Atlantic Canada, in general, has a bountiful fishery that helps us in feeding ourselves and the world at large, accounting for over 70 per cent of Canadian landings.
However, our rich fishing grounds could see a steep decline by the end of the century if we don’t care for our planet.
According to a report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, if our planet continues to warm at the rate it’s going, with an average temperature increase of three to four degrees Celsius, global fish populations could decline by over 30 per cent by 2100.
Given this prediction and the fact that the economic lifeblood of many regional communities comes from the fish they or their neighbours catch, the concept of a 30 per cent die off of a primary economic driver would be enough to rattle all but the most stoic of us.
Imagine telling someone in the prairies that their wheat, canola and barley would experience a massive decline, or an Ontarian that all manufacturing would cease in the coming decades. Mass panic would surely ensue.
By now, most know that greenhouse gas emissions are to blame for the ocean’s plight. The time to have severely cut these emissions, according to scientists, was yesterday. Today, however, it’s predicted that we can avoid the worst of the impacts of climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030.
That, of course, is easier said than done.
A massive overhaul of all factors of our global society would need to take place in short order. Top emitters like China, the United States and India are easy to point to and blame. China’s manufacturing sector alone accounted for nearly six per cent of global emissions inn 2021, according to the World Resources Institute.
But to point fingers is to deny your own culpability. Where, if not China, would many of our affordable products like electronics, clothing and plastics come from? The issues surrounding the top three emissions giants is one best left to legislation on a global scale. Instead, we should look for solutions in our own backyard.
Canada, for a country of about 40 million people, emits a lot of greenhouse gasses. In fact, we come in at number 10 for emissions out of 195 U.N.-recognized countries on Earth.
So, if the fear of a massive fish die off is hitting anyone in these affected coastal communities, it may be time to look at our own impact. The emissions from the Canadian fishing fleet and fish processing facilities alone accounted for over 26 kilotons of carbon dioxide in 2021, according to DFO. While these emissions have fallen by over 40 per cent since 2005, there is a long way to go.
One solution that, admittedly, would require some up-front capital and government support, is the electrification or hybrid-electrification of the Canadian fishing fleet.
According to Oceans North, a marine conservation organization, the entirety of Nova Scotia’s inshore lobster fleet could be converted to fully electric. Some say this can be taken a step further, with the technology we have today allowing all inshore, mid-shore and offshore vessels to, at the least, convert to hybrid-electric propulsion.
Currently, the outlook for our beloved fish stocks has been painted as rather bleak. But in the face of overwhelming adversity, we’re left with the choice to accept it or to try to beat the odds. In order to beat these odds, everyone from China, to India, to America to small Canadian coastal communities needs to do their part.
