The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has launched its fourth annual campaign to increase patrols in the North Pacific Ocean to battle against illegal fishing. The DFO says illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing accounts for about 30 per cent of all fishing worldwide, negatively affecting the global seafood supply chain. “Healthy fish stocks are crucial for food security, economic resilience, and the livelihoods of coastal and Indigenous communities in Canada, and around the world,” says Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson, in a statement. The mission, known as Operation North Pacific Guard, is led by DFO and supported by the Canadian Coast Guard and RCMP, as well as coast guard agents from the United States, Japan and South Korea. Coast guard agents will patrol more than 15,000 kilometres of ocean water, boarding and conducting inspections of fishing boats in the North Pacific to ensure they are following proper regulations. “Maritime security is not just the responsibility of one country. It requires a joint effort of like-minded nations to reinforce international law,” says Minister of Defence David McGuinty, in the statement. Canada is also sending a surveillance aircraft to Hokkaido, Japan, which will conduct daily patrols of fishing vessels from above. The DFO says Canada’s air surveillance program has previously been successful in identifying significant concerns related to shark finning and dolphin harpooning. Canada’s ambassador to Japan, Ian McKay, says the partnership between the two countries recognizes the importance of collaboration on maritime security. Fisheries officers will also collect data and samples that will be analyzed to better understand the migration of species such as Pacific salmon. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, IUU fishing represents up to 26 million tonnes of fish caught annually, valued as high as US$23 billion. Canadian fishery officers have taken part in the annual operation since 2019.
