As a result of their deliberations committees may make recommendations which they include in their reports for the consideration of the House of Commons or the Government. Recommendations related to this study are listed below.

Recommendation 1

That the government move urgently to enact legislation with the direct purpose of eliminating forced labour in Canada’s global supply chains, including the seafood sector.

Recommendation 2

That the government ensure that all definitions of illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing used for administrative and policy-making purposes include seafood harvested or processed using illegal labour practices such as forced labour.

Recommendation 3

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada act urgently to implement a full-chain boat-to-plate seafood traceability program as promised in the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard’s 2019 mandate letter and following the recommendations of this Committee in its 2022 report, Traceability and Labelling of Fish and Seafood Products.

Recommendation 4

Given that wild Pacific salmon are facing multiple existential threats, the Government of Canada should appropriately prioritize prevention of illegal, unreported and unregulated salmon fishing with sufficient enforcement resources as one key part of a multi-pronged effort to protect these critical species.

Recommendation 5

Given that the human-made climate crisis is causing waters to warm and changing marine species’ behaviour and population distribution, that the Government of Canada ensure that its illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing enforcement policies are forward-looking and adaptive to meet changing needs.

Recommendation 6

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada determine the degree to which IUU fishing is the result of fishers unable to obtain legal access to the fishery and otherwise deprived of their livelihood due to the high cost of purchasing or leasing licences and/or quota.

Recommendation 7

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada determine and report the percentage of the total allowable catch on the West Coast in regulated fisheries that is in the hands of foreign investors and not fished, either because the owners withhold access to the licences and/or quota they own or because they price that access out of reach of fishers.

Recommendation 8

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada work on a viable and ambitious transition plan for sustainable fishing.

Recommendation 9

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada actually address, with no further delay, the implementation of a plan that ensures predictability in its departmental directions involving fisheries.

Recommendation 10

That, to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing more effectively and to increase understanding of what species are being caught through illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, Fisheries and Oceans Canada:

• increase their dockside monitoring efforts;
• increase their enforcement efforts; and
• increase the number of species subject to dockside monitoring, such as lobster and other high-value species or species with low abundance.

Recommendation 11

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada begin a significant shift by implementing modern technological and computer systems for data collection, such as a form of digital and standardized catch register and that for threatened species, this register must be declared for all Canadian fishers so that reporting requirements are more standardized across the country.

Recommendation 12

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada open indicative fishing for hook-and-line mackerel fishing, and that catch reporting obligations be implemented for all Canadian provinces.

Recommendation 13

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada work with various stakeholders to ensure that traceability is a key factor in targeting and preventing illegal fishing.

Recommendation 14

That the appropriate actions be taken by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, as quickly as possible, to implement the recommendations made by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in his ninth report of 2023 on monitoring marine fisheries catch to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Recommendation 15

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada place considerable and practical emphasis on monitoring fisheries and fish catches using appropriate modern technology and tools to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing as much as possible.

Recommendation 16

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada actively listen to Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers, as well as other fisheries stakeholders, so that they collaborate with the department to establish predictable and overarching catch monitoring policies.

Recommendation 17

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada work alongside fishers and harvesters to ensure data on marine biodiversity and fish stocks is being collected accurately and in a timely and ongoing manner to allow for informed decisions to be made with the data being collected.

Recommendation 18

That, in light of the critical role played by the Indigenous Fisheries Guardianship Program in Indigenous sovereignty, the Government of Canada fully support the Guardianship Program in achieving its full capacity.

Recommendation 19

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada take action to increase the enforcement of the Fisheries Act to ensure the illegal poaching of species such as bluefin tuna, lobster, elvers, salmon, and etc., is effectively deterred protecting those aquatic populations and the people who legally harvest them.

Recommendation 20

That the Government of Canada collaborate with provinces on establishing more effective deterrents to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing by increasing the certainty of apprehension through better enforcement and supporting provincial efforts to aggressively pursue charges, timely prosecution of accused fishers and sanctions upon convictions that reflect the severity of the fishing offence and related actions that harm the public’s sense of security and confidence in the rule of law.

Recommendation 21

That given the tight-knit nature of small community societies where IUU fishing is a concern, Fisheries and Oceans Canada consider bringing in enforcement personnel from other communities who will not be subjected to ongoing intimidation as a result of pursuing their duties.

Recommendation 22

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada, through regulations, establish that fines for IUU fishing be invested in restoration and conservation of fish stocks that would contribute to the sustainability of fisheries and the communities that rely on sustainable fisheries.

Recommendation 23

That the Government of Canada, in collaboration with stakeholders, develop and implement a program to provide financial support to fishers that are affected by fisheries closures or reductions to the total allowable catch.

Recommendation 24

That boat-to-plate traceability mechanisms be implemented to certify legally harvested seafood, with charges, prosecutions and penalties established for those found guilty of transporting or processing illegally harvested seafood.

Recommendation 25

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada recognize that true reconciliation with First Nations in its role as a regulator involves working alongside First Nations to implement their inherent and treaty rights.

Recommendation 26

Where fisheries management decisions may have implications for the inherent or treaty rights of First Nations, including the rights to fish and harvest for Food, Social, or Ceremonial (FSC) reasons or for a moderate livelihood, that Fisheries and Oceans Canada use reasonable efforts to ensure First Nations impacted by such decisions are included in the decision-making processes; and

that because First Nations are distinct from other stakeholder groups in that they possess unique constitutionally protected rights which the Government of Canada has a responsibility to uphold, Fisheries and Oceans Canada engage with Nations as partners rather than stakeholders in consultation and high-level decision-making processes.

Recommendation 27

That all Fisheries and Oceans Canada personnel who act as liaisons, communicators, or negotiators with First Nations, and specifically DFO Conservation and Protection Officers, be provided with up-to-date information and increased training and education opportunities regarding Indigenous inherent and treaty fishing rights, and the obligations to uphold such rights to ensure those fishing legally are free to do so.

Recommendation 28

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada strengthen data collection related to Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) fisheries as to get an improved idea of how much is being harvested which can help contribute to conservation and enforcement efforts.

Recommendation 29

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada provide clear definitions and clarifications so that court decisions on Indigenous fishing rights are interpreted appropriately.

Recommendation 30

That the allotment for Food, Social and Ceremonial (FSC) fishing be determined in a collaborative manner, taking into account the comments and views of Indigenous peoples, in order to prevent inequality between peoples and promote mutual understanding and goodwill between Indigenous and non-Indigenous fishers.

Recommendation 31

That, in order to reduce the likelihood of conflict and division, the Government of Canada undertake region-specific public outreach and education campaigns as necessary to:

• promote public understanding of First Nations inherent and treaty fishing rights;
• reduce misinformation; and
• promote the shared goals and values of responsibility and accountability in ensuring the sustainability of fisheries.

Recommendation 32

That Fisheries and Oceans Canada publicly release all agreements made with First Nations regarding the management of fisheries and the access to fisheries.