Fisheries and Oceans Canada Faces Growing Challenges as Climate Costs Rise: What This Means for Our Oceans

Hurricane Fiona caused significant damage along the Atlantic Coast in September 2022. It impacted wharves, fisheries, and boats, leaving a heavy financial burden on the federal government.

In response, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) allocated over $563 million to address the devastation, particularly to 142 of the 184 small craft harbours on the Atlantic coast.

Documents from Canada’s National Observer indicate that Hurricane Fiona signals worsening climate-related challenges. The DFO anticipates more severe threats as climate change progresses, all while managing a shrinking budget.

In 2024, the federal Department of Finance surveyed various agencies, revealing DFO’s significant vulnerabilities. These include infrastructure damage, increased need for marine rescues, and threats to marine ecosystems and fisheries.

Despite rising costs for climate mitigation, DFO faced an $85.5 million budget cut last year and anticipates $235 million in cuts over the next few years. Currently, DFO operates with an annual deficit of over $100 million, limiting its ability to maintain essential facilities and equipment.

Lisa Marie Barron, NDP MP for Nanaimo–Ladysmith, states that multiple governments have undervalued DFO. With the world’s longest coastline and a vital seafood industry, many coastal communities depend on DFO’s services, which are increasingly at risk due to climate change.

Current infrastructure, especially small craft harbours, is feeling the strain from extreme weather. One in eight harbours is either in poor condition now or will be within three years, due to inadequate investment. The total replacement value of these harbours exceeds $7.1 billion.

DFO’s real property portfolio includes around 200 other sites, like hatcheries and laboratories, with a total replacement value of $8.1 million. Yet, it operates with an annual budget of $204 million, facing a shortfall of $108 million based on maintenance guidelines.

Climate-related disasters have also diverted resources from regular upkeep. For instance, the Spius Creek Hatchery in B.C. required $1.5 million in emergency repairs after flooding in 2021, and ongoing issues continue to complicate recovery efforts.

To address these challenges, DFO is using tools like a national geo-database. This resource identifies vulnerable infrastructure to prioritize repairs, ensuring that crucial areas get the attention they need first.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Coast Guard faces increasing demands due to climate change, complicating search and rescue operations and environmental emergencies like oil spills. Extreme weather is reshaping coastlines, eroding harbours, and threatening the livelihoods of those who rely on marine infrastructure.

DFO is also at risk of losing its capability to manage fisheries effectively. Changes in ocean temperatures are altering fish migration patterns, which can impact food security and necessitate the closure of some harbours while opening new ones elsewhere.

An example is the decline of Pacific salmon stocks, which are suffering from rising temperatures and habitat destruction from natural disasters. The federal government committed $647 million over five years in 2021 to combat this crisis, but DFO warns that more extensive measures are necessary to protect marine biodiversity.

Investing in climate resilience and pollution prevention is often more cost-effective than responding to disasters. Barron suggests that fair taxation on major polluters could direct funds towards ocean protection, sustainable fisheries, and the well-being of coastal communities.

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