A petition has been launched demanding that the Canadian government get its house in order and take decisive action to stop overfishing in national waters.

According to the petition, the Canadian government is badly failing its fish stocks, industry and ocean. Per Oceana Canada’s annual Fishery Audit, less than a measly third of Canadian fish stocks are considered healthy. To make matters worse, there is no plan to bring back depleted fish populations to healthy levels for more than 80% of affected species.

The petition timing aims to coincide with a symposium in Ottowa in October, shaping how the government manages Canadian fishing and oceans going forward.

The key two demands of the petition are:

• “List all fisheries under the Fisheries Act regulations. By implementing existing laws, the government will document and account for fisheries and rebuild those that are depleted.”
• “Require a status for species currently listed as ‘uncertain’ and use modern fisheries management informed by science and Indigenous Knowledge Systems. This should prioritize species that can have long-term benefits for the ecosystem, economy, and socio-cultural underpinnings of coastal communities.”

You can find and sign the petition here.