Author: Andrew Howarth
Freshwater fisheries and biodiversity have substantial economic, socio-cultural, and ecological value, but face a growing list of anthropogenic threats which, in many cases, are intensifying. Canada’s freshwater fisheries are not exempt from this, and provide excellent opportunities to better understand these overlooked and undervalued systems. Prior to some foundational reports in the late 20th century, little attention was paid to policies, health, or governance in Canada’s freshwater fisheries. In recent decades, there has been relatively little research on the above-mentioned policies and governance, despite declines in said fisheries and freshwater biodiversity worldwide. Using expert and chain-referral sampling, we surveyed practitioners from across Canada about the management and administration of freshwater fisheries. Using a mixed methods (i.e., questionnaire, interview) approach, we identified and described in detail many important aspects of the above processes. We highlight and discuss ten persistent and innate challenges (descending from most frequently discussed) in (1) bureaucratic sprawl, (2) lack of priority, (3) scope, (4) competing interests, (5) political inconstancy, (6) socio-ecological complexity, (7) limited tools, (8) geographies and scale, (9) reactivity, and (10) intersectoral frictions. For many reasons, these challenges defy conventional problem solving (e.g., advocacy, basic science). We also identify and describe two key phenomena in chronic incapacity and triage management, which explain the current position and perils of freshwater fisheries in Canada and beyond. Using these insights, we provide recommendations for capacity building in Canada’s freshwater fisheries, paying special attention to the non-negotiable and negotiable elements of these systems.
