Overfishing herring, other stocks in Gulf, Bay of Fundy, has critical impact on ocean health
DFO says it’s committed to ‘precautionary and sustainable approach to fish harvesting’
Roughly a third of wild fish stocks in Canada are considered healthy, while the rest are in depleted states, according to a new report.
The findings come from an annual fishery audit put together by Oceana Canada, a charity devoted to ocean conservation. The report also calls on the federal government to enforce its own laws and adopt policies to rebuild fish populations.
There has been "inconsistent fisheries management, and this continues to stall the recovery of fish populations across Canada," said Rebecca Schijns, a fishery scientist with the group.
"There's a lack of political will and a lack of vision for what achieving healthy oceans means. And both come down to a lack of having a plan," she said. "We need to leverage the law, the policies, the science, and more collaboration in order to achieve these outcomes.
Redfish at a processing facility in Digby, N.S. ( Nicolas Steinbach/CBC)
The report comes at the busiest time of year for people like Melanie Sonnenberg, general manager of the Grand Manan Fishermen's Association. The fall lobster fishery opened on Saturday, and she said she hasn't had a chance to review the report yet.
Amanda Johnson said she would like to have seen something in the report about "collaborative co-management with independent fish harvesters."
Johnson is the executive director of Fundy North Fishermen's Association, which represents around 200 licence holders for lobster, scallop, groundfish and river fisheries.
"The stakeholders in the fishery are both Indigenous and non-Indigenous fish harvesters, and we believe both have a place in governance of the fishery," she said.
As for the recommendations in the report itself, Johnson and Sonnenburg said they will need more time to review the report before issuing a response.
Schijns said there are concerns around "reopening and increasing commercial cod fisheries and reopening redfish at very high levels where the law is not being consistently applied."
"Another really important species in the gulf and Bay of Fundy would be herring, and this is another essential forage fish that has a big fishery on it right now. And both of the stocks in the Gulf and in the Bay of Fundy need a plan to rebuild them."
Herring is one of the stocks in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and in the Bay of Fundy that Oceana Canada said needs to be rebuilt. (Radio Canada)
CBC News requested an interview with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, but they declined. In a statement, department spokesperson Naomi Librach said they "welcome Oceana Canada's fisheries audit and will be reviewing the report's recommendations closely."
The statement went on to say the department is "committed to a precautionary and sustainable approach to fish harvesting that protects our precious marine ecosystems."
The New Brunswick Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries also declined an interview request.
In a statement, spokesperson Heather Pert said the provincial department "will need to review the report and see what it means for New Brunswick going forward," adding that they "will continue to work with New Brunswick's industry and collaborate with DFO to support sustainable fisheries."
Schijns said only 30 out of nearly 200 fish stocks are included in the Fisheries Act right now. They would like to see the protections under the Fisheries Act applied to all fish populations, which she said is an essential step in securing a more predictable fishery.
Oceana Canada says rebuilding fishing stocks could mean many more jobs and more revenue down the road. (Radio Canada)
She said by rebuilding the northern cod industry, it could "bring in five times more revenue and create 16 times more jobs," down the road. Rebuilding Atlantic mackerel and herring in the Bay of Fundy could also bring in millions of dollars more, she said.
Schijns said these species need time to rebound and reproduce, and the current fishing pressures and warming oceans haven't allowed for that to happen. "Fish are really up against a number of barriers," she said, so "reducing fishing efforts in the short term, while allowing fishing on healthy stocks can really allow a more balanced and profitable portfolio of fisheries."
She said it would need to be a collaborative approach and everyone would need to trust the process. It could include compensation for fishers, or allocation to other stocks with similar gear types.
"There are solutions that can be allowed for the short term, while allowing those critically depleted stocks to rebuild."
She said if existing commitments were followed, we could see an increase in wild fish health from 35 per cent to around 80 per cent in 10 years.
"So the investment now is critical to set us up for long term success," she said.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Comment by David Amos.
57 min ago
content deactivated –
Nobody can deny I said this in defence of the Ocean beginning at the 42 minute mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rwqnxIGV1g
Oct 11, 2019
Coverage of the 2019 Federal Election Debates, for the Fundy Royal Riding
Reply by David Amos.
56 min ago
content deactivated –
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/north-atlantic-right-whales-study-1.5152370
Uncertain future of North Atlantic right whale linked to tiny food source
Scientists suggest the search for a small crustacean drove whales into new waters
Elizabeth Fraser · CBC News · Posted: May 28, 2019
Reply by David Amos.
33 min ago
content deactivated –
In 2004 this was in the newspapers
The Unconventional Candidate
David Amos Isn’t Campaigning For Your Vote, But….
By Gisele McKnight
"The political issues in the Maritimes involve the three Fs – fishing,
farming and forestry, but they forget foreign issues," he said. "I’m
death on NAFTA, the back room deals and free trade. I say chuck it
(NAFTA) out the window.
NAFTA is the North American Free Trade Agreement which allows an
easier flow of goods between Canada, the United States and Mexico.
Amos disagrees with the idea that a vote for him is a wasted vote.
"There are no wasted votes," he said. "I want people like me,
especially young people, to pay attention and exercise their right.
Don’t necessarily vote for me, but vote."
Although…if you’re going to vote anyway, Amos would be happy to have
your X by his name.
"I want people to go into that voting booth, see my name, laugh and
say, ‘what the hell.’"
Comment by David Amos.
1 hr ago
content deactivated –
My kipperss are now sardines
Comment by William Murdoch.
1 hr ago
Dollarama Pacific Pride Smoked Herring Fillets in Brine $1.25
I suspect those are caught here processed on a Chinese factory ship and then off loaded to shore in Canada.
I am quite certain those are local caught Herring.
Reply by David Amos.
1 hr ago
No doubt
Reply by William Murdoch.
1 hr ago
Same goes for the over sized canned Sardines there. I know a Canadian Sardines from this coast when I taste them. Those cans also say Product of China. But I bet they aren't.
Reply by David Amos.
54 min ago
content deactivated –
Kippers in a can are not herring anymore
Comment by Dan Lee.
2 hrs ago
Get more dfo on the water..... more checking on captains........each boat should have a tracker or blackbox monitor..........................
Reply by David Amos.
1 hr ago
content deactivated –
Go Figure
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/canada-forced-to-scrap-core-climate-change-mission-1.5357015
Vessel shortage forces Canada to scrap key climate change research mission
Expedition measures details such as temperatures throughout water column, microscopic organism blooms
Paul Withers · CBC News · Posted: Nov 13, 2019
Comment by David Amos.
1 hr ago
content deactivated –
In 2004 I said it was way past High Time that we sat up and paid attention
Reply by David Amos.
1 hr ago
content deactivated –
Deja Vu anyone?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/ocean-phytoplankton-zooplankton-food-web-1.4927884
Building blocks of ocean food web in rapid decline as plankton productivity plunges
Social Sharing
Senior DFO scientist says the cause of the collapse is unknown
Jane Adey · CBC News · Posted: Dec 22, 2018 5:00 PM NT
Comment by Randy Dumont.
2 hrs ago
Meat’s meat, and man’s gotta eat. The earth’s population is continually growing and there is a lot of money to be made. Get more nets in the water.
Reply by David Amos.
1 hr ago
Surely you jest
Reply by Dan Lee.
23 min ago
let them keep going.......money dosnt taste good ......farm salmon dosnt neither........
bass is overflowing in some river.....eating every little spawn....salmon....lobsters.....
Comment by Jim tibo.
3 hrs ago
"If you fail to plan you Plan to fail", and that describes the Canadian fisheries approach to regulating our fisheries for the last 75 years. A science based approach is needed and must be followed or we will fail.
Comment by Allan Marven.
3 hrs ago
Oceana Canada, a charity you say.
Reply by David Amos.
1 hr ago
So they say
Comment by David Sampson.
4 hrs ago
DFO, under the leadership of our federal Ministry of Fisheries, has failed to regulate illegal fishing throughout the entire east coast and their management of fish stocks has suffered greatly from their failures. The Minister could change that but has shown no intention of taking her position seriously!
Reply by Allan Marven.
3 hrs ago
Minister Lebouthillier earned her Bachelor of Social Work from the Université de Moncton, and was awarded a Certificate of Appreciation by the Royal Canadian Legion in 2013 for services rendered. Sounds well qualified for fisheries to me.
Reply by Jack Bell.
2 hrs ago
Oh, everyone cross off 3 boxes on your liberal bingo card.
Female
Bilingual
Humanities major.
Reply by David Amos.
1 hr ago
content deactivated –
Perhaps folks should review the letter she sent me when she was the boss of the CRA
the CRA
Reply by David Amos.
just now
Scroll to the bottom to see her communication
https://davidraymondamos3.blogspot.com/2017/05/oh-my-my-this-what-i-get-from-feds-just.html
Marine Scientist, Oceana Canada
Tel: (508) 961-7059 Tel:
jdaly@oceana.ca rrangeley@oceana.ca
Jack Daly
Impacts of the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement on sustainability of Northern Tip Coastal Communities.
James F. Simon
Chief Executive Officer
Executive Committee
James (Jim) Simon is Oceana’s CEO, stepping up to the position in July 2024 after almost 21 years as the organization’s President.
Simon was instrumental in establishing Oceana as the world’s leading ocean conservation organization and has helped win more than 300 major policy victories to date. He also helped spearhead the organization’s international expansion. Today, Oceana campaigns in nine countries and the European Union.
Simon has extensive experience in policy advocacy, management, and business. As a political appointee at the Department of Justice, Simon worked as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Environment and Natural Resources Division, where he was responsible for management, litigation, and policy. As a Senior Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Simon led a team of lawyers and scientists in holding corporate and government polluters accountable throughout the United States. As an attorney for the City of New York, he brought litigation on behalf of the city, including suits to prevent water pollution, obtain compensation for hazardous waste pollution, and address racial discrimination in housing.
Immediately before joining Oceana, Simon was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised businesses and nonprofits on strategy and operations. Simon’s background has helped him to bring a business-like approach to Oceana’s mission to protect and restore the world’s oceans.
Simon is a graduate of Harvard Law School, where he was an editor on the Harvard Law Review, and received his undergraduate degree from Yale University. He is an avid runner and sailor, falling in love with the ocean when he started sailing his first small boat, Vivere, when he was 12 years old.
Simon Sidamon-Eristoff, Secretary
Sidamon-Eristoff is a lawyer with the tax-exempt organizations group at Kalbian Hagerty LLP in Washington, DC.
888 17th Street, NW, Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20006 USA
T: 202-223-5600
Simon Sidamon-Eristoff is of Counsel to Kalbian Hagerty LLP. He specializes in the representation of tax-exempt organizations.
Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff counsels nonprofit organizations on all aspects of doing business as a charity and maintaining exempt status. A nationally recognized expert in the land conservation field, he also provides advice to landowners and government agencies in connection with complex conservation real estate transactions.
Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff served as General Counsel to American Farmland Trust for twelve years, and continues to serve as AFT’s Senior Counsel. His experience also includes stints as an in-house counsel at two other national nonprofit organizations, the Trust for Public Land and the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.
As General Counsel to American Farmland Trust, Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff was responsible for all of the organization’s legal affairs, including land conservation transactions, tax and estate planning matters, legislative analysis, employment law matters, litigation, and nonprofit corporate governance.
As Conservancy Counsel at the Rails to Trails Conservancy, Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff initiated a highly successful land preservation program focused on the acquisition of out-of service railway corridors. Under his direction, this program preserved more than 900 miles of out-of-service rail corridor for use as public trails in eighteen transactions over four years.
As Regional Counsel at the Trust for Public Land, Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff was responsible for legal matters throughout a twenty-state region, including land preservation transactions, tax planning, subdivisions, financing, litigation, leasing, and nonprofit corporate matters. He also directed the Trust’s New York state program for a year.
After graduating from Princeton University and Columbia Law School, Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff began his career at the New York law firms of Lord Day & Lord and Coudert Brothers, specializing in real estate matters. He served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Energy for energy conservation and renewable energy in the first Bush administration.
Mr. Sidamon-Eristoff formerly chaired and currently serves on the boards of Oceana and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. He chairs the board of American Friends of Georgia.
Oceana Announces Diana Thomson as New Board Chair
Organization’s Board of Directors elects Sara Lowell as Treasurer, re-elects María Eugenia Girón as Vice Chair and James Sandler as Secretary
Press Release Date: October 28, 2024
Location: Washington, DC
Contact:
Anna Baxter | email: abaxter@oceana.org
Oceana, the world’s largest ocean conservation organization, announced new leadership for its international Board of Directors. Diana Thomson was elected Chair, succeeding Sam Waterston. Sara Lowell was elected Treasurer, a position previously held by Thomson. Board Members María Eugenia Girón and James (Jim) Sandler were re-elected as Vice Chair and Secretary, respectively. Longtime Board Member Keith Addis remains President of the Board.
“Diana, María, Sara, and Jim are an excellent representation of our international scope, hailing from Canada, Spain, and the United States, respectively. Their leadership and guidance will be key in helping us continue to win science-based policies that protect and restore the world’s oceans,” Oceana CEO James Simon said. “Thank you, Sam, for your dedication over the last four years as Oceana’s Board Chair. We are grateful for your steadfast leadership, which was instrumental in achieving dozens of victories.”
Diana Thomson is Chair of The Nikita Foundation, a Toronto-based charity she co-founded in 2012 with her husband Peter Thomson that fights food insecurity and environmental degradation. Throughout the last 10 years, Thomson and the Nikita Foundation have supported Oceana in Canada to strengthen the country’s fisheries policy, create marine protected areas, and reduce the nation’s production of single-use plastics.
“I am honored to be elected as Chair of Oceana as we tackle the ever-increasing threats to the world’s oceans,” said Thomson. “I strongly support Oceana’s targeted approach to ocean campaigns that make real change for communities around the world, including protecting habitat, marine life, and the human lives that depend on them.”
Sara Lowell joined Oceana’s Board of Directors in 2018 and has since supported the organization’s campaigns to protect ocean habitat and strengthen fisheries policies. Lowell is the Marisla Foundation’s Marine Conservation Program Director and Board Member. At the Foundation, she oversees efforts to create marine protected areas, protect coastal lands, and reduce ocean pollution throughout the Pacific Ocean.
Other Oceana Board Members include Gaz Alazraki, Herbert M. Bedolfe, III, Ted Danson, Nicholas Davis, Patrice Etlin, Maya Gabeira, César Gaviria, Loic Gouzer, Dr. Christina Chemtai Hicks, Jena King, Ben Koerner, Dr. Kristian Parker, Dr. Daniel Pauly, David Rockefeller, Jr., Susan Rockefeller, Lex Sant, Simon Sidamon-Eristoff, Dr. Rashid Sumaila, Elizabeth Wahler, Sam Waterston, Jean Weiss, and Antha Williams.
These announcements follow recent leadership changes that reflect Oceana’s commitment to global representation at all levels of the organization. Changes include expanding the roles of two key country leaders (Senior Vice Presidents Liesbeth van der Meer of Chile and Daniel Olivares of Peru) and transitioning them to the organization’s international headquarters in Washington, DC. In addition, Oceana’s Chief Scientist, Dr. Kathryn Matthews, was promoted to Senior Vice President and Chief Scientist and will now oversee Oceana’s operations in the Philippines and the organization’s planned expansion to three new countries in Africa and Southeast Asia.
“In just the last year, Oceana and our allies have delivered important policy victories around the world that help to protect local fishing communities, ocean biodiversity, and our climate,” said Simon. “Global victories like these happen because of our incredibly talented international leadership who are best positioned to take us into the future.”
Learn more about Oceana’s Board of Directors and Executive Committee at Oceana.org.
About Oceana:
Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world’s wild fish catch. With more than 300 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana’s campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit Oceana.org to learn more.
Organizational Media Contacts
*For general press inquiries or if you aren’t sure who is the best person to contact, please email press@oceana.org.
Gillian Spolarich
Deputy Director, Communications
Based in Washington, D.C.
gspolarich@oceana.org
202.467.1909
Anna Baxter
International Communications Manager
Based in Washington, D.C.
abaxter@oceana.org
202.868.4064
Campaign Media Contacts
United States
Megan Jordan
Communications Director, Global Marketing and Communications
mjordan@oceana.org
Canada
Lesley Wilmot
Communications Director, Canada
Based in Toronto, Canada
416.583.2352
lwilmot@oceana.ca