Fishing: An Industry at the Crossroads

Canadian Fisheries Canada’s fishing industry had a bright future up to the 1980’s The fishing industry looked forward to years of regular employment because the fish in the oceans, lakes, and rivers were a renewable resource (replace themselves) The fishing industry collapsed during the 1990’s Fish stocks on the East Coast declined and shut down in cod fishery A few years later, the fishing industry was alarmed by the collapse of the salmon fishery on the West Coast

Canadian Fisheries Commercial fishing today makes up only about 0.15% of the total value of Canada’s economy This may seem relatively unimportant, but in parts of Atlantic Canada, the Pacific Coast, and some inland areas, it is the foundation of the economy

Canadian Fisheries Canadian commercial fishing occurs in three areas: the East Coast, the west Coast, and the freshwater inland lakes Production from the East Coast is higher than that from the West Coast, and freshwater production is smaller than both

Canadian Fisheries FisheryNumber Value of CatchTotal Exports of Fishers($ millions)($ millions) East Coast West Coast Freshwater

Types of Ocean Fish There are different kinds of ocean fish caught. They are categorized as: Groundfish - bottom feeders Pelagic Fish - open water feeders Shellfish

Types and Locations of Fish CategoryDescriptionExamples Groundfish Fish that feed and are caught near the ocean floor. Cod, Pollock, haddock, halibut, redfish Pelagic Fish Fish that feed and are caught near the surface. Salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna, caplin Shellfish Molluscs and crustaceans. Shrimp, lobster, oyster, scallop, mussels

Although Canada is not one of the top ten fishing nations in the world, it is one of the world’s leading exporters of fish - Canadians do not eat much fish More than 50% of the Canadian catch is exported Canada’s fish exports are greater than our imports, which helps our balance of trade

The East Coast Fishery Until recently, the ocean waters off the East Coast of Canada were one of the world’s greatest fishing grounds In the 1980’s, the East Coast fishery noticed that they were catching fewer and smaller fish - northern cod off Newfoundland They seemed to be disappearing The government responded by halting all fishing for northern cod and by making major cuts in the catches allowed for other groundfish species

Why the East Coast Fishery Collapsed Five possible reasons for the collapse: Overfishing Improved Fishing Technology Uncontrolled Foreign Fishing Destructive Fishing Practices Changes in Natural Conditions

Why the East Coast Fishery Collapsed Overfishing - the catch that was allowed was too high. Scientists may over-estimated the amount of fish becoming adults each year. Therefore, more fish was caught than reached maturity Improved Fishing Technology - the advancements of technology brought navigation systems that helped fishermen to locate schools of fish more accurately. Uncontrolled Foreign Fishing - fleets of countries such as Russia and Japan caught far more fish than sustained yield methods

Why the East Coast Fishery Collapsed Destructive Fishing Practices - When fishermen were trying to catch one kind of fish, many other types of fish may have become caught in the nets. Unwanted fish, which were already dead, were usually just thrown away Changes in Natural Conditions - environmental conditions can be blamed for the collapse. The water temperatures dropped and ocean salinity (saltiness) levels changed. Fish may changed their migratory routes. Also, the decline in sealing resulted in seals eating large quantities of small fish like caplin - major food source for cod - and cod.

Why the West Coast Fishery Collapsed The most important catch on the West Coast is salmon - coho, chum, pink, spring (chinook) and the most valuable - sockeye It also included herring, halibut, cod, crab, tuna, shrimp, and oysters

Why the West Coast Fishery Collapsed Possible reasons for the collapse: Overfishing Changes in the Environment Lack of a Salmon Fishing Treaty

Reasons for the West Coast Collapse Overfishing - During the 1990s, Canadian and American salmon-fishing boats were catching over tonnes of fish per year. Salmon weren’t being replenished because they didn’t have a chance to reach maturity. Where there was once 100 major fishing plants in B.C., there are now fewer than 10. Changes in the Environment - global warming seems to be increasing the temperature of the Pacific Ocean - this could threaten the salmon’s habitat because salmon prefer temperatures below 7ºC. If this continues, salmon will continue to move northward - salmon would spawn in the rivers of Alaska rather than in the southerly rivers of B.C.

Reasons for the West Coast Collapse Lack of a Salmon Fishing Treaty - a long-standing dispute continues between U.S. and Canada. Canadian officials claim that fewer salmon, should be caught in order to preserve the stock - U.S. officials don’t think so - they claim there is enough salmon

Challenges to the West Coast Fishery Commercial Fishing Sport Fishing Fishing by the First Nations

Commercial Fishing - fish farms, which raise salmon in pens, are now producing more salmon than are caught in the wild and sold more cheaply than wild salmon Sport Fishing - sport fishing wants a bigger share of the available salmon for economic reasons - a salmon caught by a recreational angler yields a much greater economic benefit than a salmon caught by a commercial-fishing boat First Nations - the Superior Court guaranteed the right of the First Nations to fish for their own food - this use takes precedence over all other considerations except conservation Challenges to the West Coast Fishery Challenges to the West Coast Fishery