65 Major Fish Stocks Prescribed

Summary#

This is a proposed amendment, published in the Canada Gazette on October 12, 2024, that would add 65 major fish stocks to Schedule IX of the Fishery (General) Regulations. If adopted, those stocks would become subject to parts of the Fisheries Act that require the federal government to keep stocks at sustainable levels or to put in place rebuilding plans when stocks fall below the limit reference point.

What it does#

• Adds 65 named fish stocks to Schedule IX of the Fishery (General) Regulations, bringing them under the Fish Stocks provisions (sections 6.1 and 6.2) of the Fisheries Act.
• Corrects or clarifies the geographic descriptions for four already‑listed stocks (including Chinook salmon, Okanagan; Coho salmon, Interior Fraser; Northern shrimp, Shrimp Fishing Area 6; and Yelloweye rockfish, Outside waters).
• Reorders the list of stocks alphabetically for consistency.
• Requires that any stock that is at or below its “limit reference point” (LRP) have a rebuilding plan developed within 24 months, with the Minister able to extend that to 36 months if the extension (and reasons) are published.
• Notes that these regulatory requirements are expected to be largely equivalent to existing management under DFO’s precautionary approach policy, so DFO says there should be little or no new costs for government, industry, or the public. The main change is that some timelines for rebuilding plans would be fixed by regulation.
• Opens a public comment period: interested people can make representations within 30 days of the Canada Gazette notice.

Who's affected#

• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) — it would have new, legally required timelines and reporting duties for those listed stocks.
• Commercial fishers, Indigenous harvesters, and coastal communities that rely on the fisheries for the 65 stocks (across Atlantic and Pacific regions) — they could see management actions such as changes to catch limits, seasons, or closures if rebuilding plans are needed.
• Indigenous groups and modern treaty partners that were engaged during consultation (for example, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board) — they were consulted, but the amendment itself places obligations on government rather than directly changing harvest rights.
• Provincial governments, fish harvester organizations, and environmental groups that provided input during consultation.
• Fisheries scientists and managers who will be involved in setting LRPs and writing rebuilding plans for stocks that lack them.

If it is unclear who will be affected in a particular place, the specific fish stocks and their geographic descriptions in the regulation should be checked to see whether a given community or fishery is included.

Why it matters#

• It turns parts of current policy into a legal requirement for the federal government. That can mean faster or more predictable action to protect and rebuild fish stocks that are declining.
• For fisheries already managed under DFO’s precautionary approach, the short-term changes may be small. For stocks below their LRP, however, the regulation fixes a maximum time for producing rebuilding plans, which could lead to earlier limits or closures that affect incomes and local food supplies.
• It increases transparency: timelines for plans and any formal extensions must be published.
• Communities that depend on the listed stocks should watch for DFO rebuilding plans and proposed management measures, since those are the documents that will spell out practical changes to fishing activity.