The Promising Impact of Small-Scale Fisheries
Isabelle Bujold
With the rise of the fight against climate change, many concerns regarding our oceans have come to light, and several efforts have been made to address such issues. However, citizens and scientists alike, still know too little about the problems facing our oceans in regard to plastic pollution and its ecosystem impacts. From “Seaspiracy” to the anti-sealing industry, such movements have had real consequences on individuals and their livelihoods. Marine ecologist and fisheries biologist, Bryce D. Stewart told Inverse: “the biggest error is to say that sustainable fisheries don’t exist”.
While concerns of commercial fishing and overfishing are very real, local companies, communities and families often depend on fishing to live and provide for their families. According to Sustainable Fisheries Partnership more than 90% of the world’s fishermen are employed in small-scale fishing. Small-scale fishers feel the consequences of overfishing and climate change first hand and therefore gain the most by making their fisheries sustainable. A 2001 study has shown that small-scale fisheries utilize more of their catch for human consumption and hire more people for the same landed value than large-scale fisheries. Ultimately, this study suggests that small-scale fisheries are a better fit to meet numerous policy goals put forward by international organizations and national governments on the use of ocean resources.
At Nets for Net Zero, we’ve created a hub of small-scale fisheries and other stakeholders and innovators to address the root of the problem. This includes Fundy North Fishermen’s Association which represents small-scale commercial fishermen from St. Martins to St. Stephen. Their fishermen work with a variety of marine animals and ecosystems; harvesting the species that are plentiful while giving a break to the species that are scarce. For over 25 years, Fundy North has believed in strong community ethics and has worked relentlessly to preserve the fishing livelihood for generations to come. Their mission is to support fishermen, promote healthy fisheries, and encourage sustainable fishing communities in Southwestern New Brunswick. Their fisheries are a family affair, and often many of the crew members are related. As such, they are an intergenerational business composed of parents, grandparents, spouses, cousins and children. Captains even mentor future captains. Fundy North values strong teamwork and wants to be a means for positive change.
This is why, in 2008, they began their Ghost Gear Retrieval Project. Since then, they have directed a ghost gear retrieval program to recover any fishing gear that has been discarded, abandoned or lost that subject wildlife to entanglement and damage critical marine habitats. They have retrieved a great deal of ghost gear between 2008 and 2015. Fishermen have also removed over 1000 lost lobster traps and other marine debris in the Saint John Harbour and Head Harbour Passage. They have designed a grapnel to remove ghost gear and dispose of it correctly. As an organization, they are dedicated to mitigating the impact of their fishery on the ocean.
This mission continues today as we debut our first project with Fundy North Fishermen's Association. Our goal is to convert a minimum of 12 tonnes of fishing rope into clean energy and help finance the innovative research with Polytechnique Montréal. The project’s geographic scope will be regionally focused on the Bay of Fundy and approximately 12 tonnes of rope will be diverted from landfill by March 2022. Solutions for recycling will be identified and an environmental impact report will be provided. Rope samples will be studied at the Department of Chemical Engineering at Polytechnique Montréal starting in March 2022. Through our work, we wish to shed light on the issues related to ghost fishing gear, overfishing and climate change while generating recycling and other sustainable solutions towards a circular economy that benefit both us and our oceans.
