DFO is engaging with the fishing industry on West Coast Fisheries Modernization as it prepares to make significant changes in licencing policies. This engagement process will explore the potential adaptation of “Owner Operator” and “fleet separation” rules on the Pacific Coast of Canada. 

This report from the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans addresses issues of corporate concentration and foreign ownership in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada, impacting coastal communities and Canada's food sovereignty.

February 21st and 22nd marked the third Fisheries for Communities Gathering. Read the summary of the proceedings report here.

The Keep Fish Local campaign is a message from the Fisheries for Communities network to the new Federal Government. Give fishing access back to bona fide fish harvesters and First Nations. It’s simple. Only First Nations and people who work on fishing boats should be able to own licence.

DFO’s decision to close 60% of the salmon fisheries in BC came as a sudden and devastating blow for the harvesters who depend on fishing salmon every year. Gathered here are resources for those who want to know more.

In order to have a successful Blue Economy, we need an action plan to put the control over and benefit from fisheries access back into the hands of harvesters, First Nations, and rural coastal communities.

2020 study examines BC harvester perspectives on fishing access.

We want a BC Government that recognizes the importance of local wild seafood, supports our fish harvesters and coastal communities.

The two-day Fisheries for Communities Gathering 2.0 brought together over 120 individuals from diverse backgrounds to discuss the issues, share experiences, and explore change needed to revitalize our coast, now and in the future.

This thesis addresses questions on the social and economic outcomes of an Individual Transferable Quota fishery. The dissertation provides an overview of measures that can be used for a just and fair transformation of fisheries that achieves socio-economic objectives.

Recommendations from the the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans endeavouring to improve the social, economic and cultural outcomes of B.C fisheries and work to close the gap between B.C fisheries and the thriving fisheries in Atlantic Canada.

The Canadian government, which is mandated to manage marine resources and fisheries on behalf of all Canadians, measures its success largely against two variables — conservation and economic growth...

The first Fisheries for Communities Gathering happened in Feb 2018 and there was an agreement on the need for immediate fisheries policy reform. This report aims to bring the voices of those affected by poor policies to the attention of the federal government.

The lack of clear social objectives with the introduction of catch shares stood out to us in our research and causes us to question the root cause of their introduction. Our research shows that catch shares without clear social objectives have deleterious effects across the board–making fishing more expensive, more complicated and less safe.

This study documents the full suite of values that wild-capture-commercial fishing brings to communities in Canada’s Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA).

In this report BC fisheries are used as a case study and prove that ITQs promote quota leasing, give fishermen false sense of security, facilitate privatization of the industry, increase capitalization of fisheries, encourage dangerous fishing and increase the overall landed value of fish while masking poor financial performance of active fishermen.