1. Fishing: An Industry in Crisis
Chapter 23

2. Introduction Commercial fishing in Canada takes places is three areas:
East Coast along the Atlantic
West Coast Pacific
Freshwater inland lakes
Historically, the fishing industry has been considered a renewable resource.

3. Canada exports more than 80% of our catch. Our most important markets:
USA, Chins, Europe, Japan, and Hong Kong
In 2012, fish exports were valued at $4.1billion

4. Methods of Fishing in Canada
In Shore
Off Shore
small boats with limited gear, self-employed
85% of fishers but just 10% of fish
day trips only, no trips during bad weather
low income
lobster, shrimp, clam, cod, and haddock
large ships with variety of gear, company owned
15% of fishers but 90% of fish
out for two weeks or more in any weather
reasonable income
harvest cod, sole, halibut, redfish, flounder

5. The East Coast Fishery
continental shelf

6. Grand Banks
Wide continental shelf with shallow areas (called fishing banks) allow sunlight to penetrate the bottom, creating ideal conditions for plankton which, in turn, attract fish.

8. For years there were no regulations over fishing in the Grand Banks

9. The cold Labrador Current mixes with the warm waters of the Gulf Stream.
The mixing and the shape of the ocean bottom lifts nutrients to the surface.
These conditions create one of the
richest fishing grounds in the world

10. The Collapse of the East Coast Fishery
By the 1990s, most of the fish stock had declined dramatically.
Canadian Government halted all fishing for cod and cut back the amount of ground fish that could be caught.

11. How does a region cope when its way of life is threatened?

12. Experts have suggested five major conditions for the collapse of the East Coast fishery:
Overfishing
Improved fishing technology
Uncontrolled foreign fishing
Destructive fishing practises
Changes in natural conditions

13. The West Coast Fishery Salmon is the most important catch.
West Coast catch 400 times larger than the east coast
Warm Alaska Current
Cold California Current
In 1994, one million fewer salmon arrived at the spawning ground in the inland waters of B.C.

14. The West Coast Collapse
There are several possible reasons for the collapse of the West Coast salmon fishery
Overfishing
Canadian and American taking way too many fish between California and Alaska.
Once over 100 processing plants in BC, today there are fewer than 10

15. West Coast Collapse continued
Changes to the environment
Global warming. Salmon prefer water below 7 degrees
Lack of a Salmon Fishing Treaty
No official agreement between Canada and USA on how many, what type and when fish can be caught

16. Technology
Example:
In 1972: it took traditional seine boats 51 days to harvest their quota in the West Coast
In 1994: it took less that four days for modern boats to fill their quota, even with an increased catch allowance!

17. Prawn Trap 2. Dive 3. Ground fish Bottom Longline 4. Shrimp Beam Trawl
Commercial Fishing:
Prawn Trap 2. Dive 3. Ground fish Bottom Longline 4. Shrimp Beam Trawl
5. Ground fish Otter Trawl 6. Midwater Trawl 7. Hook and Line8. Salmon Purse Seine 9. Midwater Salmon Gillnet 10. Pelagic Longline 11. Harpoon 12. Purse Seine

18. Canada has an offshore limit that is 370 km (200miles) off its shores effectively pushed the foreign factory ships off many of the prime fishing and breeding grounds.
Solutions?
Quotas were also put in place by the government to reduce the amount of fish being caught

19. Canada’s Network of Marine Protected Areas