Fisheries Sector Overview

• Author: Elaine L. Hughes, Arlene J. Kwasniak, Alastair R. Lucas
• Pages: 259-272

259

CHA PTER 12

FISHERIES

SECTOR

OVERV IEW

Laura D Kumpf* and Elaine L Hughes

A. ABOUT FISHERIES

The f‌isheries sector includes the seacoast (including marine mammals)

as well as inland f‌isheries and aquaculture for both recreational and

commercial purposes. In R v Gladstone, the court aff‌irmed that there

has been a public right to f‌ish in tidal waters since the Magna Carta,

but that right can be abrogated by legislat ion.1 In 2005, over 3.2 million

anglers participated in recreational f‌ishing in Canada.2 In 2010, Can-

ada exported $3.4 billion of f‌ish and seafood products, with shellf‌ish

accounting for over 42 percent of the harvest of wild f‌ish.3 Canada

exports approximately 85 percent of f‌ish har vested, with lobster, crab,

shrimp, and sockeye salmon as the most valuable exports.4 Fisheries

and Oceans Can ada determined the top species harveste d per province

and territory based on landed value, as outlined in Table 12.1 below:5

* Laura Kumpf ( JD, Alberta) is a corporate law yer and associate in t he Edmonton

off‌ice of Miller Thomson L LP. She was a researc h assistant for this s ection during

her time as a law st udent at the University of Alber ta Faculty of Law.

1 [1996] 2 SCR 723 at para 67.

2 Data is from the 2 011 Fisheries and Ocea ns website. The most recent updates

from 2012 can be found, online : www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fm-gp/su stainable-durable/

f‌isheries-peche s/stats2012/wild-sauvage s-eng.htm.

3 Ibid.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.