65 Major Fish Stocks Added to Schedule IX

Summary#

This is a proposed amendment, published October 12, 2024, to the Fishery (General) Regulations that would add 65 major fish stocks to Schedule IX and fix the geographic descriptions for 4 already-listed stocks. If adopted, those stocks would be explicitly covered by the Fish Stocks parts of the Fisheries Act, which require the government to keep stocks at sustainable levels or to prepare rebuilding plans for stocks that fall below the limit reference point (LRP).

What it does#

• Adds 65 named fish stocks to Schedule IX of the Fishery (General) Regulations. Each stock is listed by common name, scientific name and the geographic area it covers.
• Fixes or clarifies the geographic descriptions for 4 existing stocks: Chinook salmon, Okanagan; Coho salmon, Interior Fraser; Northern shrimp, Shrimp Fishing Area 6; and Yelloweye rockfish, Outside waters.
• Reorders the Schedule alphabetically for consistency.
• Triggers legal obligations under the Fisheries Act Fish Stocks provisions (notably sections 6.1 and 6.2) so the Minister must manage those stocks to promote sustainability.
• Requires a rebuilding plan within 24 months for any stock that is at or below its LRP, with a possible extension to 36 months if the Minister publishes a reason.
• Notes that the department will use its existing policy framework—A fishery decision‑making framework incorporating the precautionary approach (PA Policy)—and published rebuilding‑plan guidelines to implement these requirements.
• This item is a proposal (Part I). Written comments were invited for 30 days after publication.

Who's affected#

• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) — it will have a formal regulatory duty to manage the newly listed stocks.
• Commercial fish harvesters, processors and fishing communities that rely on the listed stocks on both Canada’s Atlantic and Pacific coasts (examples include lobster, snow crab, herring, cod, various salmon stocks, and many rockfish and shellfish).
• Indigenous peoples and Indigenous management boards near the affected stocks, including modern treaty partners such as the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board, which were directly contacted during consultation.
• Provincial governments, fish harvester organizations and environmental non‑governmental organizations (ENGOs) that participated in consultation.
• The regulatory note says there would be no new direct costs to businesses because DFO expects management measures to be equivalent to existing practice under the PA Policy. If that is unclear in practice, affected groups may be the first to notice any differences.

Why it matters#

• The change makes DFO’s duty to manage these specific stocks a clear legal obligation rather than only a policy commitment. That can affect timing and transparency of actions such as quotas, closures and rebuilding plans.
• For stocks below the biological safety level (the LRP), rebuilding plans must be produced more quickly (within 24 months, unless extended to 36 months). That could speed up conservation actions or changes to fishing rules.
• Coastal and Indigenous communities that depend on these fisheries may see earlier or more formalized management steps. Even where measures remain the same, the legal requirement increases predictability and public reporting (rebuilding plans and any extensions are to be published).
• The government says management under these regulations will largely match existing policy. Still, the formal listing may change planning timelines and how success or progress is reported to the public.