Deeper Dive

HOW MANAGEMENT MEASURES HAVE EVOLVED

 
 
 

Canada’s wild Pacific halibut fishery has evolved over time to ensure the conservation and sustainable management of the resource, as well as create a safer working environment for commercial fishermen. 

THE PAST:
Prior to 1979, fewer than 100 vessels operated in the commercial fishery for wild Pacific halibut on Canada’s Pacific coast. In 1979, the federal government limited entry into the fishery and issued 435 commercial halibut licences. While this capped the number of vessels that could commercially-harvest wild Pacific halibut in Canada, it greatly increased the number of participants in the directed halibut fishery.

This increase in the number of participants resulted in excessive fishing pressure and consistent overharvesting, leading to shorter and shorter fishing seasons to try to control the harvest. The shorter seasons and derby style of fishing however:

  • failed to keep harvests within total allowable catch limits

  • did not account for by-catch of other species

  • jeopardized product quality

  • made it difficult to generate consistent positive financial returns

  • often forced fishermen to fish in inclement weather leading to safety concerns

In 1989, commercial halibut harvesters began working with the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to develop a better way to manage the wild Pacific halibut fishery. As a result of this collaboration, Canada’s wild Pacific halibut fishery is now considered one of the best managed and monitored fisheries in the world.

TODAY:
Today the fishery operates under a leading edge fisheries management regime that includes:

  • individual transferable quota (ITQ) or “catch share” management

  • hail requirements - vessel masters must notify authorities prior to leaving port for a fishing trip and prior to landing catch

  • trip limits

  • 100% at-sea monitoring to record fishing location and catch by species (retained and released)

  • 100% dockside monitoring of all the retained catch

  • full accountability for all catch, both halibut and non-halibut species regardless of whether the fish is retained or released at sea

  • tagging of each retained wild Pacific halibut with a unique serial number to help with enforcement and traceability

This management regime is called the Commercial Groundfish Integration Program and it was developed through a three-year collaborative process that included representatives from the seven commercial groundfish fisheries (including wild Pacific halibut), seafood processors, DFO fisheries managers and scientists and provincial government representatives.  

Currently, between about 140 and 170 vessels participate in Canada’s commercial fishery for wild Pacific halibut. Although there are 435 limited entry commercial licences for wild Pacific halibut, matching fleet size and fishing effort to the available harvest reduces pressure on marine resources and minimizes environmental impacts. Wild seafood production produces less carbon dioxide emissions than other sources of protein and optimizing the number of vessels operating in a fishery further reduces its carbon footprint. Fewer vessels deploying less fishing gear decreases the incidental catches, or bycatch, of other fish species as well as the potential for encounters with seabirds or marine mammals. Less fishing gear also means a reduced amount of contact with the ocean floor and therefore less benthic impact. More information is available in this article: The Environmental Impact of Food - Sustainable Fisheries UW

There are also several other measures in place that contribute to the sustainability of the fishery, for example:

  • As a condition of licence, all wild Pacific halibut vessels deploying longline gear are required to use seabird avoidance devices, and these devices have been demonstrated to markedly reduce seabird mortality.

  • According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, over 24% of Canada’s Pacific marine environment is already conserved by protected area designations or other measures. More information is available at www.canada.ca. The wild Pacific halibut fishery has a small spatial footprint, taking place in less than 0.7% of Canada’s Pacific marine environment. Continued access to the areas in that small footprint is vital to ensuring the fishery can continue to meet sustainability objectives.

More details about the wild Pacific halibut fishery and the Commercial Groundfish Integration Program and its monitoring can be found at DFO Pacific Region Groundfish Management.