Blue Fish News – March 5, 2024

What’s New at Blue Fish Canada: Where did February go – certainly wasn’t spent doing a lot of ice fishing, not that we here at Blue Fish Canada had time to spare. Thank goodness for a few cold days. Otherwise, we’ve been busy preparing grant submissions, exhibiting and speaking at both the 4-day Ottawa Boat and Outdoor Show and the Invasive Species Forum. Arranging insurance for the new Blue Fish Exploration Centre has been challenging to say the least. Our goal is to provide youth, their families, youth groups, and researchers of all abilities, backgrounds and identities with access to nature at its finest. Turns out not that many insurance companies have an appetite for insuring centres that provide experiences to everyone including those deemed “vulnerable”. We caved on ice fishing for now, but canoes, kayaks, boats, and all the rest is still a go. And in the meantime, enjoy the news including this issue’s editorial on the state and future of Canada’s small-scale commercial fisheries. Normally, Blue Fish Canada sticks to recreational fishing, but given the numerous overlaps, how can we ignore the plight of our commercial fishing friends.

This Week’s Feature – Small Scale Fisheries, Are they the Answer?

By L. Gunther

For years we have blamed international shipping for releasing non-native species of plants and animals conveyed in their bilges. These giant ships certainly are at fault, but new regulations brought into force have prevented any new invasive species carried aboard cargo ships from entering the Great Lakes for close to 20 years. And yet, we continue to blame cargo ships when, in fact, scientific evidence now points to small watercraft as responsible for the current wave of invasive species spread. Ontario’s new small craft regulations are meant to reduce the spread, but many still have doubts that their fishing boats can cause such aquatic chaos.

When I created the documentary “What Lies Below”, several of the stories concerned the impact of large-scale commercial fishing on fish stocks. Anger among small-scale commercial fishers, indigenous fishers and recreational anglers over industrial fishing harvesting excesses and incidental bycatch remains strong, and rightfully so. But, as commercial fishing excesses are dialed back through aggressive quotas and harvest tracking, the fish stocks targeted by these commercial fishing boats are beginning to show signs of recovery and stability in many of the territorial waters of Canada and the U.S. More science and fact-based quotas are still needed, but we seemed to have turned the corner. So why is it then that the public and many in the fishing industry still believe that large scale fishing vessels are ruining the oceans, and more importantly, that small-scale commercial fishers are the solution needed to bring an end to over-harvesting?

When I witnessed the demise of the North Atlantic cod stocks leading up to the closure of the fishery in 1992, the blame was clearly assigned to giant fishing ships. The reality though, the days of commercial fishers building their own wooden dories, equipping them with engines from cars or trucks, had most definitely come to an end. Wooden dories were replaced with a brand-new fleet of steel, aluminium or fiberglass boats equipped to fish for several days if not weeks at a time. The fishing equipment they were deploying no longer entailed fishers jigging hand lines, but instead deployed seine nets, miles of long lines, and hundreds of large traps, all of which could be efficiently deployed and recovered using powerful mechanical winches. Sonar and sophisticated navigation equipment made it possible to quickly locate and track schools of fish. In short, Canada’s Atlantic fleet of well equipped modern in-shore fishing boats were catching up to the harvesting capacity of their larger off-shore competition. The same thing is now taking place on Canada’s west coast with respect to the commercial fishing of salmon. And yet, many still argue that small scale commercial fisheries are more sustainable than having a few large industrial fishing ships chasing the same fish.

Some argue that one large ship is more efficient and produces fewer greenhouse gasses than having many smaller boats using fossil fuel to travel to and from the fishing grounds. This could all become a moot point should hydrogen some day become the fuel of choice. We have also just learned that large nets dragged across the sea floor stir up considerable amounts of previously captured carbon, causing it to be reintroduced into the ecosystem. Outboard motor manufacturers have been forced to switch from two cycle engines to cleaner burning four stroke motors in Canada and the U.S, but one hears nothing about regulating the emissions of the commercial fishing fleet?

The fact is, regulating large numbers of independently owned small-scale fishing vessels takes considerably more resources than overseeing a few large industrial-sized vessels. Cost of regulatory enforcement, however, should not be a determinant when deciding who has rights over the harvesting of wild fish. But, when it comes to the bottom-line cost advantages of large vessels over smaller scale fishing boats, up until now it’s been the marketplace that decides who prospers, and it would seem that industrial commercial fishing boats are best suited for supplying low-cost seafood.

There’s little doubt the public is bias towards small scale fishing operations and regard large offshore fishing vessels as little better than the “Death Star” in Star Wars. People are of the belief that owners of small businesses are far less likely to intentionally destroy the source of their on-going prosperity, unlike a distant corporately controlled industrial fishing vessel that can extract fish to the point of the stock’s collapse, and then move on and REPEAT.

In short, perceived value of the resource being harvested is based on more than simple economics. The public is all-too aware that the social and economic sustainability of the community itself is on the line. We all know what it means for a single industry dependent town to have its industry shut down. And yet, when we shop for groceries, the choices of over half of Canadians are made based on price.

We all know that small scale fisheries give local people the chance to succeed. It’s not just one corporation or distant owner who is reaping the profits. Instead, it’s a bunch of local entrepreneurs and deck hands that are generating the wealth, and then spending their profits right there where they live so others might benefit indirectly. It’s this knowledge that has convinced many Canadians to pay extra for their seafood with the belief that they are supporting more sustainable fisheries. But, how can we stop consolidation from taking place EVEN AMONG THESE HARVESTORS?

We are witnessing across Canada owners of agricultural operations grow in size as their numbers shrink each year. One-by-one they purchase or lease the land of their neighbours, ending the chance of the children of such neighbours to keep the family farm alive. Such consolidation is driven the same way the fishing sector expanded, through the adoption of larger, more efficient and costly farming equipment.

No longer is it possible for an individual to take up farming or fishing due to the high cost of equipment, land or licenses. Banks won’t offer loans to new businesses with such high up-front costs unless the applicant can guarantee the loan. The reason why we still have small-scale farms left in Canada is because a number of farming sectors like dairy require a license that specifically states exactly how much each farm is allowed to produce. It’s the deregulated farm sectors like corn, wheat and beef that are hollowing out Canada’s farming communities due to farm consolidation. Many of Canada’s fisheries are facing the same pressures.

Fishing licenses are meant to share access to the bounty that grows wild in the ocean and lakes. In most all fisheries the license places limits in the form of the total seasonal quota the combined fishery is permitted to harvest, and at the same time, leaving it wide open to which vessels will secure the greatest share of the quota. Hence, spurring on demand among license owners for larger vessels and more efficient technology. In most cases, being a bigger boat just means you get home sooner. Similar to farming, we incentify fishers to constantly modernize their vessels, squeezing out those without deep pockets.

When Atlantic Canadian commercial fishers were forced to stop fishing for cod, few other options remained. Lobster licenses can only be secured when an existing license holder exits the industry. Pressure mounted on other fish species such as dog fish, striped bass, halibut and flounder, all of which stocks were quickly harvested beyond their sustainable limits. The saviour for a few came in the form of snow crab, the licenses for which were allocated using a lottery. I’m told about one-in-three subscribers to these license lotteries during the mid-1990’s came away with a license. These lucky few could fish for 24 hours and come back with $10,000 in snow crab, and that was 30 years ago. The season was short, but long enough that license holders were earning six figure incomes, while those fishers without licenses faced hard times and welfare. It wasn’t hard to point out who among the small fishing communities scored the snow crab licenses by their new trucks and home renovations. Ten years later lobster fishers in Atlantic Canada were being offered $1 million for their licenses by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who in turn distributed the licenses to First Nations fishers along with boats, traps and other equipment purchased from the exiting lobster fishers.

These government-controlled assignments and redistributions of wealth at the community level may seem unreal but are very much associated with the socio-economic sustainability of Canada’s coastal fishing communities. And while all this is taking place, others with the means have been busy consolidating their wealth by acquiring through purchase or lease the fishing licenses of others, and purchasing larger in-shore fishing vessels required to harvest their growing share of the resource.

Canada may have already passed the point where it can reel back in the consolidation of the fishing industry. It’s also the case that fewer people are interested in fishing as a career due to its inherent risks – commercial fishers have the highest rate of accidental death compared to all other professions in Canada. Just like Canada’s agriculture-based communities, the fortune of coastal fishing communities seem to be experiencing a similar fate.

I’m not an economist and I don’t pretend to have the answers. Even economists won’t predict the future. But I will say that for a country that possesses the longest coastline in the world and shares the most valuable freshwater fishery in the world with the U.S., doesn’t it make sense that we don’t want everyone moving to the cities? Who will be left to watch over and harvest the fish.

We know from experience that we can’t assume that fishers will self-regulate their harvest. It means departments such as DFO need to work collaboratively with both First Nations and non-indigenous communities, and undertake and share the science needed to create the regulations, quotas and systems for overseeing small-scale fisheries. Just as importantly, the evolution of fish harvesting technologies means reaching agreement on where to draw the line, including putting a stop to the consolidation of licenses and quotas. Maybe follow through with the proposal that license holders are aboard the boat doing the fishing? It’s not rocket science.

A last thought concerning what we can learn from Canada’s agriculture sector. Even though the numbers of farms in Canada is shrinking each year, there is growth among the number of farms that generate less than $100,000 in annual sales. These are new farms started by people under 35 years of age, and who are meeting the growing demand for community supported agriculture. We are beginning to see a similar increase in small-scale fishers participating in community supported seafood. These aren’t the people producing boxes of inexpensive fish sticks, but just maybe it’s a sign that the seafood sector is beginning to swing back to producing seafood that’s sustainably harvested, fairly priced, and authentic.

As always, the above aren’t all my thoughts and ideas. I benefit from being able to speak with those with expertise and experience. Such is the case with the new e-book I had the honor of contributing to “Thinking Big about Small-Scale Fisheries in Canada” edited by Evan J. Andrews and Christine Knott.

The book’s forward, prepared by Ratana Chuenpagdee of “Too Big to Ignore”, , , states “Thinking Big about Small-Scale Fisheries is a collection of stories and evidence that can help address the misconception about small-scale fisheries. By virtue, the book is a proof that small-scale fisheries, both Indigenous and non-indigenous, do exist in all Canada’s oceans, coastal and freshwater ecosystems. The chapters illustrate why small-scale fisheries in Canada matter. The contributors provide compelling arguments of why better management and governance of small-scale fisheries is imperative, especially for the overall sustainability.”

Link below to listen to my conversation with the book’s co-editor Evan J. Andrews, and Kristen Lowitt, one of several co-authors of the chapter I contributed to “Declining Fish Health and the Communities Impacted: Insights from the Great Lakes Fish Health Network”, on The Blue Fish Radio Show: https://www.spreaker.com/episode/e432-thinking-big-about-small-scale-fisheries–58908077

The book “Thinking Big about Small-Scale Fisheries in Canada” is free and can be accessed at:
https://tbtiglobal.net/book-release-thinking-big-about-small-scale-fisheries-in-canada/

The Latest Fishing, Fish Health and Fish Habitat News

Fishing:

COVID-19 reduced recreational fishing effort during the black bass spawning season, resulting in increases in black bass reproductive success and annual recruitment / ScienceDirect
In Opinicon Lake, Ontario during two non-pandemic years (2019 and 2022) the hook-wounding rates from recreational angling observed among nesting male largemouth bass Micropterus salmonids (LMB), and nesting male smallmouth bass Micropterus dolomieu (SMB), were quite high, but typical of those observed in the lake over the last 20 years of monitoring. That level of illegal, preseason angling resulted in very low percentages of both LMB and SMB nesting males being successful at raising their broods to independence, rates comparable to those observed for this lake in previous years. In 2020 and 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, however, access to fishing in Ontario was severely limited during the bass spawning season, which serendipitously provided a natural “whole-lake bass spawning sanctuary” to study. Not surprisingly, the hook-wounding rates for nesting male LMB and SMB in Opinicon Lake were the lowest rates ever observed over the last 30+ years. Concomitantly, the percentage of nesting male LMB and SMB that were successful at raising their broods to independence was approximately 3–4 times greater than that in the non-COVID years. Not unexpectedly, those increases in nesting success translated to similar increases in LMB and SMB reproductive success (production of post parental care, independent fry). More importantly, those increases further resulted in large increases in the annual recruitment of both LMB and SMB. This unanticipated COVID-driven experiment revealed that using bass spawning sanctuaries would be more efficient than closed seasons as a management strategy to conserve levels of black bass annual recruitment.

Unintentionally caught Chinook salmon contributes to population depletion / 1170 KPUG-AM
Chinook salmon native to the Nooksack, Skagit and other regional rivers were among thousands wasted as commercial fishers’ bycatch off the coast of Vancouver Island.

Thousands sign petition calling for longer N.L. recreational food fishery
A petition calling for a much longer recreational food fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador has collected more than 2,200 signatures.

Fish:

New fisheries science shows that big muskies eat almost anything / Outdoor Canada
For muskies, perch were the most important item, but they only accounted for about a quarter of the diet. Suckers and invertebrates each accounted for about 10%. And then bullheads, northern pike, bass and sunfish all made up about 5% of the diet.

‘Silent extinction’ feared for steelhead trout across B.C. / Kamloops BC Now
Steelhead trout numbers are staggeringly low across B.C., and conservationists are concerned a lack of data is only making matters worse.

New details emerge about fish die-off in Cowichan River last summer / Chek News
The provincial and federal governments say multiple factors led to the fish die-off in Cowichan River last summer.

Good news for salmon recovery in Petitcodiac River / CBC
After 14 years of working to restore the Atlantic salmon population in New Brunswick’s Petitcodiac River and its tributaries, things are looking up for Atlantic Salmon. A new bridge is making it easier for fish to swim upstream, and juvenile populations are now on the rise.Habitat:

A recent study reveals alarming levels of toxic medicinal drugs in the St. Lawrence River / Freshwater Future
A recent study reveals alarming levels of toxic medicinal drugs like caffeine and ibuprofen in water and sediment samples in the St. Lawrence River. The pollution originates from wastewater treatment plants and poses immediate risks to the health of both the river and its aquatic life.

A voyage into a vanishing Arctic world / The Guardian
The abundance of diverse life in the Arctic Ocean is mesmerizing, especially given the cold and dark conditions. From filter-feeding feather stars to spoon worms with meter-long tongues, a variety of marine creatures call these waters home, and scientists are racing to determine how climate change is affecting one of the world’s least-explored seas.

Balancing act: A policy success story in the Great Lakes / Michigan Sea Grant
Implementing the “swish and spit” method successfully reduced the risk of AIS introductions from transoceanic ballast water. Since 2006, there have been no confirmed introductions of AIS to the Great Lakes through ballast water exchange. This rare success story is an example of what can happen when scientists, policy makers, regulators, and industries work together to find solutions.

Invasive earthworms are reshaping North American ecosystems / Earth.Com
According to a new study led by Stanford University, at least 70 species of invasive earthworms have made their way into North American soil. Non-native earthworms have begun to stress native plants, trees, and wildlife by altering soil properties and encouraging the spread of invasive plant species.

Why Fraser River oil spill took nearly 3 months to start cleaning / Narwhal
A landslide in early December caused a spill that First Nations leaders say endangers prime sturgeon habitat in the Fraser River. The spill was triggered by a landslide that knocked over a tanker truck container on the slope of the company’s rock quarry, impacting prime sturgeon habitat, according to Takoda Castonguay, community support assistant with the Emergency Planning Secretariat, an organization supporting rapid response for 31 Coast Salish First Nations. First Nations waited nearly three months for cleanup to begin, leaving them with concerns about B.C.’s emergency response regulations.

Report on uses of Great Lakes waters in 2022 / Great Lakes Commission
A recent report released by the GLC found that 40.8 billion gallons of water per day were withdrawn from the Great Lakes basin in 2022, about a 3% decrease from 2021 withdrawals. Considering both consumptive use and diversions, the basin gained a total of 869 million gallons per day in 2022.

Superior: The Warming of the World’s Largest Lake
Lake Superior holds ten percent of the world’s surface freshwater. While Superior is known for its shockingly cold water (making swimming a thrill), it is one of the fastest-warming lakes in the world. A new documentary “Sea Change for Superior: The Warming of the World’s Largest Lake” discusses the history of this great lake and its watershed, perspectives from Indigenous communities and how the changing climate is affecting the lake.

Indigenous:

How First Nations are taking the lead in saving Alberta’s trout / Outdoor Canada
Better known as the Rocky Mountains, Miistakis has been sacred to countless generations of Niitsitapi, the Blackfoot people. Extending from the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan River south to Yellowstone country, the “backbone of the world” is the source of almost all the usable water in Canada’s prairies. It’s also home to some of the country’s best surviving stocks of westslope cutthroat and bull trout, two native fish species that are sought-after by anglers, but at increasing risk of extirpation.

First Nations group criticizes federal fish policies, conflict of interest in B.C / Vancouver Sun
The First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance says the federal Fisheries Department is mired in a conflict of interest stemming from its dual regulatory and promotional responsibilities. The Alliance’s chairman Bob Chamberlin described it as like “marking your own homework.”

B.C. First Nation suing Canadian government over fishery closure / Salmon Arm Observer
Heiltsuk Nation on B.C.’s central coast is suing the Canadian government over a 2022 decision by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that banned the nation from its commercial harvest of herring spawn-on-kelp (SOK) fishery.

Canada proposes shutdown of troubled Maritime elver fishery in 2024 / CBC
The federal government has served notice it intends to close the commercial fishery for baby eels, or elvers, in the Maritimes this year — six weeks before the season is set to open. Last year, hundreds of unauthorized fishers flooded to rivers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick eager to cash in. Many were Indigenous harvesters claiming they were exercising their treaty rights to fish and did not require government approval.

Yukon First Nations, advocates push for chinook salmon protection at parliamentary committee / CBC
Yukon River chinook salmon competing against teaming hatchery pinks for food in the ocean, the territorial and the federal governments passing the buck to each other and mining and hydroelectric dams killing the fish — those are just a few of the problems delegates raised.

Arts:

Meet Tiare Boyes, the harvester-artist championing sustainability in the fishing industry / West Coast Now
The second-generation fisherman is an artist, photographer, diver and environmentalist.

Books:

The book “Thinking Big about Small-Scale Fisheries in Canada” is free and can be accessed at: https://tbtiglobal.net/book-release-thinking-big-about-small-scale-fisheries-in-canada/

Podcasts:

Thinking Big about Small-Scale Fisheries in Canada / The Blue Fish Radio Show
The E-book is a collection of stories and evidence that can help address the misconception about small-scale fisheries in Canada. Link below to listen to Lawrence Gunther in conversation with the book’s co-editor Evan J. Andrews, and Kristen Lowitt who co-authored the chapter “Declining Fish Health and the Communities Impacted: Insights from the Great Lakes Fish Health Network”, on The Blue Fish Radio Show.

Videos:

How Humans Affected the Spread of Zebra Mussels / ISC
Over the past 35 years Zebra Mussels have invaded 33 US states and have spread from the Canadian border to the Mississippi river delta. These small invasive mollusks cause large amounts of ecological and economical damage every year. Once established in an environment they quickly outcompete native species, foul water systems, and cause infrastructure damage. During this presentation, our guest presenter Erin Sanchez will show how the human influence of water vessels affected the spread of Zebra mussels across the United States.

Webinar Recording:

Connecting the Dots on Assessing and Reporting Ecological Health in the Great Lakes Region / Latornell Conservation Symposium
Discover how watersheds are assessed using science-based data at different scales. Brought to you by Conservation Ontario, Credit Valley Conservation, and Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Calls to Action:

‘Water You Thinking About the Great Lakes?’ / IJC
Latest IJC Great Lakes Water Quality Board Poll seeks public opinions in a new online poll about the Great Lakes, water quality issues and other topics related to restoring and protecting this unique freshwater system. Take the poll by March 15.

Coming Up:

Evaluating the Ecological Impacts of Waves and Shoreline Erosion on Nearshore Habitat in the St. Lawrence River / Science and Nature
Join the St. Lawrence River Institute for Science + Nature on March 13th at 6:45 Eastern at the Cornwall Public Library or virtually over Facebook to learn about wave cycle science and its relationship to shoreline erosion and aquatic habitat quality. For the last two years, the Great River Network, River Institute, University of Ottawa, South Nation Conservation, and the Raisin Region Conservation Authority have been working together to gain a better understanding of wave action and its impacts on our shorelines.

Special Guest Feature – Halls of Fame Inductees

CANADIAN ANGLER HALL OF FAME WELCOMES NEW INDUCTEES GORD ELLIS AND ANDY PALLOTTA / Spring Fishing and Boat Show

Gord Ellis has a 30-year career spanning many facets of outdoor communication. He’s written several thousand articles as the senior editor of Ontario Out of Doors, columnist for Northern Wild and a frequent contributor to Quebec’s Sentier Chasse Peche. Ellis is also a fishing guide, popular seminar presenter and a familiar voice on CBC radio in Thunder Bay as a reporter, newsreader and outdoor columnist.

Andy Pallotta is a well-known figure in Canadian sportfishing industry circles, Pallotta is the president of Canadian Outdoor Sport Shows Inc, a family run operation. Involvement includes more than 65 events a year, such as consumer shows and tournament fishing events across Ontario, including the Spring Fishing and Boat Show.

Tom Brooke receives prestigious Rick Amsbury Award of Excellence!

Retired Shimano executive Tom Brooke is recognized for his lifetime contributions to sportfishing and fisheries conservation. In particular, Brooke is lauded for his contributions to tournament fishing in Canada by leading the charge to find better handling methods of fish, and the introduction of live-release boats, the Water Weigh In system and other procedures to reduce fish mortality.

Highlighting leaders in conservation, sportsmanship, and angling excellence / IGFA
International Game Fish Association Announces Prestigious 2024 Annual Awards Recipients. Highlighting leaders in conservation, sportsmanship, and angling excellence. This year’s award winners include Canada’s own world-renowned distinguished aquatic conservation professor Dr. Steven J. Cooke. Dr. Cooke has diverse interests in integrative biology, conservation science, and natural resource management. His work spans the natural and social sciences with a particular focus on developing solutions to problems facing fish and other aquatic organisms. Specific projects of late have focused on issues and topics such as fish migration, fish-hydropower interactions, the sustainability of recreational fisheries, aquatic habitat restoration, the movement ecology of fish, the ecology of stress in wild fish, and winter biology. He has also been deeply involved with defining the new discipline of “conservation physiology” – a field dedicated to understanding the mechanisms underlying conservation problems.

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