BIODIVERSITY:
Fisheries

The volume of wild fish captured annually is an indicator of the pressure being placed on fish populations and aquatic ecosystems (both marine and freshwater). Declines in total fish catch are primarily due to over-fishing, although pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and the introduction of exotic species are also factors. In some cases, declines in total fish caught may reflect the enforcement of stricter conservation measures.

The following data includes fish caught in both marine and fresh water ecosystems but excludes aquaculture.

Canada’s OECD Ranking
In terms of the volume of fish caught in 1997, Canada ranked 20th out of 28 OECD nations, with a total catch of 945 million kilograms. The countries catching larger volumes of fish than Canada include, in descending order, Japan, the United States, Norway, Iceland, Korea, Denmark, Mexico and Spain.

With respect to the amount of fish caught per capita, Canada is 20th out of 28 nations at 30.88 kilograms. Four nations – Iceland, Norway, Denmark and New Zealand – catch extraordinarily high volumes of fish on a per capita basis, led by Iceland at a staggering 8,000 kilograms per person.

When it comes to actually eating fish, Canadians rank 15th out of 28 (meaning 14 OECD nations eat less fish per capita). In 1997, Canadians ate 22.2 kg/capita, up 11% from 1980. Fish consumption in the OECD ranges from 4.4 kg/capita in Hungary to 92.5 kg/capita in Iceland.

The Trends
The total volume of fish caught in Canada has fallen 43% since 1980, and an even more precipitous 73% since 1990. The majority of this decline is due to ecological catastrophes on both coasts. In Atlantic Canada, cod populations crashed in the late 1980s and early 1990s because of over-fishing. In British Columbia, salmon populations plummeted for a variety of reasons including over-fishing, habitat destruction and pollution.

Canada is now implementing a more conservation-oriented approach to fisheries management.

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