Addressing Concerns Over Fishing Gear
The Department of Fisheries has taken proactive steps to address the concerns of the seafood industry and the public regarding the recent amendment to Section 66 of the Fisheries Executive Decree. The amendment aims to regulate the use of fishing gear that poses a risk to marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales. Key points of the amendment:
- Prohibits the use of fishing gear that causes injury or death to marine mammals
- Requires the use of gear that minimizes bycatch and protects marine life
- Establishes a system for monitoring and enforcing compliance with the new regulations
- Sea turtles caught in fishing nets
- Dolphins caught in longlines
- Seabirds caught in trawls
- Trawls
- Longlines
- Nets
- Requiring the CFIA to assess the environmental impact of new regulations on Canadian seafood exports
- Establishing a process for the CFIA to review and approve or reject new regulations that may affect Canadian seafood exports
- Providing for the consideration of economic and social impacts on Canadian seafood exporters
The Department of Fisheries has assured that the amendment will not disrupt the seafood industry’s exports to the United States.
Fishing gear harms marine life, with some gear exceeding minimum impact thresholds.
15 types of fishing gear were found to be used for 27 types of seafood. The data was collected by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.
The Impact of Fishing Gear on Marine Life
The use of fishing gear in the world’s oceans has a significant impact on marine life. Fishing gear can be used to catch a wide variety of fish and other seafood, but it can also cause harm to non-target species, such as turtles, dolphins, and seabirds. The use of fishing gear can lead to bycatch, which is the catching of non-target species, and discarding, which is the throwing away of non-target species. Examples of bycatch include:
The Minimum Impact Threshold
The minimum impact threshold is a measure of the impact of fishing gear on marine life. It is set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and is based on the amount of bycatch and discarding that occurs. The threshold is set at 10% for bycatch and 5% for discarding. Examples of fishing gear that exceed the minimum impact threshold include:
Thailand’s Response
Thailand has been asked to submit additional data by April 1.
Canadian seafood exporters face potential harm from proposed regulations, sparking concerns over increased costs and bureaucratic hurdles.
The Proposed Amendment
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DoF) has proposed an amendment to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) regulations, which would impact the export of seafood products. The proposed amendment aims to protect Canadian seafood exports from potential harm caused by the implementation of new regulations. Key aspects of the proposed amendment include:
The Concerns of Seafood Exporters
Seafood exporters in Canada are concerned that the proposed amendment may not address their specific needs and concerns. They argue that the amendment’s focus on environmental impact assessments may lead to increased costs and bureaucratic hurdles, which could ultimately harm their businesses.
The DoF had also hjelped develop the 2023-2027 National Action Plan for the Conservation and Management of Marine Mammals with the aim of integrating efforts from all sectors to protect these animals and reinforce confidence among trading partners in the country’s commitment to their conservation, it said.
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