Fishing industry in Canada

Canada is fortunate to be surrounded by the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic Oceans as well as the Great Lakes that contain abundant and valuable sources of fish and seafood.

[11] An important part of establishing sustainable fisheries in Canada is certifying and monitoring where fish and seafood products originate from, where they are processed, and how they are sold to Canadian consumers.

Certification and traceability ensure that fish and seafood products harvested from Canada's fisheries comply with chain of custody requirements established by an independent third-party to avoid conflicts of interest between regulators and industry members.

[12][13] In the recent years, the Canadian government has taken steps in attempt to promote sustainable fishing practices, which include such aspects listed above.

[14] In response to the European Unions's Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing regulations implemented on January 1, 2010, Fisheries and Oceans Canada established Canada's Catch Certification Program to oversee the distribution of catch certificates to Canadian fish harvesters and producers who export seafood products to the European Union.

The termination of the reciprocity (also known as Free Trade) agreement between Canada and the United States caused several American vessels to be confiscated by the Canadian authorities.

The relationship between Canada and the United States during these years following confederation was rocky and uncertain as disputes arose over control and access to the fisheries located in the North Atlantic.

The Second World War saw the widespread adaption of modern technology and communication devices such as radios, sonar, nylon nets, and hydraulic power equipment to haul in larger catches of seafood products.

The government responded by introducing limits on the size and overall number of vessels that could operate in any given fishery, establishing industry-government advisory committees to foster communication between industry stakeholders and government policy makers, encouraged fishermen to form collective organizations (an example of such an organization is the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters), and introduced fishing quotas and operational zones in the Atlantic region.

Although these solutions were effective to some degree, the Canadian fishing industry continued to experience widespread instability and significant crises throughout the following decades.