managed with a total allowable catch in addition to site specific river catch limits for each fishing location (rivers, streams, brooks) found in a commercial licence.
• DFO staff are currently reviewing the management of the American eel fishery, including elver harvesting activities.
• The Fisheries Management Order and its renewal are now the subject matter of a civil action, therefore, there may be limitations to the information that can be disclosed at this time.

Hatcheries and Salmonid Program

• The Salmonid Enhancement Program (SEP) plays a critical role in conserving, managing, and rebuilding Pacific salmon stocks and supporting sustainable fisheries across British Columbia (BC) and the Yukon.
• The SEP employs a unique combination of Indigenous and public engagement and education, habitat restoration activities, and a variety of hatchery and spawning channel facilities to support this critical role.
• Important recent new investments relate directly to commitments in the renewed Pacific Salmon Treaty, as well as some expansion in hatchery production of Chinook salmon - one element of a broad strategy to increase the amount of prey available to Southern Resident killer whales.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) hatcheries and spawning channels release on average over 310 million juvenile salmon every year.

Background:

• Salmon are of significant economic and cultural importance to Indigenous groups, other commercial and recreational harvesters, and the public, with communities taking acute interest in salmon returns to their local streams and watersheds.
• The SEP plays a key role to conserve and manage Pacific salmon stocks. The key objectives of the SEP are to conserve and rebuild vulnerable salmon stocks through fish culture and habitat restoration activities; provide Indigenous, commercial, and recreational harvest opportunities through direct production of salmon, produce assessment information to support management of stocks and fisheries, and work in partnership with coastal communities and First Nations to provide education and build capacity by supporting their participation in watershed stewardship activities.
• Pacific salmon are a transboundary species managed bilaterally through the Canada/United States (US) Pacific Salmon Treaty. SEP plays a key role in maintaining stock assessment indicator programs and fish production that are obligations under the Treaty and a requirement for domestic salmon management.
• SEP habitat restoration and community programs capacity contributes to reconciliation efforts and enables other important Government of Canada programs such as the Coastal Restoration Fund, BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnership Program, and the Nature Legacy Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk.
• The SEP is uniquely positioned to influence all the main levers DFO can apply to the challenges facing Pacific salmon - adjustments to harvest, habitat or hatcheries, and improved science-based information for decisions making.

Indigenous fishing – illegal sales

• Food, social and ceremonial allocations are based on consultations between DFO and individual Indigenous communities; are only for the Indigenous harvester and/or their communities; and are not intended for sale.
• DFO is committed to working closely with all harvesters to ensure that the Fisheries Act is followed, and Indigenous fishing rights are respected. This includes observing fishing activities as DFO and harvesters share a common goal - that all fisheries be orderly, safe, and sustainable.
• DFO monitors and supports food, social and ceremonial fisheries; enforcement actions are taken to address illegal fishing and buying of catches.
• Since the beginning of summer, DFO patrols supported the inspection and seizure of a significant amount of unauthorized and illegal gear, over 800 lobster traps in St. Mary’s Bay, Nova Scotia alone.
• Major investigations around illegal fisheries and trade have recently led to convictions and more investigations will lead to similar results in the near future.

Background

• Fishery Officers in Nova Scotia conducted an investigation focusing on lobster caught in October 2017, under food, social and ceremonial licences, and sold. By regulation, these catches cannot be sold.
• Fishery Officers traced lobster found inside Indigenous FSC traps to the nearby Guang Da International lobster pound, then to the Halifax International Airport. August 26th 2020, the owner of the plant was found guilty of selling FSC lobster. Sentencing is scheduled to occur on Nov 12, 2020.
• The Department is currently in negotiations on Rights Reconciliation Agreements (RRA) with 34 Mi’kmaq and Maliseet First Nations, and the Peskotomuhkati Nation, with the objective of addressing and recognizing the historic treaty rights (Supreme Court of Canada Marshall Decision of 1999), including the right to fish for the purpose of pursuing a moderate livelihood, and to ensure a stable and predictable fishery for the benefit of all Canadians.
• The Department continues to have Senior level departmental officials (including ADM, FHM) meeting with the Atlantic lobster industry to provide status of stepped-up enforcement of illegal sales, answer questions on moderate livelihood negotiations and provide industry an opportunity to share their views.

Petition for commercial herring closure

• Our Government is committed to the conservation of Pacific herring, and taking evidence-based management decisions to protect the fisheries for future generations.
• We will continue to consult First Nations, harvesters, and other interested stakeholders towards that shared objective, and consider their valuable input to inform fisheries decisions.

If pressed on the petition for a commercial herring closure

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) conducts annual surveys of herring abundance and uses this information to determine the total allowable catch for the fishery each year. The harvest is set in a precautionary manner to leave a large majority of the herring biomass uncaught each year.
• DFO has also taken a number of other actions in recent years to ensure the continued sustainability of the herring fishery in the Strait of Georgia (SOG), including closing a number of areas to commercial fishing in the southern SOG where lower herring returns have been observed in recent years.
• We will continue to maintain an open dialogue with all First Nations, harvesters, and other interested stakeholders to discuss their concerns.

Background:

• Pacific Herring are managed as five major stock areas along the coast: Haida Gwaii (HG), Prince Rupert District (PRD), Central Coast (CC), SOG, and West Coast of Vancouver Island (WCVI). There are also two minor stock areas: Area 2W and Area 27.
• There are several directed fisheries for Pacific Herring in each area: First Nations Food, Social, and Ceremonial (FSC), Spawn-on-Kelp (SOK, eggs on kelp), Food & Bait and Special Use (whole Herring), and Roe (Seine and Gillnet fisheries). Moreover, the Gladstone Supreme Court of Canada decision affirmed a commercial SOK right for the Heiltsuk First Nation in the CC.
• In recent years, the Pacific Herring fishery in British Columbia has been controversial. An e-petition was launched by the Conservancy Hornby Island organization seeking an end to commercial roe herring fisheries in the SOG given herring’s important role in the ecosystem. In addition, the group disputes the economic benefits of the fishery, specifically the practice of harvesting the roe and rendering the remainder of the fish into other products. The petition remains active online for the last two years and has approximately 150,000 signatures.
• Several petitions sponsored by Gord Johns, Member of Parliament for Courtenay-Alberni, have been posted on the House of Commons petition website over the past year. A total of six identical petitions have been presented since January 2020, five paper petitions with a total of 342 signatures total and one e-petition with 5,878 signatures.
• The first possible fisheries for the upcoming season are a Food & Bait and Special Use fishery in the SOG that would occur in mid-November 2020.
• Some First Nations, notably Nuu-chah-nulth, Heiltsuk, and Haida, have protested the commercial roe herring fisheries in previous years citing concerns about conservation and long-term sustainability of herring stocks, as well as its impacts on First Nations FSC and SOK access.
• DFO is currently consulting on harvest levels for all stock areas for the 2020-21 season.

Redfish (general)

• The Unit 1 Redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has been under commercial moratorium since 1995, though the stock has shown signs of strong recovery in recent years.
• There has been a small index fishery for more than two decades and over the past three years, a small experimental fishery has been authorized.
• This experimental fishery tests different gear types, collects data on redfish biology and distribution and information on bycatch of other species for future management consideration.
• DFO is committed to consulting with members of the Redfish Advisory Committee to consider the development of a sustainable harvest strategy for a future Unit 1 commercial redfish fishery.

Background:

• The two species of redfish, Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus are managed as one biological stock in two management areas, Unit 1 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Unit 2 in the Laurentian Channel.
• In 2018 the Minister approved a two-year experimental fishery in Unit 1 for the purpose of testing gear to minimize capture of undersized redfish (<22cm) and bycatch, and to collect data on redfish species identification and reproduction.
• In 2020 the Minister approved the rollover of the experimental fishery for a year.
• Redfish species in the Gulf of St. Lawrence (Unit 1) have been experiencing strong growth in biomass based on recruitment between 2011 to 2013. These year classes are only now starting to meet the minimum size requirements in this fishery.
• The 2019 science assessment put S.mentella in the healthy zone of the Department’s Precautionary Approach Framework, and S.fasciatus in the cautious zone of the Department’s Precautionary Approach Framework.
• The 2017 management strategy evaluation estimated that by 2020 or later, the stock could sustain gradually increasing commercial harvests. Despite the significant biomass increases in Unit 1, the majority of the biomass continues to be made up of juvenile fish below the legal harvest size given redfish is a slow growing species.

Redfish (access)

• The Unit 1 Redfish fishery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence has been under a commercial moratorium since 1995 but recent growth indicates that the stock could support a commercial fishery in the near future.
• The significant presence of small fish below the legal commercially harvestable size is one factor that needs to be considered carefully before determining the timing for a commercial fishery.
• The Department looks forward to the results of experimental fishery work that is underway as it will assist in the establishment of future management approaches for the stock.
• Upcoming consultations with industry and Indigenous interests will also assist the Department in establishing plans for a future commercial fishery.

Background:

• The two species of redfish, Sebastes mentella and Sebastes fasciatus are managed as one biological stock in two management areas, Unit 1 in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which has been under a commercial moratorium since 1995, and Unit 2, which has a sustained but small level commercial fishery in the Laurentian Channel.
• In 2018, the Minister approved a two-year experimental fishery in Unit 1 for the purpose of testing gear to minimize capture of undersized redfish (<22cm) and bycatch, and to collect data on redfish species identification and reproduction.
• Since 2013, redfish have been experiencing strong growth, with the 2019 stock assessment placing S. mentella in the healthy zone and S. fasciatus in the cautious zone of the Department’s Precautionary Approach Framework.
• Despite the presence of historic participants in this fishery, the increases in biomass has resulted in increased interest in future participation from non-traditional stakeholders across Quebec and the Atlantic provinces for access to the future redfish fishery.
• The results from the experimental projects aim to inform management strategies for a future commercial redfish fishery, and engagement with stakeholders and participants of the experimental fisheries is planned at the next Redfish Advisory Committee meeting to be held later this year or early in 2021.

Gulf shrimp

• Given that the fishing industry is an essential service, the Government decided not to cancel the 2020 commercial fishing seasons.
• The Government has focused on collaborating with fishers in order to support them within the COVID-19 context, and will continue to do so.
• The Government has put a series of measures in place to help fishers experiencing financial difficulties because of COVID-19, including the Fish Harvester Benefit and the Fish Harvester Grant.

If questions are asked about weak markets and low prices

• We know that COVID-19 is affecting economic activity on a worldwide scale, and the Department is continuing to monitor the effects on trade and Canadian seafood exporters.
• The Department does not have a pricing mandate. We would like to find market opportunities closer to home.
• To help seafood processing businesses in this difficult time, the Government has launched the Canadian Seafood Stabilization Fund.

Background:

• Although the shrimp fishery is open until December 31, [it is safe to say that] the season has gone fairly well and the fishers seem satisfied overall, despite a late start to the season.
• The catch and processing industry spent a great deal of time agreeing on the price for shrimp in the three regions involved in this fishery. As a result, fishing activities began in mid-June instead of on April 1.
• Between early April and mid-June, DFO held weekly telephone meetings with representatives of the Gulf Shrimp industry and representatives of the provincial governments of Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia. These meetings ended when the industry’s fishing activities began.
• Various stakeholders have indicated that all shrimp markets are depressed and that they do not foresee any significant improvement in the near future. They said that the issue wasn’t a matter of marketing or searching for other markets.
• DFO is continuing to explore different avenues of supporting the fishers to ensure their financial viability.

Small Craft Harbours

• Since 2016, we have announced $484 million in new funding for the Small Craft Harbours Program. This is on top of the program’s ongoing regular annual budget of $90 million. In total, this represents more than 800 projects.
• In 2019-20, my department worked on 245 projects to ensure small craft harbours are kept in good repair and meet the needs of the commercial fishing industry.
• These include 189 major construction projects at harbours throughout the country, as well as work to divest 56 recreational harbours to third parties.
• I am also mandated to increase investments in small craft harbours and work with communities so that harbours better serve the needs of the fishing industry and local residents.

Background:

• As of November 2019, the Small Craft Harbours (SCH) program was responsible for 1,003 harbours:
• 688 core fishing harbours;
• 190 non-core fishing harbours; and
• 125 recreational harbours.

• Small craft harbours provide key support to the commercial fishing industry. The SCH program keeps the harbours that are critical to the fishing industry open and in good repair.
• SCH’s total budget for 2020-21 is $159.6 million. The budget breakdown is as follows:
• Regular, A-base
• $87.7 million for projects
• $23 million for salaries, program and property administration  and harbour authority support

• Supplemental, B-base
• $48.9 million for Year 3 of Budget 2018 and funding for two harbours in the High Arctic under Budget 2019
• Approximately 90% of the Canadian fish harvest is landed at harbours operated through the SCH program. The value of landings in Canada in 2017 was estimated at almost $3.9 billion.
• Another key objective of the SCH program is to transfer ownership of designated harbours to third parties, particularly those that are not widely used by fishers or that are focused primarily on recreational boating.