BC wild fisheries provide a bounty of values to coastal communities and Canadians. Our Pacific fisheries are a critical source of local healthy food, a key contributor to our economy, a provider of jobs, a connector to nature, and for the many communities along our BC coast, a foundation of our identity itself.
But our current fisheries management system is fundamentally broken.
Our BC fisheries are being mismanaged using policies that result in multinational corporations and speculative investors dominating over fishermen-owned small businesses and rural coastal communities. In BC, the exorbitant cost of licenses and quota is leaving no room for independent fishermen, small scale community and family fishing businesses to exist. This has led to loss of jobs, negative environmental impacts, safety concerns, and less sustainable seafood available to Canadians.
There is an opportunity right now though to make change! The Federal Minister of Fisheries recognizes the need for the inclusion of socio-economic objectives in support of fish harvesters, First Nations and coastal communities in the Fisheries Act, and creating regulation and policy reform that can enact it. For the first time in decades, there is the possibility of stopping large scale privatization that blocks coastal communities and fishermen from accessing Canada’s Pacific fish stocks.
BC fishing communities and Slow Fish Canada need your support. Sign the petition today.