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Fishing and aquaculture platforms

Here's what the 2025 Canadian election parties are promising.

Liberal

  • Invest an extra $250M in the repair and maintenance of small craft harbours

    "Invest an additional $250 million in the repair and maintenance of small craft harbours. These harbours are the backbone of the fishing industry, especially in Atlantic Canada, and are the homebase for many of Canada’s fisheries. Tackling much needed repairs and improvements will protect livelihoods, and help these small fisheries grow." — liberal.ca, retrieved 2025-04-21

  • Increase funding by 20% for each fisheries fund, and create a new Arctic Fisheries Fund

    "Help our fisheries respond to tariffs and reduce the risk involved in expanding to new markets by creating a new Arctic Fisheries Fund, and revamping the Atlantic Fisheries Fund, the Quebec Fisheries Fund, and the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, increasing funding by 20% for each. This new funding will help our fishermen and women face tariff risks including on developing new export markets, new product development and promoting Canadian seafood for dinner tables here at home. Funding will also drive innovation, sustainability, and productivity so that our industry is set up for long-term growth." — liberal.ca, retrieved 2025-04-21

  • Add another $30M to the AgriMarketing Program to help farmers, ranchers, and producers access new markets, including in the fish and seafood sectors

    "Increase support for farmers, ranchers, and producers to access new markets for their food products with an additional $30 million in the AgriMarketing Program;" — liberal.ca, retrieved 2025-04-14

    "Increase support for farmers, ranchers, and producers, including in the fish and seafood sectors, to access new markets for their food products with an additional $30 million in the AgriMarketing Program. This will build on recent successes, including the recent opening of new Agri-Food Offices abroad, which helps our farmers access new markets and diversify away from the United States." — liberal.ca, retrieved 2025-04-21

Conservative

  • Double funding for the Small Craft Harbours programme
  • Maintain the willing buyer-willing seller model for quota transfers
  • Prohibit foreign and corporate ownership of new BC commercial fishing access, grandfathering current cases pending ownership transparency

    "Implementing a Made-in-B.C. Owner/Operator Policy to prohibit foreign and corporate ownership of new BC commercial fishing access, grandfathering current cases pending ownership transparency." — Change, retrieved 2025-04-23

  • Create a public registry of fishing quota and license holders
  • Balance ecosystems by managing pinniped predation
  • Grant Harbour Authorities better access to federal commercial financing
  • Ensure that fishing is allowed only in accordance with DFO regulations
  • Invest in fisheries science and Integrated Fisheries Management Plans
  • Implement "marked selective salmon" fisheries for hatchery salmon to protect vulnerable species

Bloc

  • Élaborer un plan de diversification des marchés pour les pêches

    Le Bloc travaillera avec le fédéral, le Québec et les milieux à l’élaboration d’un plan de diversification des marchés pour les pêches, alors que 85 % des exportations des produits sont dirigées vers les États-Unis

  • Instaurer un protocole rigoureux de partage de la collecte de données entre le ministère, les pêcheurs et les chercheurs du milieu des pêches

    Le Bloc Québécois souligne que ces propositions menant à une meilleure connaissance de la réalité sur le terrain devraient pouvoir mener à des permissions raisonnables pour la pêche personnelle de diverses espèces.

  • Travailler à l’amélioration des infrastructures de transport, incluant la réfection des quais et des ports pour petits bateaux
  • Militer en faveur du rapatriement des pleins pouvoirs en matière de pêches

    Dans l’intervalle, le Bloc Québécois proposera de confier à une agence indépendante décentralisée la gestion des stocks, des permis et des quotas afin que toute décision sur les pêches soit basée sur la science, pas le favoritisme.

  • Pousser le fédéral à promouvoir et développer des marchés visant la réouverture ou l’élargissement de certaines pêches ou chasses durables, par exemple le sébaste ou le phoque
  • Instaurer un protocole rigoureux de partage de la collecte de données entre le ministère, les pêcheurs et les chercheurs du milieu des pêches
We don't have any NDP policies on Fishing and aquaculture.

Green

  • Ensure transparency in fisheries management by making all quota-setting, conservation measures, and decision-making processes publicly accessible
  • Ban the export of unprocessed resources, so that resources are refined, processed, and value-added here before export

    "Ban the export of unprocessed resources. Ensure Canadian oil, minerals, timber, and seafood are refined, processed, and value-added before export, creating Canadian jobs and reducing U.S. leverage over our economy." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Shift nearshore fisheries management to Indigenous and community-led governance

    "Shift near shore fisheries management to Indigenous and community-led governance, ensuring that quota-setting, conservation decisions, and enforcement reflect traditional knowledge and local stewardship." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Transition the Department of Fisheries and Oceans toward a co-governance and Indigenous-led management model in key regions

    "Enter into a formal transition proces store place the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) with Indigenous-led marine governance in regions where Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis Nations have asserted or are working toward the exercise of sovereign marine stewardship.

    Until the sovereignty of Indigenous governance is fully recognized, ensure that the DFO operates only in an advisory capacity in these regions, supporting Indigenous-led management rather than directing it.

    Support Indigenous Nations actively developing regional governance models — such as the Haida Gwaii model — and ensure federal recognition of emerging Indigenous marine governance systems."

    Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Ensure all fisheries account for the impacts of climate change, adjusting quotas and protections to reflect shifting fish populations
  • Protect Indigenous Peoples' traditional fishing rights and moderate livelihood fishing
  • Update federal fisheries regulations to align with Indigenous laws and management plans

    "Update federal fisheries regulations to align with Indigenous laws and management plans, ensuring their legal authority over conservation measures and resource management." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Ensure all fish caught in a fishery, including bait and recreational fishing, are counted in management decisions

    "Ensure all fish caught in a fishery — including bait and recreational fishing — are counted in management decisions to improve stock assessments and sustainability." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Develop a Canadian "Sea Grant"-style programme to fund fisheries research, support coastal communities, and enhanced public engagement

    "Develop a Canadian “SeaGrant”-style program to fund fisheries research, support coastal communities, and enhance public engagement on sustainable fisheries management, in consultation with key Canadian and international scientific societies." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Implement science-based catch limits, habitat protections, and stronger enforcement against overfishing

    "Implement science-based catch limits, habitat protections, and stronger enforcement against overfishing, following recommendations from Oceana’s 2024 Fisheries Audit." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Support sustainable shellfish and seaweed aquaculture in partnership with Indigenous communities

    "Support sustainable shellfish and seaweed aquaculture in partnership with Indigenous communities, ensuring these industries create local jobs while protecting marine ecosystems." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Prevent corporate control of inshore fishing licenses

    "Protect independent fishers and coastal communities by preventing corporate control of inshore fishing licenses." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Transfer aquaculture regulation from Fisheries and Oceans Canada to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to prevent conflicts of interest in fisheries management
  • Invest in independent fish stock research over five years

    "Invest in independent fish stock research over five years to ensure management decisions are based on the best available science and to close critical data gaps." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Remove Fisheries and Oceans Canada's mandate to promote salmon aquaculture

    "Remove Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s mandate to promote salmon aquaculture, ensuring its regulatory role prioritizes environmental protection over industry interests." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Require all finish aquaculture operations to transition to closed containment systems, starting with the phase-out of open-net pen fish farms in Pacific waters by 2025 and all waters by 2030

    "Require all finfish aquaculture operations to transition to closed containment systems, starting with the phase-out of open-net pen fish farms in Pacific waters by 2025 and all Canadian waters by 2030, ensuring a just transition for affected workers and communities." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Implement key recommendations from Parliament's 2024 West Coast Fisheries Report

    "Implement key recommendations from Parliament’s 2024 West Coast Fisheries report to ensure fair access to fisheries resources and stronger protections for coastal communities." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Recognise Indigenous laws and management plans as legally-binding within their territories

    "Recognize Indigenous laws and management plans as legally binding within their territories, ensuring full authority over conservation measures, quota-setting, and enforcement." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Conduct a review of the Recovery Potential Assessment process

    "Conduct a review of the Recovery Potential Assessment (RPA) process to determine whether its shortcomings are due to unnecessary complexity or poor implementation." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

  • Reform and expand the co-management provisions of the Oceans Act to reflect the legal authority and sovereignty of Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis Nations

    "Reform and expand the co-management provisions of the Oceans Act to reflect the legal authority and sovereignty of Indigenous, Inuit, and Métis Nations. Ensure these provisions support the full transition to Indigenous-led governance, with DFO operating in an advisory role where appropriate." — Change: Vote For It, retrieved 2025-04-25

Looking for the parties' positions on other topics?

See our full 2025 Canadian election platform comparison