August 7, 2026
The Voices Speaking Up for Mackerel, Capelin and Herring
Estimated reading time: 0 minutes
BY: Jack Daly
Topics: Protect Capelin Abundance
What are Forage Fish?
Forage fish such as mackerel, capelin, and herring may be small, but they have a big impact on ocean health. They feed marine mammals, seabirds, and commercially important fish populations like salmon and cod. They also support life on land, providing food for bears, eagles, and wolves.
Why do Forage Fish Matter?
Communities including Indigenous Peoples on the Pacific Coast rely on Pacific herring and eulachon for food security and culture. On the East Coast, mackerel, capelin, and Atlantic herring play a similar role. These nutrient-dense fish also provide an important source of bait for lobster and crab fisheries, two of Canada’s most valuable seafood industries. Despite their vital role, forage fish receive far too little awareness, attention, or legal protection.
The State of Forage Fish in Canada
Forage fish are essential for marine ecosystems, cultures, and food security. But in Canada, they are often managed based on their limited economic value, with too little regard for their broader ecological role. Nearly all East Coast forage fish are depleted, affecting ecosystems cherished by Atlantic Canadians, including the Bay of Fundy, the Scotian Shelf, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the rugged coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. On the West Coast, forage fish have stronger legal protections and are assessed as being healthier, but their populations remain a fraction of their historical abundance. Environmental groups and First Nations continue to push for rebuilding these populations.
Narratives from “Little Being, Big Foundation“
HARVESTING HERRING IS IN OUR DNA
Sierra Hall, the Lead Research Technician with the Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority in Klemtu, British Columbia, works to protect and rebuild her Nation’s culture and the marine environment along British Columbia’s northern coast.
“In my opinion, Pacific herring are in a critical state. If we keep raising fishing quotas, we’re fast-tracking the total collapse of the marine ecosystem.”
Sierra argues that collapsed forage fish aren’t the end of the story. Instead, with the support of her Nation, the stewardship team is working to rebuild herring populations by restoring traditional fishing practices and protecting critical herring habitat.
“The Nation has a draft management plan for the [marine protected area] to guide how we’ll govern and manage marine resources, based on our laws, customs, and values. It sets a vision for the future and guiding principles, including respect for all living creatures, only taking what you need, not wasting what you take, and avoiding overfishing. We’re working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientists to figure out how to integrate science and Indigenous Knowledge, and what it would look like to make decisions together. In the end, we all have the same goal. I want everyone to know how important herring are to our culture and way of life. We’re fighting hard to protect it because it’s part of our DNA. That gets overlooked a lot. To lose the herring would mean losing a big part of our identity.”
Read Sierra’s full story: Little Being, Big Foundation
COULD CAPELIN BE THE NEW COD?
Jasmine Paul, a Fifth-Generation Fisher from Come By Chance, Newfoundland and Labrador, argues that rebuilding capelin is a cultural necessity.
“Every summer in Newfoundland, capelin roll onto the beaches to spawn. While it’s an annual event here, it’s relatively rare worldwide. It’s not something all capelin do — but ours do. This natural phenomenon brings thousands of humpback whales to the North Atlantic to feed after spending the winter in the Caribbean. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds, including gannets, kittiwakes, gulls, and shearwaters, also get in on this forage fish buffet.”
Jasmine and her family fish many different stocks, with snow crab being especially important. She argues that managing capelin has to start with treating them with respect.
“We should treat capelin with more respect, given our dependency on them. Fisheries management can’t be disconnected from the ecosystem. It has to go beyond economic considerations and quotas.”
Read Jasmine’s full story: Little Being, Big Foundation
Fighting for a Future of Forage Fish
Forage fish face many threats, including overfishing, fisheries mismanagement, habitat destruction, and warming waters caused by climate change. Luckily, forage fish are resilient and can rebuild relatively quickly, if given the chance. Canada has the science, legal framework, and policy tools to properly manage and rebuild most forage fish populations within the next decade. That means bringing back schools of mackerel, herring and capelin that help sustain healthy ocean ecosystems.
At Oceana Canada, we are calling on the Canadian government to give these little fish a helping hand by:
- Fully implement the Fisheries Act
- Apply science-based guardrails
- Pair Western science with Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
Read our report, Little Being, Big Foundation, to learn more, and sign our petition calling on the Minister of Fisheries to rebuild forage fish populations.
What are Forage Fish?
Forage fish such as mackerel, capelin, and herring may be small, but they have a big impact on ocean health. They feed marine mammals, seabirds, and commercially important fish populations like salmon and cod. They also support life on land, providing food for bears, eagles, and wolves.
Why do Forage Fish Matter?
Communities including Indigenous Peoples on the Pacific Coast rely on Pacific herring and eulachon for food security and culture. On the East Coast, mackerel, capelin, and Atlantic herring play a similar role. These nutrient-dense fish also provide an important source of bait for lobster and crab fisheries, two of Canada’s most valuable seafood industries. Despite their vital role, forage fish receive far too little awareness, attention, or legal protection.
The State of Forage Fish in Canada
Forage fish are essential for marine ecosystems, cultures, and food security. But in Canada, they are often managed based on their limited economic value, with too little regard for their broader ecological role. Nearly all East Coast forage fish are depleted, affecting ecosystems cherished by Atlantic Canadians, including the Bay of Fundy, the Scotian Shelf, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the rugged coasts of Newfoundland and Labrador. On the West Coast, forage fish have stronger legal protections and are assessed as being healthier, but their populations remain a fraction of their historical abundance. Environmental groups and First Nations continue to push for rebuilding these populations.
Narratives from “Little Being, Big Foundation“
HARVESTING HERRING IS IN OUR DNA
Sierra Hall, the Lead Research Technician with the Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority in Klemtu, British Columbia, works to protect and rebuild her Nation’s culture and the marine environment along British Columbia’s northern coast.
“In my opinion, Pacific herring are in a critical state. If we keep raising fishing quotas, we’re fast-tracking the total collapse of the marine ecosystem.”
Sierra argues that collapsed forage fish aren’t the end of the story. Instead, with the support of her Nation, the stewardship team is working to rebuild herring populations by restoring traditional fishing practices and protecting critical herring habitat.
“The Nation has a draft management plan for the [marine protected area] to guide how we’ll govern and manage marine resources, based on our laws, customs, and values. It sets a vision for the future and guiding principles, including respect for all living creatures, only taking what you need, not wasting what you take, and avoiding overfishing. We’re working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) scientists to figure out how to integrate science and Indigenous Knowledge, and what it would look like to make decisions together. In the end, we all have the same goal. I want everyone to know how important herring are to our culture and way of life. We’re fighting hard to protect it because it’s part of our DNA. That gets overlooked a lot. To lose the herring would mean losing a big part of our identity.”
Read Sierra’s full story: Little Being, Big Foundation
COULD CAPELIN BE THE NEW COD?
Jasmine Paul, a Fifth-Generation Fisher from Come By Chance, Newfoundland and Labrador, argues that rebuilding capelin is a cultural necessity.
“Every summer in Newfoundland, capelin roll onto the beaches to spawn. While it’s an annual event here, it’s relatively rare worldwide. It’s not something all capelin do — but ours do. This natural phenomenon brings thousands of humpback whales to the North Atlantic to feed after spending the winter in the Caribbean. Hundreds of thousands of seabirds, including gannets, kittiwakes, gulls, and shearwaters, also get in on this forage fish buffet.”
Jasmine and her family fish many different stocks, with snow crab being especially important. She argues that managing capelin has to start with treating them with respect.
“We should treat capelin with more respect, given our dependency on them. Fisheries management can’t be disconnected from the ecosystem. It has to go beyond economic considerations and quotas.”
Read Jasmine’s full story: Little Being, Big Foundation
Fighting for a Future of Forage Fish
Forage fish face many threats, including overfishing, fisheries mismanagement, habitat destruction, and warming waters caused by climate change. Luckily, forage fish are resilient and can rebuild relatively quickly, if given the chance. Canada has the science, legal framework, and policy tools to properly manage and rebuild most forage fish populations within the next decade. That means bringing back schools of mackerel, herring and capelin that help sustain healthy ocean ecosystems.
At Oceana Canada, we are calling on the Canadian government to give these little fish a helping hand by:
- Fully implement the Fisheries Act
- Apply science-based guardrails
- Pair Western science with Indigenous Knowledge Systems.
Read our report, Little Being, Big Foundation, to learn more, and sign our petition calling on the Minister of Fisheries to rebuild forage fish populations.
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