URGE FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA TO PROTECT FORAGE FISH

Be Part of Canada’s Ocean Comeback — Protect Herring, Capelin, Mackerel, and Sardines.

Forage fish are the foundation of healthy ocean ecosystems.

These small, fast-growing fish feed whales and seabirds, fuel coastal tourism, and sustain Canada’s most economically valuable fisheries — lobster, snow crab, salmon, and northern cod. Failing to protect forage fish threatens Canada’s ocean ecosystems.

Right now, most forage fish stocks in Canada are considered unhealthy, and only three of 16 major forage fish stocks are protected under the Fisheries Act. When we fail to protect forage fish, the entire ocean food web is put at risk.

Add your name today and tell Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson to:

Fully implement the Fisheries Act. Legal protection is needed for all 16 federally managed forage fish stocks. Currently, only three are protected under the Act, leaving the rest without safeguards.
Apply science-based guardrails. All forage fish stocks need ecosystem-based reference points that define when they are at risk and how fishing levels should respond.
Pair Western science with Indigenous Knowledge Systems to strengthen decision-making.

Forage fish are small, but their impact is enormous.

Protecting them is one of the most immediate and effective actions Fisheries and Oceans Canada can take to rebuild ocean abundance, strengthen food security, and support coastal communities.

While forage fish represent less than two per cent of Canada’s landed fisheries value, their impact in the water is immense. Healthy schools of herring, capelin, mackerel, and sardines fuel ecosystems, fisheries, tourism, and coastal economies across Atlantic Canada and the coasts of Quebec and British Columbia.

JOIN CANADA'S OCEAN COMEBACK. CALL ON FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA TODAY TO PROTECT FORAGE FISH.

The Honourable

Joanne

Thompson

Department of Fisheries

Dear Minister Joanne Thompson,

I’m writing to urge you to take immediate action to protect forage fish in Canada, including herring, capelin, mackerel, and sardines.

These small fish are the foundation of healthy ocean ecosystems. Forage fish feed whales and seabirds, fuel coastal tourism and support the bigger fish that sustain major fisheries like lobster, snow crab, salmon and northern cod.

Right now, most forage fish stocks in Canada are not healthy.

Recently, Oceana Canada launched Little Being, Big Foundation: Where Rebuilding Ocean Abundance Begins. This report provides the first national assessment of Canada’s 16 major forage fish stocks and brings forward the voices of people whose livelihoods, cultures, and communities depend on them.

The report found that:

-  More than 80 per cent of stocks are not considered healthy.
-  Many lack the scientific data needed to properly assess their health status.
-  Only three of 16 stocks are protected under the Fisheries Act.
-  Management decisions often diverge from scientific advice.
  
Although forage fish represent only two per cent of Canada’s direct fisheries value, their value when left in the water is immense. Healthy forage fish populations help sustain ocean ecosystems, food security, fisheries, tourism, and resilient coastal economies.

Recent analysis by Statistics Canada found that Canada’s oceans provided more than $7.1 billion in ecosystem services in 2023 — and that those benefits depend on healthy marine ecosystems.

Canada has the laws, science, and knowledge needed to rebuild forage fish populations.

I urge you to act now to:

-  Fully implement the Fisheries Act. Legal protection is needed for all 16 federally managed forage fish stocks. Currently, only three are protected under the Act, leaving the rest without safeguards.

-  Apply science-based guardrails. All forage fish stocks need ecosystem-based reference points that define when populations are at risk and how fishing levels should respond. These benchmarks should follow a modernized forage fish policy and be in place within two years to ensure science drives management decisions.

-  Pair science with Indigenous Knowledge Systems. Forage fish management benefits from pairing Western science with Indigenous Knowledge Systems to inform stock assessments, reference points, rebuilding strategies, and spatial planning. An approach grounded in respect for distinct histories and relationships with the marine environment is key to strengthening ecosystem-based decision-making.

Protecting forage fish is one of the clearest and most immediate actions Canada can take to rebuild ocean abundance and strengthen coastal communities.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue. I hope you will make forage fish protection a clear priority.

Sincerely, 
{user_data~First Name} {user_data~Last Name}

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