Press Release: Larger Herring Quota, Louder Opposition

For immediate release  

Victoria, B.C. (March 6, 2025) – In the face of widespread calls for a moratorium, the controversial herring roe fishery opened yesterday afternoon in select areas of British Columbia’s (B.C.) coastal waters, further endangering a species already in critical decline.

Despite repeated warnings from First Nations, coastal communities, environmental organizations, and independent scientists, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has ignored expert recommendations and approved what many believe are unsustainable harvest rates—increasing the allowable catch by thousands of tons compared to last year—particularly in the Strait of Georgia (SOG), which holds nearly 40% of B.C.’s remaining spawning stock biomass.

“DFO and Canada continue to violate the Douglas and Indigenous Rights of the W̱SÁNEĆ People by opening the herring  fishery in Salish Sea,” says  W̱IĆKINEM (Eric Pelkey), Hereditary Chief of Tsawout of the W̱SÁNEĆ Nation. “Our people have been denied basic sustenance through denial of access to food fish. Herring has been historically a year round staple in the diets of the  W̱SÁNEĆ People. This is no longer available to us because of DFO and Canada’s mismanagement of the herring fishery.”

Pacific herring is a foundational species, forming the cornerstone of the marine food web and supporting nearly every coastal species in B.C. Once abundant, overfishing in the past century has significantly reduced their populations. A catastrophic collapse in the 1960s led to a temporary closure, yet commercial fisheries reopened without allowing stocks to fully recover.

“In 2022, DFO reduced the total allowable catch (TAC) from 20% to 10% after recognizing its model had permitted years of over-harvesting,” says Sydney Dixon, Marine Specialist with Pacific Wild. “Rather than maintaining a precautionary approach, the TAC has been increased to 14% this year.”

Commercial gill net boats are now actively harvesting herring as they move into shallow waters to spawn, targeting the herring during the brief window when their roe is at peak quality. The roe fishery, which includes both gill net and seine vessels, is the largest of the herring fisheries and typically opens in early spring, removing fish before they have a chance to spawn.

Critics warn that continued overfishing could lead to an irreversible collapse, devastating marine ecosystems, coastal fisheries, and communities that depend on herring. Conservation groups and Indigenous leaders continue to call for an immediate moratorium on the commercial herring roe fishery to protect B.C.’s last significant herring stocks.

This warning is reinforced by the East Coast’s experience, where, two years into the moratorium on spring herring, biologists reported the stock wasn’t improving—highlighting the urgent need for action before it’s too late.

“DFO is knowingly driving Pacific herring toward collapse—just like the Atlantic cod fishery in the ’90s,” says Karen McAllister, Executive Director of Pacific Wild. “We’ve seen this disaster before and know where it leads. If DFO doesn’t act now, herring will disappear, destroying entire marine ecosystems and coastal economies.”