Evaluation of the Commercial Groundfish Integration Pilot Program in British Columbia

Abstract

In 2006, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) accepted an industry proposal called the Commercial Groundfish Integration Pilot Program (CGIPP), which integrated each of the seven commercial groundfish fisheries in British Columbia. The industry proposal, developed by the Commercial Industry Caucus (CIC), was the result of guiding principles developed by DFO that focused on the conservation of certain rockfish species on the Pacific Coast. If industry had not developed a plan, DFO would have developed an alternative fishing plan (AFP). This thesis evaluates whether DFO's conservation objectives were met under the CGIPP and if there were any social and economic impacts. These same impacts are compared to what may have occurred under the AFP. The results of this thesis indicate that the CGIPP is a sustainable template for multi-species commercial fisheries--a first step in achieving an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management.