Sustainable Seafood Solutions

Frequently Asked Questions

How can trawlers prevent overfishing?

Preventing overfishing starts with strong science and responsible management. Trawlers operate under strict catch limits based on scientific assessments of fish populations. These quotas are regularly reviewed and adjusted to keep stocks healthy and sustainable.

In addition, trawl fisheries use tools like observer programs, electronic monitoring, and logbooks to track catches in real time. Our fishery also follows rules that limit bycatch by closing sensitive areas. When managed well, trawl fisheries can provide a steady, sustainable supply of seafood while managing stocks for future generations. 

The BC Trawl Groundfish fleet operates within an award-winning Trawl Footprint, and currently fishes less than 6% of BC’s coast.  To further reduce impact within the Footprint, fishers voluntarily rotate fishing grounds to allow recovery time and there are also more formal management measures in place such as seasonal area closures.  These practices are part of a sustainable approach to bottom trawling. 

Bycatch is managed by our skippers using a variety of tools:

  1. Use of equipment on the boats to determine the species they’re going to set on;
  2. Use of gear with constant evolution of our nets including excluders, cameras watching the catch as it goes in the net, mesh sizes;
  3. We are using shorter tow times or doing “test tow” to see which species will be caught before towing in greater length;
  4. We are collaborating as a fleet to trade quota’s to “cover off” any by-catch;
  5. Fishermen draw on their years of experience to know which areas, time of day, tides and celestial cycles will impact fishes behaviour to be caught in specific spots and use that to avoid unwanted by-catch;
  6. Our fleet works together to practise “move on” measures if we’re trying to avoid certain species and warn the fleet of areas that they should not be fishing in.

No. With the implementation of the Individual Vessel Quota (IVQ) system, each vessel is allocated a portion of the TAC. This system was designed to promote fairness and equality across the fleet by imposing strict species-specific caps. Each vessel is constrained by its individual quota, limiting the amount it can harvest of each species within a fishing year. These quotas ensure that no single vessel can exceed its share, supporting sustainable harvest practices and equitable resource distribution. 

The trawl fishery plays a vital role in sustaining British Columbia’s coastal economy. It generates $68 million in wages and supports over 1,180 full-time jobs, including 172 positions and $9.4 million in wages for First Nations individuals. With a total contribution of $175 million to the provincial economy, it helps anchor the viability of many coastal communities.

As the last high-volume fishery operating on the B.C. coast, it also provides essential support to the region’s remaining fishing infrastructure. This includes shoreside services such as processing, offloading, ice  trucking, freezing, and distribution—critical links that keep local economies running and coastal communities connected to the seafood supply chain.

Does trawling affect coral reefs?

We do not trawl on coral reefs. The trawl footprint was implemented for this reason and extensive research and mapping of the ocean floor was conducted in order to determine the boundaries of the trawl footprint. We are towing on sand and gravel bottom and midwater trawling has zero contact with the seafloor. Additionally, our equipment is a large financial investment; it is not in the best interest of the boat to have any gear damaged or lost.

In addition, modern fishing gear can be modified so that the heavier parts of the net don’t touch the seafloor or the nets can be used in a way that avoids bottom contact altogether. These measures are part of ongoing efforts to protect vulnerable habitats while allowing sustainable fishing practices. The trawl fleet has won the Murray A. Newman Award for significant achievement in aquatic conservation. 

Incidents involving marine mammals and trawl gear are very rare. Trawl nets are typically towed at depths where marine mammals are less likely to interact with them.

That said, protecting marine mammals is a priority. Fisheries use a range of tools to reduce risk, including acoustic deterrents, onboard monitoring, and real-time reporting. Continued research and collaboration with marine mammal experts help ensure the gear and practices stay as safe and sustainable as possible.

Like all marine vessels, large factory trawlers do produce carbon emissions, but their carbon footprint is steadily decreasing thanks to modern innovations. Older, inefficient engines are being replaced with cleaner-burning diesel systems, and the future points toward hydrogen or electric-powered vessels.

Improvements in net design and vessel efficiency are also reducing fuel use. Perhaps most importantly, healthier fish stocks mean vessels spend less time and fuel harvesting the same amount of seafood, making sustainable fisheries key to lowering emissions.

It is very uncommon for there to be any lost/abandoned gear in trawl. We’ve evolved the fishery to no longer be fishing where known obstructions exist. If a vessel loses its gear, which is rare, the location is marked using sophisticated mapping and navigation equipment, and the vessel will deploy a grapple hook and work a grid pattern until the gear is retrieved.  Trawl gear is very expensive and a true loss of gear is avoided at all costs. If there truly is a loss of gear, DFO mandates reporting, as instructed in our Conditions of License, please see below. 

The trawl fleet conducts it’s entire annual fishery while operating under a strict Chinook salmon Bycatch Cap that is authorized through a vessel-specific scientific permit. This Cap, set by DFO, is enforced to protect Chinook populations. If the cap is exceeded, the entire fleet faces an immediate closure. The industry has made substantial efforts to mitigate Chinook bycatch, including investing heavily in gear modifications, adapting fishing practices, and developing real-time avoidance protocols. Chinook salmon that are intercepted by trawling cannot be sold or retained for commercial gain; any Chinook incidentally caught are recorded and surrendered to DFO and then used strictly for scientific research and data collection to inform ongoing conservation measures.