June 2, 2025
From Crisis to Opportunity: Rebuilding Canada’s Fisheries for Climate and Economic Security
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BY: Josh Laughren
Topics: Rebuild Ocean Abundance
Oceana Canada’s analysis shows that by applying existing science-based law and policy, the number of healthy fish populations in Canada could rise from 35%to nearly 80% within a decade—delivering long-term stability and economic growth within our lifetime.
By Josh Laughren, Executive Director, Oceana Canada and Senior Vice President, Oceana. Originally published in The Hill Times.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new government has an opportunity — so far overlooked — to deliver on multiple priorities: economic development, climate resilience, food security, and sustainable, healthy coastal communities. The key lies in rebuilding the abundance of our wild marine fish populations.
Wild fish have sustained people on these lands for far longer than Canada has existed. But the future of this globally important and healthy source of protein is at risk — and so are the fisheries and communities that depend on it. According to a report by the Royal Society of Canada, the country has lost half of the total amount of fish biomass off its coasts since 1970, with devastating and lasting impacts on the ocean and nearby communities. Much of this loss was driven by decades of overfishing and fisheries mismanagement.
While in many cases overfishing has been curbed, this valuable resource has rarely been given an opportunity to recover. Today, one-third of Canada’s wild fish populations are either critically depleted or at risk. Only 35 per cent of fish stocks are considered healthy. This creates enormous risk for food systems, jobs, and cultural connections across the country. Case in point: Last year, the federal government reopened the commercial fishery for still-depleted northern cod after a 32-year moratorium. The government raised the quota — the amount of fish that can be taken —by more than 38 per cent, a move that defied the advice of its own scientists, as has so often been the case in the history of this iconic fishery. This kind of short-term decision may provide temporary relief, but it comes at a cost to the long-term health of the fishery.
As many fish stocks decline or, like cod, remain stagnant at severely depleted levels, frustration is mounting in regions that depend on the ocean. Communities are demanding more stable fishing opportunities, while marine ecosystems face increasing pressure from climate change. Tariffs are disrupting seafood supply chains, and economic uncertainty is deepening. For fishers, that uncertainty makes an already difficult way of life even harder.
Thankfully, there is a way out. Lessons from around the world, including in the United States, show that fish stocks will recover if given the chance, often quickly. Since 2019, Canada’s Fisheries Act requires the government to manage fish stocks sustainably and, when depleted, to implement science-based rebuilding plans to restore them to health. There is an enormous opportunity for the current government to demonstrate it will uphold Canadian law and existing policies by maintaining or rebuilding healthy stocks based on the best available science. The benefits are legion: in addition to ensuring healthy, resilient oceans, supporting stable communities and securing a vital global food source, it will also provide predictability for the industry — reducing the uncertainty which currently surrounds nearly every quota decision and bedevils every federal Minister of Fisheries.
The benefits can accrue quickly. Since 2000, the United States has rebuilt 50 fish stocks using this method. According to the most recent estimate, fishers earned an average of 50 per cent more in revenue. Oceana Canada’s analysis shows that by consistently applying existing science-based law and policy, the number of healthy fish populations in Canada could rise from 35 per cent to nearly 80 per cent within a decade — delivering long-term stability and economic growth within our lifetime. For example, a fully recovered northern cod fishery could create up to 16 times more jobs and grow to five times its current value. A rebuilt Atlantic mackerel fishery could generate over $54 million in benefits, with a 12.9 per cent return on investment. These are not abstract numbers — they represent real, lasting renewal for regions that have borne the cost of past mismanagement.
Canada can realize these benefits simply by following existing laws and policies. “Simple,” however, does not always mean “easy.” Achieving this will take consistency and transparency. It will require investing in adequate science and monitoring to support good decisions. And where smart decisions result in hardship for those affected, Canada must consider how to fairly ease that burden.
We have already seen the alternative: a long, slow decline of one of the oldest and proudest traditions, at great harm to those who need it most.
Before Prime Minister Carney lies a choice that can provide food security, climate resilience, and healthy communities. Let’s choose abundance.
