65 Major Fish Stocks Added to Schedule IX

Summary#

This is a proposed amendment to the Fishery (General) Regulations published on October 12, 2024. It would add 65 major fish stocks to Schedule IX, making them subject to the Fish Stocks parts of the Fisheries Act so the federal minister must take specific actions to keep or rebuild those stocks.

What it does#

• Adds 65 named fish stocks to Schedule IX of the Fishery (General) Regulations. That makes those stocks subject to the Fish Stocks rules in the Fisheries Act (the rules in the Act require measures to keep stocks at sustainable levels or to rebuild them if they fall too low).
• Corrects or clarifies geographic descriptions for four already-prescribed stocks: Chinook salmon, Okanagan; Coho salmon, Interior Fraser; Northern shrimp, Shrimp Fishing Area 6; and Yelloweye rockfish, Outside waters.
• Reorders the list of stocks alphabetically in the schedule.
• For stocks at or below their “limit reference point” (LRP), the minister would have to produce a rebuilding plan within 24 months, with a possible extension up to 36 months. For stocks already below the LRP, that clock starts when the regulation comes into force.
• According to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), most of the listed stocks are already managed under its precautionary approach policy, so the legal change mainly formalizes existing management and sets firm timelines for rebuilding where needed.

Who's affected#

• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) — will carry the new regulatory obligations and timelines.
• Fish harvesters and fish harvester organizations who fish the listed stocks.
• First Nations and Indigenous groups and modern treaty partners who were consulted, including the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board and the Nunavik Marine Region Wildlife Board.
• Provincial governments and environmental non‑governmental organizations (ENGOs) that engaged in the consultation.
• The notice says DFO heard from 31 submissions during consultation and that stakeholders suggested additional stocks; DFO added 2 of those suggested stocks to reach the final 65.

If it’s unclear who else will notice practical changes, the regulation text itself does not list additional affected groups.

Why it matters#

• The change creates a clear legal requirement for how the federal government must manage these 65 stocks. That gives citizens, fishers, and communities more certainty about when rebuilding plans must be prepared.
• For most of these stocks, DFO already uses a precautionary policy. So day‑to‑day fisheries rules may not change immediately. The main difference is the legally binding timeline for rebuilding plans, which could speed up management action for stocks that are depleted.
• Fixing geographic descriptions reduces confusion about which fish populations the rules cover.
• This is a proposed regulation (not yet in force). The Canada Gazette notice allows public comments within 30 days of publication.