Hannah Harrison is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Guelph, and currently studies community-supported fisheries, Great Lakes commercial fisheries, and the human dimensions of fish cultivation. Originally from Alaska, Hannah grew up in a small fishing community working on boats and exploring tide pools. She earned her B.S. and M.S. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and has worked in a wide variety of interesting jobs, including as a commercial fisherman, fisheries technician, suicide hotline counselor, research assistant, volunteer EMT, radio show host, and environmental consultant. After university, Hannah served in the U.S. Peace Corps in Zambia, and afterward earned her PhD in Norway before fulfilling her lifelong dream of moving to Canada. She now makes her home in Guelph, and enjoys fostering animals for the human society, quilting, ballroom dance, and getting outside in her spare time. She remains passionate about studying and eating local fish.

“I have worked in fisheries for many years – as a fisherman, as a consultant, and now as a scientist. One of the greatest frustrations I hear from fishing communities is how hard they work to stay afloat and adapt to change, but how little appreciation and support they receive from the public who want their seafood. I want to change that. When COVID-19 struck, fisheries all over North America struggled to adapt to yet another massive change, but those that were already involved in direct-marketing of seafood seemed to fair much better than those who sold to traditional ‘Big Seafood’. I was inspired by the stories of those fishermen to identify and propose changes that could strengthen all of Canada’s small-scale fisheries, and the coastal communities that depend on them. In particular, ways that we as a seafood consuming society can support fishermen through appropriate infrastructure development, easing of red tape to allow for locally-appropriate direct-marketing of seafood, and strengthen Canada’s relationship with the men and women who bring sustainable proteins to our shores every day.”

Canada is the 6th largest seafood exporter in the world, sending over 2/3rds of domestically caught seafood to foreign markets[1]. Canadian seafood imports comprise a substantial portion of seafood eaten domestically, and unfortunately often comes from less sustainable fisheries than those in Canadian waters.

Imported seafood supply chains also continue to struggle with traceability and labeling, making it difficult to assess their sustainability and for consumers to make informed choices about the seafood they consume[1]–[3]. While the export-driven nature of Canada’s seafood industry has been quite profitable for large players, it has led to the increasing consolidation of permits, licenses, quota, and other key fishing infrastructure (such as processing plants and boats) into the hands of fewer and fewer individuals [4]. This trend has, in turn, driven up the cost of entry into many fisheries across Canada, in part preventing new generations of fishermen from entering the industry, and pricing some seafood products out of local markets[5]. While there was already evidence to suggest that these trends threaten the resilience of Canada’s fishing industry[4], the COVID19 pandemic has demonstrated how fragile this consolidated, export-driven seafood industry can be.

In March of 2020, fisheries around Canada (and the world) were unable to open due to the global collapse of seafood markets as restaurants and other fresh retail markets ground to a halt overnight. Those fisheries already underway found themselves with nowhere to sell or process their catch[6], [7], and fishermen struggled to cover the costs of their fishing livelihood [8]. Meanwhile, as seafood became unavailable from traditional retailers (e.g., grocery stores, restaurants), consumers turned to local fishermen to try to access fresh seafood, resulting in a significant increase in demand for local seafood products[9], [10]. While some harvesters were able to adapt their operations to meet this demand[11], many fishermen were unable to respond due to localized constraints such as restrictive regulatory conditions and lack of appropriate infrastructure to support direct-marketing of seafood to consumers [12]. As a result, fishermen unnecessarily struggled to maintain solvency and many required significant financial aid from federal and provincial governments[13]. Similarly, consumers were unable to access sustainable, locally-produced sources of high-quality protein during a critical time of food supply chain disruptions, further weakening local food security.

Regulatory barriers to localized direct-marketing of seafood have been acknowledged before [14], [15] and some provinces have taken steps to remove barriers and allow harvesters to sell their product directly to local consumers, including individuals and restaurants [16]. Still, barriers remain[15], and previous interest from provinces, fishermen, and consumers around Canada to see development of direct-marketing oriented community-supported fisheries (CSFs) and other alternative seafood networks (ASNs) [17]–[19] has been rekindled by the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 continues to challenge seafood markets throughout Canada, this is an ideal moment to re-think Canada’s relationship with seafood and reshape regulatory priorities around production of and access to Canadian seafood products.

Canadian seafood consumers are ready for change[20], and the pandemic offers Canadian policy makers three key opportunities. First, to prioritize local food security and resilience within Canada’s small-scale fishing industries, and the coastal communities that rely upon them, particularly within economically depressed provinces. Second, to lessen Canada’s reliance on unsustainable and poorly traced and labeled foreign seafood. Third, to strengthen Canada’s reputation as a leader in the production and sales of sustainably produced and harvested seafood products.

To address the three priorities laid out above, I suggest a few key areas where policy changes could be effective.

1. Remove regulatory barriers to direct-marketing of local seafood products
In many provinces, regulations around the direct sale of seafood into local markets are made at the provincial level. To better prioritize and support local food security and resilience within Canada’s small-scale fishing communities, provincial policy makers should remove regulatory barriers to the direct sale of local seafood products for both household consumption and local retail (e.g., restaurants). There are a few examples of ways that these changes could be brought about.

The substantial cost of becoming legally compliant with existing direct-marketing procedures, as well as the sometimes arduous process of identifying, obtaining, completing, and filing the paperwork to do so, are significant barriers for seafood harvesters. To address these problems, permits (or other permissions) to allow direct sales and purchases should be low cost or free for both harvesters and consumers, and the process to obtain appropriate permission for direct-marketing should be streamlined and standardized as much as possible to ease unnecessary logistical and administrative burdens on harvesters. Another approach would be to address regulations around where seafood is sold from, such as from a boat, dock, or other location, and ensure that they are reflective of the realities of the fishing industry. For instance, fish in Newfoundland must be sold on a vessel or dock, requiring consumers to enter potentially hazardous working waterfront space. While food safety is, of course, an essential element of seafood preparation and sale, regulations should be revised to lay out conditions for safety, health, and well-being for consumer and harvester, rather than dictate specific conditions that may not apply across the board in a very context-dependent industry.

2. Invest in working waterfronts, food hubs, and the next generation of fishermen
At the federal and provincial level, policy makers could prioritize the funding and enhancement of working waterfront spaces that provide appropriate infrastructure for seafood harvesters to operate direct-marketing businesses. As fishing fleets age and decline in number, working waterfronts around Canada have also become a low priority, often supplanted by tourism or other non-fishing interests. Commercial fisheries are not dissonant to other waterfront uses, and the opportunity for tourists and locals in coastal communities to see fish being landed and sold is important in maintaining social understanding and acceptance of the industry. Federal and provincial economic and political support for waterfront maintenance and the development of food hubs and other public infrastructure (such as direct marketing manuals [21]) for seafood processing, sale, and local distribution are critical to supporting the establishment and growth of the seafood direct-marketing sector. Similarly, a national “Eat Canadian Seafood” campaign would drive consumer interest and support in local seafood consumption and infrastructure.

A secondary benefit to these investments would be the development of local resilience to food insecurity, and support for the next generation to enter the fishing industry. As seafood is a high nutritious source of protein in communities that are often far away from food distribution sites, building in mechanisms by which local people can access seafood is critical to enduring food supply chain disruptions such as those witnessed during COVID-19. Supporting the development of this infrastructure also creates opportunities for young people to engage with the seafood supply chain, and decentralizes power and control over fishery access, thereby making it accessible to young fishermen.