Fisheries Catch Monitoring & Best Practice Reviews — Global

RainCoast has completed two separate international reviews for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in support of Canada’s Fisheries Monitoring Policy and associated assessment tools. 

This review examined cutting-edge and cost-effective methods used internationally to collect, verify, store, and report fisher-reported information.

The analysis covered tools and technologies used across Indigenous, commercial, and recreational fisheries, with supporting case studies from multiple jurisdictions. The focus was on identifying innovative approaches to catch monitoring, including digital systems and field-based technologies that improve data accuracy, traceability, and reporting efficiency.

This second review focused on the development of fisheries catch monitoring program objectives, governance structures, and implementation requirements.

The work was informed by structured interviews with government agencies, Indigenous fisheries authorities, and policy experts across the United States, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, as well as leading scientific institutions including:

• International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES, Denmark) 
• Thünen Institute (Germany) 
• Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (USA) 
• Institute of Marine Sciences (United Kingdom) 

The review covered a broad range of fisheries contexts, including subsistence, small-scale remote fisheries, single- and multi-species commercial fisheries, pelagic long-line and net fisheries, effort-based fisheries, and recreational fisheries.