Canada Begins Rebuilding Depleted Fish Populations with Science-Based Plans  - Oceana USA

Victory | June 30, 2025

Canada Begins Rebuilding Depleted Fish Populations with Science-Based Plans 

The Canadian government published 12 rebuilding plans for some of the country’s most depleted fish populations — including Atlantic cod, Atlantic mackerel, and Pacific herring. These plans were legally required under Canada’s fisheries rebuilding regulations, which Oceana helped secure in 2022. For the first time, Canada is setting clear, science-based objectives, timelines, and actions to restore its wild fish populations, strengthen ecosystems, and support coastal and Indigenous communities. Scientific models show that with these plans in place, essential forage fish like mackerel could recover in as little as six to seven years.