In 2014 the total landed value of commercial fisheries in Atlantic Canada was nearly $2.4 billion. In comparison, B.C.'s landed value for the same period was $390 million. Of that $2.4 billion, more than 75% was produced by independent fishermen. That's $1.8 billion going directly into coastal communities that are isolated coastal communities, for the most part, where the fishery is the only employer.
Fleet separation has worked. It has created a fleet of 10,000 individual enterprises, all independently owned and operated, spread across five provinces, and employing 20,000 crew. Most importantly, these businesses are almost entirely rurally based. They're rooted in small isolated communities where the fishery is big business, and often the only business.