Oceana Canada’s 2024 Fishery Audit Reveals Critical Need to Protect and Rebuild Canada’s Ocean Ecosystems

Five Years After New Legal Requirements to Sustainably Manage and Rebuild Fisheries, Most Wild Fish Populations Remain Unprotected, with Many Still Depleted

VANCOUVER, British Columbia, unceded and traditional homelands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil Waututh) nations, Nov. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Oceana Canada’s 2024 Fishery Audit issues a stark warning about the state of Canada’s fisheries. Despite the promise of the modernized Fisheries Act, only 35% of wild fish stocks are considered healthy, 17% are critically depleted, and numerous key species are on the brink of further decline.¹ These findings signal an urgent need for the Canadian government to fully enforce its own laws and policies to protect vital fish populations and restore marine biodiversity.

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“Canada’s fisheries are at a tipping point,” said Rebecca Schijns, Fishery Scientist, Oceana Canada. “Overfishing and inconsistent, short-sighted management are jeopardizing marine life and coastal livelihoods. The federal government must consistently implement and follow its own policies for science-based decision-making to restore abundant fisheries and the communities that depend on them.”

A Vision for 80% Healthy Fish Stocks
With consistent, targeted efforts, Canada could see up to 80% of fish stocks return to healthy levels within a decade,² boosting biodiversity and strengthening coastal and Indigenous communities. A fully recovered northern cod fishery, for example, could generate 16 times more jobs and quintuple its current value.

Key Findings from the 2024 Fishery Audit:

1. Limited legal protections: Five years after amending the Fisheries Act, only 30 of Canada’s nearly 200 fish stocks are protected by rebuilding requirements. A proposed second batch of 65 stocks is now under consideration. At this pace, it would take 16 years to protect all stocks, leaving many critical fish populations unprotected and at risk of further decline.
2. Poor health and data gaps: One-third of Canada’s marine fish populations are critically or cautiously depleted, and 35% lack adequate data for assessment, resulting in “management in the dark.” Of the 33 stocks in critical condition, only four (12%) have publicly available rebuilding plans. Although rebuilding plans for eight additional stocks were approved by the Fisheries Minister in April and July 2024, none had been made public by the July 1, 2024, cut-off for this Audit, and most remain unpublished as of November.
3. Climate resilience gaps: Canada’s oceans are warming at a disproportionately high rate, presenting significant challenges for fisheries resilience. Yet over half of Canadian fish stocks lack climate-informed assessments and adaptive management plans. This shortfall leaves Canada’s fisheries doubly vulnerable to climate change and overfishing, posing severe risks to biodiversity and community resilience.

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Recommendations for Restoring Ocean Health
Oceana Canada calls on the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast guard, Diane Lebouthillier, to prioritize long-term fish population recovery through:

1. Expanding rebuilding protections: Accelerate listing all remaining stocks under the Fish Stocks provisions by 2025.
2. Collaborative management: Pair Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Western science through “Two-Eyed Seeing” practices to promote sustainable, ecosystem-based approaches in collaboration with Indigenous groups.
3. Climate-ready management: Account for climate change in assessments and fisheries management decisions, particularly for forage fish, which are foundational to ocean ecosystems.
4. Enhanced monitoring: Implement the 2019 Fisheries Monitoring Policy to ensure transparency across all fishing activities, including recreational and bait, to support reliable and timely decision-making.

Next Steps
With the support of Canadians, Oceana Canada advocates for immediate action to restore Canada’s ocean ecosystems and coastal economies. “Canada’s fisheries have untapped potential that can be unlocked through responsible, science-based management,” said Schijns. “We have the tools to reverse declines, enhance food security, and build a legacy of resilient ocean ecosystems for generations to come.”

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The report’s findings underscore an urgent call to action, presenting Canada with a clear path to achieve resilient, abundant oceans that support biodiversity, climate adaptation, and economic prosperity for coastal communities. Access the full Fishery Audit 2024 and join Oceana Canada’s call to action at www.oceana.ca/RebuildAbundance.

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 ban single-use plastics, end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work 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. Find out more at www.oceana.ca.

Media contacts: Vaishali Dassani, Oceana Canada, [email protected], 647-294-3335;
Angela Pinzon, Pilot PMR, [email protected], 647-295-0517. Media assets available here.

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¹The data in this report focuses exclusively on Canada’s marine fisheries, including 194 stocks of finfish, shellfish, and other invertebrates. It does not include freshwater fish or species like salmon that spend part of their life in freshwater. The 2024 data in this report covers the period from July 2, 2023, to July 1, 2024.

²
These findings are derived from methodologies outlined in a recovery projections analysis, applied to stocks with updated 2024 statuses and using conservative assumptions for stocks with uncertain statuses. Source: McLennan, L., Schijns, R., and Rangeley, R. (2023). Projections of Fishery Recovery in Canada. In Fishery Audit 2023: Unlocking Canada’s Potential for Abundant Oceans. Oceana Canada.

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