Reform Pacific fishing licences
Petitioners ask the Government to reform Pacific commercial fishing licences and quotas: adopt a BC owner-operator/fleet-separation framework, create a public beneficial‑ownership registry, ban future foreign ownership, limit corporate concentration, and improve access to capital.
Why we would sign this petition
- It would help restore owner-operated fishing and fleet separation, supporting independent harvesters’ job security and intergenerational succession in coastal communities.
- A public beneficial‑ownership registry and foreign‑ownership ban would increase transparency and curb speculative or foreign acquisition of licences and quota.
- Limiting corporate concentration and improving access to capital could make licences and quota more attainable for First Nations, new entrants and active harvesters.
Why we wouldn’t sign this petition
- Changes could impose administrative complexity and compliance costs on regulators and licence holders.
- A foreign‑ownership ban and ownership limits might reduce available investment or capital, potentially raising costs or limiting industry growth.
- Prescriptive owner‑operator rules and anti-concentration measures could have unintended economic consequences for supply chains or quota efficiency; alternative market-based approaches may be preferable.
The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.
Official petition
PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLED We, the undersigned residents of Canada, draw the attention of the House of Commons in Parliament Assembled to the following: Whereas: Fish in Canadian waters are a public resource and should provide lasting economic, social, and cultural benefits for Canadians, First Nations, and coastal communities; The current Pacific licensing and quota system has weakened British Columbia's independent fishing fleet, reduced employment security, and created barriers for new entrants and intergenerational succession; Rising licence and quota prices, excessive lease costs, corporate concentration, and speculative investment have made it increasingly difficult for active harvesters to earn a sustainable livelihood, with some paying lease fees of up to 80% of the value of their catch; First Nations face significant barriers to acquiring licences and quota needed to advance reconciliation and meaningful participation in commercial fisheries; Canada does not maintain a public registry identifying the beneficial ownership of commercial fishing licences and quota, and places no restrictions on future foreign beneficial ownership in the Pacific Region; and The House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans recommended reforms to improve the sharing of risks and benefits in Pacific fisheries, including preventing future sales of licences and quota to non-Canadian beneficial owners. Therefore, we, the undersigned, residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Implement a made-in-British Columbia owner-operator and fleet separation framework, where appropriate; 2. Establish a public registry disclosing the beneficial ownership of commercial fishing licences and quota; 3. Prohibit future foreign ownership and foreign beneficial ownership of commercial fishing licences and quota in the Pacific Region; 4. Limit excessive corporate concentration, support fair transition measures, and improve access to capital for independent harvesters, First Nations, and new entrants; and 5. Implement long-overdue licensing reforms that strengthen independent harvesters, coastal communities, and the long-termsustainability of Pacific fisheries.
Government response
No government response is available yet.