Thank you for inviting me to speak today.
I want to recognize the importance of this five-year review of the Fisheries Act, the first one ever. The 2019 modernization of the act marked its first major overhaul since 1868. It's one of the most important laws in Canada for both our environment and our communities. It's an act we should be proud of, and we should continue to implement it to the fullest extent possible. If we do that, the act will ensure future Canadians benefit from our freshwater and marine ecosystems, which sustain cultures, livelihoods and economies for so many indigenous and non-indigenous communities.
Two of the major upgrades to the act in 2019 were the inclusion of section 35 of the Constitution and, as Dr. Williams referenced, the enshrining of owner-operator policy in Atlantic Canada in law.
Oceans North staff have been active participants in many fisheries advisory committees over the last five years, and we also support Canada in its representation on international fisheries bodies, such as NAFO and ICCAT. We work collaboratively whenever possible with the fishing industry's owner-operator and offshore fleets.
I want to touch base on three major aspects of the act, and I hope you will consider them in your review. The first two are areas where implementation is happening or is needed—rebuilding depleted fish populations and proactive protection of fish habitat—while the third includes a recommendation for a surgical change to the act to ensure fisheries decision-making includes climate change and biodiversity as factors to be considered.
On fish stock rebuilding, with the addition of section 6 of the act in 2019, Canada joined other developed fishing nations in legally requiring depleted fish stocks to be restored. While there may be different perspectives in terms of timelines and measures to reach rebuilding, I think we can all agree that the most important factor in economically sustainable fisheries is having healthy fish populations. Without any fish, we have no fisheries.
As of November 2024, Canada has largely met the requirements of this section of the act. The majority of rebuilding plans are complete, although not all are public. Now we must adhere to these plans and ensure they yield the results we need. Oceans North has conducted economic studies with a focus on forage fish like mackerel and herring that demonstrate how valuable these fish and fisheries can be to our economy and the marine ecosystem if we take the time to allow these populations to rebuild. It will require patience, adherence to scientific advice and consideration of future generations, who deserve an opportunity to fish.
Pending the approval of the next major batch of fish stocks currently in the Canada Gazette part I, rebuilding provisions will apply to 95 stocks in Canada. This means we have safeguards in place for when stocks decline. I know you've all been hearing and speaking a lot about northern cod. It's one of the greatest global population declines of all time, so we have a particular responsibility to get rebuilding right, not just rebuilding above the critical zone but also achieving healthy stocks.
The second area I want to bring to your attention is an aspect of the act that has yet to be implemented. In 2012, amendments to the Fisheries Act allowed for the proactive protection of fish habitat and the establishment of ecologically significant areas. This was maintained in the 2019 act. Under subsection 35.2(2), ESAs can be established by the minister. Canada has over two million lakes and rivers that support indigenous food fisheries and recreational activities and that provide water sources for many of our communities. Despite this ability to designate ESAs and ensure prohibitions to activities other than fishing that could negatively impact such habitat, to date, Canada has not made use of the powers of this act. In October 2024, St. Mary's River in Nova Scotia was announced as the first candidate ESA in the country. That's the first of over two million bodies of water. We're not expecting all of these to be fully protected, but we think we need to make progress. We can and must do better in developing an effective and efficient regulatory process that allows us to protect more fish habitat.
Finally, our marine and coastal ecosystems are changing. The Gulf of St. Lawrence on the east coast is nine degrees above the long-term average. Mahi mahi are being seen off Newfoundland. Whales are shifting their migration habits. Lobster catches in southwest Nova Scotia, one of Canada's most valuable fisheries, are declining as lobster move north in search of colder water. All of this is due to the 90% of excess heat that our oceans absorb as a result of global warming.
Fisheries will change and are changing as a result of climate change, so climate change must be incorporated as one of the factors to be considered in decisions. This can be done by amending section 2.5 to include climate change, which would ensure that ecosystem-based management, to which Canada committed in 2004, includes addressing climate and is fully implemented. This is also a key aspect of the recently released 2030 nature strategy, which commits us to sustainable fisheries under the Convention on Biological Diversity. Changing ecosystems will change our fishing communities, and planning ahead will reduce the impact of those changes over time. Working with the fishing industry and indigenous communities on ecosystem-based management can meet the needs of the ecosystem and incorporate on-the-water knowledge to insure future fisheries.
Thank you for the opportunity to share our perspective, and I look forward to questions at the right time.