Licensing process has to be fair: minister
Dominic Leblanc says obtaining a fishing licence shouldn’t depend on who you know or how much you have
One of the concerns for the future of the inshore fishery in this province is how difficult it can be for potential new entrants to obtain fishing licences and financial backing for vessels and gear.
The issue was addressed by federal Fisheries Minister Dominic Leblanc in a speech to the Canadian Independent Fish Harvesters Federation in Nova Scotia on Tuesday.
Leblanc said he wants to make the licensing process for inshore fishermen fairer, and is looking for their input into how best to do it.
“Fishing licences have become overvalued in recent years,” the minister said. “This makes it extremely difficult for young fishermen to access the fishery, and more often than not prevents new entrants altogether. The high upfront cost of a licence means that many would-be fishers are excluded from the fishery because they simply do not have access to the large sums of money that fishery licences have come to cost — despite their willingness to work hard and their desire to take on this way of life, and contribute to our economy.
“A system where access to a fishing licence is determined by who you’re related to or how many hundreds of thousands of dollars you have, or how much debt you are willing to take on, seems unfair.”
Leblanc said the courts in Canada have consistently upheld the basic principle that the fishery is a public resource that belongs to all Canadians. Licences provide privileged access to this common property, he said. He added there needs to be dialogue about how to improve the licensing process.
“The goal of this conversation is to ensure that fishers and their local communities and economies benefit from the fishery,” he said. “It’s not going to be easy. Change is never easy, especially when it’s a change to something that’s as fundamental to your livelihoods. To say there will be divergent views is an understatement.
“But the key here is getting the conversation started. Our government believes in the importance of meaningful consultation with those who will be affected by the decisions we make, because it’s you who feel the day-to-day impacts of these decisions.”
Leblanc also stated the Department of Fisheries Oceans has already begun to explore the potential for more fundamental changes that would help eliminate financial barriers to entry into the fishery, and ensure that the independence and economic viability of the inshore and midshore fisheries are maintained and strengthened.