A healthy commercial fishery is one of the best indicators of a healthy marine environment

Carl Walters

Contact us at

 

info@bcfishcaucus.ca

CFC Goals

Goal 1: A Healthy Fishery Resource

Effective conservation of fishery resources, protect fish habitat from degradation, with particular attention on spawning and rearing habitat. Prevent pollution from entering our ocean from land, sea and air.

 

Goal 2: Healthy Commercial Fisheries

Commercial fisheries provide food, employment, and income for individuals, companies, and communities on our coast and beyond.  The 22 commercial fisheries on our coast compete in local and global seafood markets by providing consumers with consistent, healthy, quality food products, sustainably harvested,  at a fair price  (see our definition of sustainable seafood).

 

Goal 3: Access to Fish

Without access there will be no fishery. Technically commercial fisheries have access to 75% of the coast. In reality regulation, spatial and temporal closures, tidal currents and depth, and resource movement limit usage to a much smaller space. Less than 35% of our coast has been fished over the last decade. Unnecessarily locking off areas can destroy fisheries. Changing climate, ocean acidification, underutilized species and other conditions may provide opportunity to diversify commercial fisheries, without access there is no opportunity

 

Goal 4: Constructive and Enduring Relationships 

Numerous interests use the marine space, there are interrelated levels of marine governance and society as a whole benefits from well-managed and sustainable marine ecosystems. Efforts towards sustaining ocean ecosystems will benefit from a collaborative effort and an interest-based approach to planning.

 

Goal 5: A Diverse Fleet

A diverse fleet where small boat and independent fishermen can thrive with local and coast wide access. Due to a number of factors (e.g., fleet rationalization, ITQs, market accountability regimes, poor policy) the trend over the past 30 years has been a loss of harvester ownership and decreasing local food security. Efforts must be made to help reverse these trends, we need to grow harvester access, improve the coastal economy, and raise rural coastal community wellbeing.

 

Goal 6: Human Resources

Maintain and develop well educated, trained, and experienced professionals to manage and execute fisheries. Training programs, inter-generational transfer mechanisms, and full career considerations are needed to develop talented professionals for the industry’s future. Innovative approaches are needed.

 

Goal 7: Safe, Reliable and Green Coastal Infrastructure

Coastal infrastructure docks and wharfs, shipyards, fuel stations, recycling facilities, search and rescue, safe harbour buoys, and navigational aids need to be maintained and enhanced.  Commercial fishing provides and supports coastal infrastructure to the benefit of communities and other sectors.

 

Goal 8: Diverse Markets and Distribution Channels

Both local and global, retail and wholesale markets are important for BC fisheries.  Diverse distribution (including sea, rail, road and air) channels are critically important to the fishing industry and need to be effective and efficient. Local food security needs to be better linked to local seafood.