Whereas Fisheries and Oceans Canada, despite being mandated to use the precautionary principle when making decisions affecting fish populations, continues to open commercial herring fisheries in BC while populations are severely depleted from historic levels and ecosystem requirements are poorly understood; And whereas a previous moratorium on the commercial fishing of herring in the late 1960s resulted in significant recovery of herring populations: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM call upon Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to direct the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to develop a west coast herring recovery plan through a process involving First Nations, independent scientists, naturalists, other levels of government and relevant non-government organizations; And be it further resolved that a moratorium on all commercial fishing of herring in British Columbia be instituted immediately until populations recover to the level decided upon by the herring recovery plan.
Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Pacific Herring are managed in five major and two minor stock areas, rather than as a single coast-wide population. This management regime is based on the best available-research on Pacific Hen-ing population structure, stock dynamics, and distribution in Canadian waters. While some stock areas, such as those in Haida Gwaii and the West Coast of Vancouver Island, have experienced periods of low biomass, other areas, such as the Strait of Georgia, have strong stocks and have supported significant and stable commercial fisheries for many years. The Department provides significant ongoing funding for an annual Pacific Herring program for stock assessment and forecasting to inform harvest planning. In recent years, DFO has undertaken work on the Pacific Herring Management Strategy evaluation. This includes simulation testing of a suite of approaches based on specified objectives for each stock area. This process is being undertaken in collaboration with Indigenous peoples and stakeholders. It will inform and improve the alignment of management decisions with the precautionary approach. The 20182019 fishery planning and consultation for the five major and two minor stock areas is underway. The resulting plans for each area will be based on a precautionary approach, consistent with sound environmental management practices, and will support continued rebuilding of herring stocks in areas that are of concern.