Supporting Good Fisheries Management
As a Canadian charity focused on the health of the oceans and the people who rely on them, fisheries are a key component of our work.
Supporting Good Fisheries Management
As a Canadian charity focused on the health of the oceans and the people who rely on them, fisheries are a key component of our work.
How are fisheries managed in Canada?
Fisheries have underpinned the health and livelihoods of coastal communities for generations and continue to do so today. However, fish stocks across Canada and worldwide are facing many challenges, from depleted stocks and habitat loss to climate change.
Ensuring their sustainable management is the responsibility of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, which is tasked with gathering science and knowledge and using that information to make decisions on how much fish can be harvested. Internationally, fisheries are usually governed by regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), where countries come together to make decisions on fish stocks that straddle or are outside of national waters.
How does Oceans North contribute?
Fish are a public resource in Canada and the perspectives of all Canadians are an integral component of the management process. Oceans North works with various stakeholders and governments to ensure that fisheries are rebuilt and managed so that they can meet the needs of future generations and increase ecological resilience amid a changing ocean. We engage primarily in five ways:
- Science Processes
We regularly participate as invited experts in stock assessments through the Canadian Science Advice Secretariat (CSAS) Opens in new tab. These are science meetings where government and academic scientists, industry, Indigenous groups, and environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) are invited to review the science of fisheries health. These consensus-based, peer review meetings result in science advice for how much fish can be caught and how biological characteristics of the species and environmental conditions can be incorporated into fisheries management
- Fisheries Advisory Committees and Delegations
Oceans North are members or observers in more than 15 fisheries advisory committees. These meetings are where the quotas and management measures for upcoming fishing seasons are discussed between DFO scientists, managers, industry, Indigenous groups, ENGOs, and other interested stakeholders. The science advice produced from CSAS meetings are also presented. While these are not decision- or consensus-driven bodies, advice gathered by participants is collected by DFO and provided to the Minister or senior department officials to inform decision making.
We also sit alongside industry as part of the Canadian delegation to various international fisheries bodies where fisheries quotas for shared stocks are determined and best practices for fisheries management are discussed. These include the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), United Nations Committee on Fisheries (UNFAO), the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement (CAOFA), and the Transboundary Management Guidance Committee, among others.
- Direct Dialogue with Harvesters, Community Members
We engage regularly in dialogue with harvester representatives, fishers, and community members to their perspectives and better understand their experiences on the water and what is important for them in the short and long term. We also engage with other conservation and community groups and interested members of the public.
- Written Advice to Decision Makers
We use the information gathered from the science advice, advisory committees, and dialogues to inform our recommendations on stock quotas and management measures. Our recommendations are driven by science, community needs, and conservation measures needed to ensure sustainability of fisheries resources for future generations. We share these recommendations with relevant decision makers and advisory committees and now on our website.
- Supporting Natural and Social Science
We fund or collaborate on fisheries-related research in partnership with academia, industry, Indigenous groups, and community members. Recent projects have included shark tagging in Nunatsiavut, assessing the impact of climate change on fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic, quantifying the value of forage fish in the water, examining seabird diets in the Bay of Fundy, and assessing carbon storage in Canada’s seabeds.
Where Do We Work?
Our work takes us from the wharves and water ways of Atlantic Canada and beyond. Currently our fisheries staff reside in Halifax and Sydney, Nova Scotia and St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. Oceans North has staff throughout Canada and Inuit Nunangat with whom we collaborate. We participate in science and advisory committee meetings throughout Atlantic Canada and the Eastern Arctic. We also participate in Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO) meetings that often take place in Europe.
Who Are We?
Katie Schleit
Fisheries Director
Katie Schleit
Fisheries Director
Katie leads the work of fisheries team. With a master’s degree in Marine Affairs from University of Washington, she hails from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and is now based in Halifax. She has close to 20 years of work experience at the intersection of marine and fisheries policy, science, and management. In 2023, she was appointed as a Canadian Commissioner to International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). You will find her at most meetings involving small and large pelagic species like mackerel and tuna.
John Couture
Senior Fisheries Advisor
John Couture
Senior Fisheries Advisor
John grew up in Cape Breton and is based in Sydney, NS. He leads on our Indigenous relations for Atlantic fisheries. He brings a wealth of experience from working at DFO and as Commercial Fisheries Liaison Coordination for the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources, as well as being a former executive member of the Canadian Independent Fish Harvester Federation. You’ll find him attending many Maritime and Gulf science and advisory meetings, including groundfish, lobster, large pelagic species, and eel.
Gemma Rayner
Fisheries and Special Projects Advisor
Gemma Rayner
Fisheries and Special Projects Advisor
Gemma has an MSc from Memorial University and leads our work out of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Her previous work in environmental consulting and offshore oil and wind development, commercial fishing, and aquaculture give her a well-informed perspective of challenges and opportunities facing the industry. Gemma leads on any fisheries coming out of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a particular emphasis on groundfish and capelin. She is also a member of the Canadian delegation to NAFO.
Dr. Brynn
Devine
Arctic Fisheries Scientist
Dr. Brynn Devine
Arctic Fisheries Scientist
With a PhD from Memorial University, Brynn leads on our fisheries science research. She has extensive experience on the water studying species caught as bycatch in northern deep-water fisheries. You will find her out in the field or in meetings involving bycatch species of interest. She is also active on Arctic fisheries such as Greenland halibut and Northern shrimp in addition to anything related to sharks and skates.
Dr. Susanna
Fuller
Vice-President, Conservation and Projects
Dr. Susanna Fuller
Vice-President, Conservation and Projects
With a PhD in Biology from Dalhousie University, Susanna is the VP of Conservation and Projects at Oceans North. She brings her multi-decadal local and international experience in marine and fisheries policy to provide strategic oversight to the fisheries team.