One might think the fish in Canadian waters would be a bountiful resource for Canadians. But in reality, wee only get about 20% of the catch.

“We feed the world with our fish,” says Fiona MacRaild, a local seafood expert, a life-long learner, and the newly appointed executive director of the Native Fishing Association.

“We sell about 80% of our total catch to about 80 countries,” she explains, drawing on her experience as a provincial civil servant working with these statistics. Given access to massive hauls, some of the larger fishers pull in and process their catches on board big ships with big crews who prepare and pack that seafood for immediate export. 

MacRaild and partner Dan Claxton live in Saanichton, 20 kilometres north of Victoria, where they run a seafood and fishing consultancy, are fish buyers for hire, and teach the Aboriginal apprenticeship program in commercial fishing. 

Claxton is also an Indigenous fisher of the Tsawout First Nation and fleet master of four boats with commercial crews who catch whatever is in season. MacRaild helps when time permits.

As with most small-scale fishers, Indigenous or non-Indigenous, access to limited fishing opportunities means a second job is likely needed to round out the household income.

Like individual fishers, Greater Victoria’s small-scale fishing companies also diversify. Oak Bay Seafood and Finest at Sea have their own boats and fishers to stock their shops, while also running cafes and mini retail outlets. Oak Bay Seafood has a wholesale operation, Better Seafood Supply, that is the same-day go-to for local restaurants such as the Inner Harbour’s Red Fish Blue Fish, which orders 90-125kg (200 to 275 pounds) of seafood every day at this time of year.

Operating with minimal wiggle room, these local small-scale fishing  businesses thrive largely on the acumen of their owners. They embrace sustainable fishing methods, maintain eco-friendly operations, and follow the Ocean Wise conservation program. 

This is a common characteristic among fishers, says MacRaild, who describes the majority of “‘fish people”’ as natural-born conservationists. And, as she points out, every fish brought aboard their boat is part of the Canadian economy and is as important to the provincial government even if federal laws favour corporate interests. 

Small-scale fishing org launches petition on foreign ownership

One organization that favours local, small-scale fishers is Skipper Otto. The Vancouver-based community-supported fishery was co-founded by Sonia Strobel and her husband Shaun in 2008. Shaun is an active commercial fisher who keeps his boat at Vancouver’s False Creek. 

Skipper Otto is about supporting Canadian fishing families by encouraging locals to pre-purchase a share of the catch from local small-scale harvests before the fishing season starts. Members receive plenty of fresh west coast options and they can pick up their orders at one of 95 locations across the country. Though the organization is based in Vancouver, the majority of the fishers they work with are on the Island. 

In their mission to support small-scale fishers in Canada, Sonia submitted a petition to Joyce Murray, the minister of fisheries, oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard with 2,165 signatures on it. The petition called for limitations on foreign ownership of commercial fishing licenses and quotas in the Pacific region. 

It states that the absence of these restrictions and quotas damages the economic viability of Canadian-owned fishing operations, harvesters and their families, and coastal communities. 

The petition also called for the ministry to immediately ban any further transfer of Canadian commercial fishing licenses and quotas to foreign ownership or foreign beneficial interest. 

After submitting the petition, Sonia was invited to meet with Murray, as well as the deputy minister, and 16 selected guests. 

“We talked about policy and the overarching problems in the industry,” says Sonia.

Some fishers fear DFO will brush aside concerns

Kyle Louis, 29, was also at the meeting. A commercial fisher from Musqueam Indian Band, taught by his grandfather at an early age, he manages two vessels and specializes in fishing for salmon and prawns.

Louis also agreed to engage with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans advisory boards on matters of shared concern. 

“They hear from us on a regular basis then go back and do what they were going to do anyways. We engage often on science, monitoring, conservation, various topics. We put forward our recommendations but DFO never takes action,” he says.  

It’s frustrating work, says Louis, but he is compelled to stick with it.

“I want to make sure my kids are able to do what I do. Commercial fishing works hand in hand with food security for First Nations people. We can’t drop the ball or DFO will win and take over completely.”

As for takeaways from the meeting with the minister, nothing conclusive was determined nor were any future meetings arranged. Even so, Louis says all was not lost. 

“I think we got the message across about the issues we face and that conservation and reconciliation matter most.”

Top photo by A.Davey.