Fishing Industry In Canada

Contents

1. Overview
2. Etymology
3. Cultural Impact

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Canada’s fishing industry is a cornerstone of its economic prosperity. In the year 2018 alone, this sector generated a staggering $36.1 billion from the sale of fish and seafood products, providing employment for approximately 300,000 individuals. Beyond traditional fishing, aquaculture—the sophisticated cultivation of fish, shellfish, and aquatic plants in controlled fresh or saltwater environments—stands as the world’s most rapidly expanding food production domain, and Canada is increasingly capitalizing on this burgeoning field. By 2015, aquaculture was contributing over $1 billion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generating close to $3 billion in overall economic activity. The stewardship of Canada’s vast aquatic resources, encompassing both its oceans and inland fisheries, falls under the purview of Fisheries and Oceans Canada . This department collaborates closely with fishermen nationwide to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of these vital natural assets.

Industry overview

Canada’s geographical advantage, with its extensive coastlines along the Atlantic , Pacific , and Arctic Oceans , coupled with the immense freshwater resources of the Great Lakes, provides an unparalleled bounty of diverse and valuable fish and seafood. These rich sources are not only consumed domestically but are also exported to markets across the globe. In fact, the Canadian fishing industry exports over 75% of the products it harvests and processes, underscoring its global reach. By 2015, Canada had secured its position as the eighth-largest exporter of fish and seafood worldwide, with products valued at $6 billion finding their way to over 130 countries.

The United States remains a particularly crucial market, accounting for a substantial 64% of Canada’s seafood trade. Other significant export destinations include China (11%), the European Union (10%), Japan (4%), and Hong Kong (2%). The seafood trade represents a sector where Canada consistently achieves a trade surplus, meaning the value of its seafood exports consistently surpasses the cost of its seafood imports. In 2016, this surplus was particularly robust, with total Canadian fish and seafood exports exceeding $6.8 billion, while imports amounted to over $3.8 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of roughly $3 billion.

The economic output of the fishing industry is multifaceted, encompassing various stages of production and processing:

2016 Gross Value of Outputs ($‘000) ¹

	Value ($‘000)
Commercial sea and freshwater fisheries landings	3,375,592
Aquaculture production	1,347,311
Seafood product preparation & packaging revenues	6,624,271

Employment within the sector is also significant:

2016 Employment (number of persons) ²

	Number of persons
Commercial fish harvesters and crew	43,342
Aquaculture	3,340
Seafood product preparation & packaging	28,718

Commercial Sea-fisheries Landings by Species Groups and Region, 2016 ³

	Atlantic	Pacific	Canada
Total Volume of Landings (metric tonnes)	665,182	182,983	848,165
Groundfish	86,480	119,767	206,247
Pelagics	167,751	48,967	216,718
Shellfish	394,767	14,249	409,016
Other	16,185	0	16,185
Total Value of Landings ($‘000)	2,949,702	351,670	3,301,372
Groundfish	221,360	152,007	373,367
Pelagics	114,010	87,606	201,616
Shellfish	2,598,937	112,057	2,710,994
Other	15,396	0	15,396

Regional overview

Canada’s fishing and aquaculture activities are primarily concentrated in three distinct regions: the Atlantic, the Pacific, and the vast Inland or Central region, which encompasses the Great Lakes and Hudson’s Bay. The following data provides a statistical breakdown for commercial sea and freshwater fisheries and aquaculture in 2016, alongside information pertaining to Canada’s recreational fisheries as of 2010.

Landings and Production Statistics for Commercial Sea and Freshwater Fisheries, 2016 ⁴

	Pacific	Inland	Atlantic	Canada
Number of registered fishing vessels	2,427	114	15,276	17,817
Total volume of landings (metric tonnes)	182,983	30,382	665,182	878,547
Total value of landings ($‘000)	351,670	74,220	2,949,702	3,375,592

Landings and Production Statistics for Aquaculture, 2016 ⁵

	Pacific	Inland	Atlantic	Canada
Number of aquaculture establishments	243	166	508	917
Total volume of production (metric tonnes)	102,325	5,440	90,540	200,565
Total value of production ($‘000)	x	32,500	224,375	1,347,311

x - confidential

Recreational Fisheries Statistics, 2010 ⁶

	Pacific	Inland	Atlantic	Canada
Number of active adult anglers	514,329	1,860,767	912,507	3,287,603
Fishing effort (‘000 days fished)	5,868	24,775	12,698	43,340
Harvest (‘000 fish kept)	3,998	26,715	31,999	62,711
Direct expenditures ($‘000)	614,757	1,341,143	563,533	2,519,433
Direct investments ($‘000)	663,214	1,415,029	873,979	2,952,223

Sustainability

Given the immense wealth of seafood products available from Canada’s fisheries, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has implemented rigorous guidelines and procedures to safeguard healthy and productive ecosystems, ensuring the long-term viability of these fisheries for generations to come. All seafood products originating from Canadian fisheries are subject to stringent inspection to ensure compliance with product and process standards, both for domestic consumption and for international markets. These exacting standards also apply to imported seafood, guaranteeing safety and accurate labeling. To be eligible for export, any fish or seafood product harvested or produced in Canada must meet defined standards and originate from a registered fish processing establishment.

A critical element in fostering sustainable fisheries in Canada involves the meticulous certification and ongoing monitoring of the origin, processing, and distribution channels of all fish and seafood products. Certification signifies that producers must provide verifiable evidence that their products have been harvested and cultivated using sustainable methods. This practice offers a tangible benefit to the fishing industry by enabling producers to clearly communicate to consumers that the products they purchase come from legitimate, responsibly managed operations, thereby distinguishing them from potentially inferior or mislabeled fish.

Traceability is another indispensable component in the pursuit of sustainable fisheries in Canada. It provides a comprehensive record of a product’s journey, detailing its location at any given time, its provenance, and all the actions undertaken to it since its capture. The synergistic application of certification and traceability ensures that fish and seafood products harvested from Canadian fisheries adhere to chain of custody requirements established by independent third parties, thereby mitigating potential conflicts of interest between regulatory bodies and industry stakeholders. These measures are designed to construct a robust and sustainable management framework that equitably balances the interests of the fishing industry with governmental policy objectives, all while preserving the integrity of the entire supply chain for fish and seafood products.

In recent years, the Canadian government has actively pursued initiatives to promote sustainable fishing practices, incorporating the aforementioned measures. Nevertheless, significant challenges persist within Canada’s fishing industries. These include the palpable impact of climate change on fish populations and the perennial struggle to balance conservation imperatives with economic exigencies. Disturbingly, recent findings indicate a decline in the number of healthy fisheries over the past six years, with many management indicators showing little to no improvement. As of 2022, the health status of 37.1% of Canadian fisheries has been classified as “uncertain,” a statistic that warrants serious concern.

International agreements and programs

In direct response to the European Union’s stringent regulations on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, which came into effect on January 1, 2010, Fisheries and Oceans Canada established Canada’s Catch Certification Program. This program is designed to meticulously oversee the issuance of catch certificates to Canadian fish harvesters and producers who export seafood products to the European Union. The overarching objective of the EU’s IUU regulations is to effectively identify and prevent the infiltration of illegitimate seafood products into European markets. For instance, a fish caught by an unlicensed fisherman and subsequently sold under a different species designation, or a product for which the fisherman cannot provide verifiable supply chain traceability, would be barred from sale within Europe.

The Catch Certification Program serves as a vital mechanism for providing government-certified catch certificates to exporters of Canadian-harvested and processed fish and seafood products. The primary advantage of this program lies in its ability to facilitate the sale of Canadian seafood products in countries that have implemented robust IUU frameworks, including nations within the European Union, as well as Japan, Chile, and Ukraine. In essence, this program assures importers that Canadian fish and seafood products have been harvested and processed in accordance with sustainable fisheries practices, are accompanied by comprehensive documentation tracing their journey through every stage of processing, and are guaranteed to be genuine and authentic.

History

The fisheries situated along the eastern and western coasts of the North American continent have historically been an indispensable resource for the populations residing in these regions. The roots of Canada’s fishing industry can be traced back to the earliest European settlers who arrived in Canada, harvesting seafood for sustenance and for transport back to Europe. French, English, Spanish, and Portuguese explorers and settlers first commenced fishing activities off the Grand Banks of Newfoundland as early as the 16th century.

The turmoil of the American Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars significantly heightened Britain’s reliance on the North American fisheries along the east coast to provision its troops. This increased demand spurred considerable growth in the Atlantic economy and intensified the establishment of permanent communities whose livelihoods were intrinsically tied to the harvesting of seafood from these rich fishing grounds. The subsequent conflict between the United States and Great Britain during the War of 1812 engendered considerable tension between British North American fishermen and their New England counterparts, who vigorously sought access to the abundant Cod stocks found in the North Atlantic Ocean.

Following Confederation in 1867, Canada’s federal government established the Department of Marine and Fisheries, entrusting it with the responsibility of overseeing the nation’s fisheries and aquacultural resources. The termination of the reciprocity (or Free Trade) agreement between Canada and the United States led to the confiscation of several American vessels by Canadian authorities. During these years, the relationship between Canada and the United States was characterized by considerable friction and uncertainty, punctuated by disputes over the control and access to the lucrative fisheries situated in the North Atlantic.

Approximately 50 years after Confederation, the Department of Marine and Fisheries embarked on the development of a comprehensive aquacultural program. Although this initiative faced initial setbacks and was not entirely successful in its early stages during the 1930s, it laid the groundwork for several permanent facilities in the Atlantic provinces, which were instrumental in stocking rivers and supporting sport fisheries.

The advent of the Second World War catalyzed the widespread adoption of modern technologies and communication devices within the fishing industry. Innovations such as radios, sonar, nylon nets, and hydraulic power equipment revolutionized the capacity to haul in larger catches of seafood products. The fleet of boats and harvesting vessels underwent a significant modernization, with the construction of larger vessels and the development of more powerful engines. During this transformative period, the federal government actively supported independent fishermen by subsidizing the construction of new vessels, establishing the Fisheries Price Support Board in 1947 to mitigate the impact of fluctuating prices, and extending unemployment insurance coverage to self-employed fishermen.

The period spanning from 1968 to 1984 proved to be one of considerable volatility for the fisheries located in British Columbia and the Atlantic Provinces. Exacerbated by over-expansion and unstable market conditions, the fishing industry in Canada experienced recurrent cycles of boom and bust, which engendered widespread uncertainty and instability within the affected fishing communities. In response, the government implemented a series of measures, including limits on the size and number of vessels permitted to operate in specific fisheries, the establishment of industry-government advisory committees to foster open communication between stakeholders and policymakers, encouragement for fishermen to form collective organizations (such as the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters), and the introduction of fishing quotas and operational zones in the Atlantic region. While these interventions provided some measure of relief, the Canadian fishing industry continued to grapple with pervasive instability and significant crises in the subsequent decades.

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans was formally established in 1979. Since its inception, it has been entrusted with the critical responsibilities of overseeing fisheries management and research, conducting oceanographic studies, and providing support for Canada’s small-craft harbors. ⁷ ⁸

References

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Services, Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical. “Canada’s Fisheries Fast Facts 2017”. www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-18. {{cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link ) ↩︎
Services, Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical. “Canada’s Fisheries Fast Facts 2017”. www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-18. {{cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link ) ↩︎
Services, Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical. “Canada’s Fisheries Fast Facts 2017”. www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-18. {{cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link ) ↩︎
Services, Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical. “Canada’s Fisheries Fast Facts 2017”. www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-18. {{cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link ) ↩︎
Services, Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical. “Canada’s Fisheries Fast Facts 2017”. www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-18. {{cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link ) ↩︎
Services, Government of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Statistical. “Canada’s Fisheries Fast Facts 2017”. www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-18. {{cite web }} : CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link ) ↩︎
“History of Commercial Fisheries | The Canadian Encyclopedia”. www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca . Retrieved 2018-10-17. ↩︎
The information contained in the preceding paragraphs about the history of Canada’s fishing industry comes from The Canadian Encyclopedia. ↩︎