Rebuilding Plans for 30 Fish Stocks

Summary#

This is a proposed rule, published in the Canada Gazette on January 2, 2021, that would add a first group of 30 fish stocks to the new fish-stocks rules in the modernized Fisheries Act and set minimum requirements and deadlines for stock-rebuilding plans. The proposal would only bind the government department responsible for fisheries — Fisheries and Oceans Canada — but it could lead to future management actions that affect fishers and coastal communities. Comments were open for 30 days after publication.

What it does#

• Adds a first “batch” of 30 fish stocks to the list of stocks that are covered by the fish-stocks parts of the Fisheries Act. The list includes Atlantic and Pacific species (cod, herring, shrimp, salmon, rockfish, snow crab, etc.).
• Requires a rebuilding plan for stocks that have declined to or below their limit reference point (LRP). Of the 30 proposed, 17 are identified as at or below their LRP and 13 are above it.
• Specifies the minimum contents that each rebuilding plan must include:
  • stock status and trends;
  • probable causes of decline;
  • measurable rebuilding objectives;
  • timelines for those objectives;
  • a rebuilding target;
  • management measures to meet the objectives;
  • a method to track progress;
  • a schedule for periodic review.
• Sets a deadline for plans: they must be developed within 24 months after the Minister first learns a prescribed stock is below its LRP, with a possible extension of up to 12 months.
• Keeps flexibility: the rules set required plan elements but do not prescribe the exact management measures (those will be worked out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada with partners for each stock).
• Notes exceptions: species already listed as endangered or threatened under the Species at Risk Act would continue to be handled under that law rather than by these rebuilding-plan requirements.
• Commits to publishing approved rebuilding plans on Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s website.
• Links to funding announced earlier: $107.4 million over five years (starting 2019–20) and $17.6 million per year ongoing to support implementation.

Who's affected#

• Directly: Fisheries and Oceans Canada, because the proposed regulations impose obligations on the department to list stocks and produce rebuilding plans with specified content and timelines.
• Potentially affected downstream:
  • Commercial and recreational fishers who target the prescribed stocks.
  • Fish-processing businesses and coastal communities that depend on those fisheries.
  • Indigenous peoples and communities that harvest fish for food, social and ceremonial uses, and commercial purposes.
  • Environmental groups and fisheries managers involved in rebuilding work.
• The proposal does not itself set catch limits or closures. It is not always clear which specific fishers or regions will feel immediate changes, because concrete management measures will be developed later for each stock.

Why it matters#

• It would make DFO’s existing stock-rebuilding policies more formal and time-bound. That increases transparency and accountability on when and how rebuilding plans must be produced.
• If rebuilding plans lead to stricter management measures, that could change who can fish, how much can be caught, and when and where fishing happens—affecting incomes and food sources in some communities.
• The stated goal is healthier and more sustainable fish stocks, which supports jobs (the sector employs over 77,000 people) and trade (seafood exports were $6.92 billion in 2018). The proposal itself does not estimate the economic impacts of future management actions; those would be assessed when specific measures are developed.
• The federal department says it plans to add more of its list of major stocks (about 177 stocks) over time, so this is the first of several expected steps.