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.

4. Canada exports more than 80% of our catch. Our most important markets:
USA, Western Europe & Pacific Rim (particularly Japan)
In 2004, fish exports were valued at $4.4billion

5. Category
Description
Examples
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
Mollusks and crustaceans.
Shrimp, lobster, oyster, scallop, mussels

6. 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

7. The East Coast Fishery
continental shelf

8. 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.

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

11. 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

12. 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.

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

14. 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

15. Sustained yield management
Use of renewable resource at a rate that allows the resource to renew itself.
For example, the number of fish caught
should not be greater than the
number of fish reaching maturity

16. 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.

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. 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
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

19. Freshwater Fishery (inland)
4% of the total catch
7000 seasonal jobs
What landform regions are best for
freshwater fishing?

20. Aquaculture The aquaculture industry employed more than 16,000 people.
Canada's aquaculture industry is continuing to grow.

21. Department of Fishing & Oceans Canada --Videos
Source: Statistics Canada

22. There are aquaculture operations in every
Canadian province and in the Yukon Territory.
Farmed fish can escape their pens and pose biological risks to wild populations.

23. Large releases of nitrogen, phosphorus, and fecal matter from farming fish damage the coastal environment. Questions have been raised about the nutrition, safety and taste of “farmed” fish.

24. 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!

25. 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

26. Canada’s Network of Marine Protected Areas