Josh Laughren, executive director of Oceana Canada, said proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act would prompt the government to rebuild stocks that fall below sustainable levels.
Not only does that make the industry more vulnerable to pathogens and disease, but the profitability of those fisheries have obscured the depletion of others like groundfish. Since 1970, Canada has seen fish biomass decline by 55 per cent, an expert panel convened by the Royal Society of Canada found.
"Abundance provides options, abundance makes allocation a hell of a lot easier and provides more value. I think we've kind of forgotten about how important that is," he said.Paul Lansbergen, who represents commercial fisheries as president of the Fisheries Council of Canada, said that beyond protecting fish stocks the law should also protect "sustainable" fishing rights.
Martin Mallet, executive director of the Maritime Fishermen's Union, said he's hoping the bill passes without too many hiccups, adding most fishermen associations in Atlantic Canada support the bill.