New Regulations Give Canada Legal Backing To Rebuild Depleted Fisheries
Oceana Canada Urges Ottawa To Set A Timeline So That We Will Have A Bountiful Ocean
OTTAWA: Oceana Canada has applauded the Canadian government’s release of new rebuilding regulations under the Fisheries Act. These could mark a major turning point in the abundance of Canada’s wild fish, of which less than 1/3 are currently considered healthy.
Now, in addition to significant government commitments and investments, Canada has the legal tools it needs to ensure critically depleted populations get the rebuilding plans needed to help return abundance to Canada’s oceans.
“With the release of these regulations, the government has a legal requirement to rebuild our fish populations to support sustainable and prosperous fisheries, healthy coastal communities, and a more resilient, bountiful ocean.
Wild fisheries have been a cultural and economic mainstay for coastal communities – Indigenous and non-Indigenous alike. If we rebuild them, we can continue to rely on this abundance for years to come,” said Josh Laughren, Executive Director, Oceana Canada.
As always, success depends on how well the regulations are implemented. The government must now create and implement rebuilding taken strong action to stop the overfishing of critically depleted forage fish by reducing the quota of Pacific herring and closing commercial and bait fishing on Atlantic mackerel and Atlantic herring.
The new regulations build on these essential decisions to provide renewed hope for an abundant ocean that can sustain communities and help feed the world in perpetuity. To learn more about the state of Canada’s fisheries visit FisheryAudit.ca.
Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat.
Oceana works with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future.