Rebuild Ocean Abundance - Oceana Canada

Rebuild Ocean Abundance

HEALTHY OCEANS AND THRIVING FISHERIES

Ending fisheries mismanagement and restoring wild fish populations

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HEALTHY OCEANS AND THRIVING FISHERIES

Canada once had healthy oceans and thriving fisheries; but decades of mismanagement and overfishing have devastated them. It’s time to rebuild.

REBUILD FISHERIES. TELL THE GOVERNMENT TO ACT NOW, SIGN THE PETITION

 

THE STATE OF CANADA’S FISHERIES

Only 35% of wild fish stocks are healthy and 17% are critically depleted, according to Oceana Canada’s 2024 Fishery Audit. Oceana Canada conducts this annual Fishery Audit to document the state of fish populations and how they are being managed against governmental commitments and best practices. With urgent, science-based management, Canada could see up to 80% of fish stocks reach healthy levels within a decade, fostering resilient oceans that support biodiversity and sustain coastal communities. Find out more about fisheries and how the government can rebuild ocean abundance in the Fishery Audit 2024 report.

CANADA’S FISHERIES LAW

In 2019, the federal government amended the Fisheries Act after years of advocacy by many including Oceana Canada. The Fisheries Act, and the laws regulations that passed in 2022, now require rebuilding plans for depleted fish populations to bring them back to healthy levels. Decisions around wild fish, and the fisheries that harvest them, must support keeping populations in the healthy zone. With this new law, the government must get to work creating rebuilding plans for depleted fish populations. Oceana Canada will keep up our efforts campaigning for more fish, strong management and healthy oceans. To learn more about the law that can rebuild Canada’s fish visit the blog.

Victories

April, 2022

Canadian Government Sets Legally Binding Requirements to Rebuild Depleted Fish Stocks

In a major turning point for the future abundance of Canada’s wild fish, the federal government released new regulations that legally require depleted fish populations to be rebuilt. These regulations fall under the Fisheries Act, which Oceana Canada successfully campaigned to amend in 2019. Oceana Canada and its allies advocated for robust regulations to guide the recovery of Canada’s depleted fisheries, of which less than one-third are considered healthy. The regulations set requirements that are needed in rebuilding plans— that a target must be set to rebuild a stock, a timeline by which it will be achieved and what actions are required to make this change happen. Legally requiring the rebuilding of fisheries means Canada will be better able to prioritize the health of the ocean and the long-term viability fisheries that are essential for coastal communities.

Read the Press Release

March, 2022

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Closes Two Critically Depleted Fisheries

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) closed the commercial and bait fisheries for two critically depleted species: Atlantic mackerel and Southern Gulf spring herring. Oceana Canada advocated for fishery rebuilding measures to be implemented and called for the closure of both fisheries. Atlantic mackerel and Southern Gulf spring herring play a crucial role in the Northwest Atlantic ecosystem and feed many other species, including whales, seabirds, and commercially important stocks such as cod and tuna. DFO’s decision – a difficult but necessary measure – contributes to the conservation of these forage fish and the long-term prosperity of Canada’s fisheries.

Read the Press Release

Take Action

Rebuild wild fish populations

LESS THAN ONE-THIRD OF CANADA'S FISHERIES ARE CONSIDERED HEALTHY, ADD YOUR NAME AND TELL THE GOVERNMENT TO FIX THIS CRISIS

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FEATURED CAMPAIGN

Zero-Waste World Cup in 2026

Oceana Canada is working with stadiums, beverage companies, and governments to make the FIFA World Cup 26TM in Canada the greenest games yet. Ditching the landfill-bound, single-use cups for ones that can be reused again and again means sustainability can become a permanent part of our stadiums, long after the final whistle.

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CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS

Stop Plastic Pollution

Restore Capelin Abundance

Protect North Atlantic Right Whales

Rebuild Ocean Abundance

Protect Marine Habitat

Contact

Oceana Canada Headquarters
18 King Street East, Suite 505
Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4

Phone: +1 (416) 583-2350
Email: info@oceana.ca

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LAND ACKnowledgement

Oceana Canada operates in many regions across Canada. From coast to coast to coast, we acknowledge the ancestral and unceded territory of all the Inuit, Métis, and First Nations communities that call this land home, and we strive for our work to be done in a spirit of collaboration and reconciliation.

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