Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters National Fish Harvesters Human Resources Sector Study

1. Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters National Fish Harvesters Human Resources Sector Study Presentation toNS Coastal Communities Network January 10 2007

2. Predominant Sector • Owner operator fleets • Currently generate upwards of 75% of the wealth from Canadian fisheries • Key economic contributors in over 1000 coastal communities • Employ 36,000 people directly in harvesting • Main source of income for 24,400 • Employment concentrated in regions of relatively limited employment options

3. Objectives of the Study • Identify trends for current and future needs for skilled labour force • Enterprise heads • Crew • Apprentice captains • Permanent professional crewmembers • Propose policy and action responses to address gaps and challenges

4. Study Components • Profile of the fish harvester labour force using Census Canada data • Telephone surveys of fish harvesters • Enterprise heads in the Atlantic Provinces and Québec (N 1,205) • Crewmembers in the Atlantic Provinces and Québec (N 600) • Enterprise heads in British Columbia (N 300) • Crewmembers in BC (N 171)

5. Components • Key informant interviews and consultations with harvester leaders, fish processor representatives, independent fisheries experts, DFO managers and officials in provincial governments • Facilitated focus groups with representative groups of fish harvesters in each DFO Region • Regional workshops and experts’ meetings and workshops

6. Components • International comparisons and a literature review • In-depth financial analyses of fishing enterprises with regard to rising license prices and inter-generational transfer of fishing assets • Community case studies in seven coastal-rural regions representing different types of fisheries and divergent trends in resource availability

7. Core Analysis • Little attention in past to labour force issues • Assumption: “Too many fishermen…. • Fishing is a high skill, knowledge intensive occupation, but… • Not “professionalized” in terms of formal recognition and training and certification • Labour force traditionally recruited and trained through informal apprenticeship

8. Core Analysis (Continued) • 50% of enterprises to change hands by 2014 • Owner-operator, community based fishery may be dramatically weakened or displaced • High license prices a significant barrier to retention of control of licenses in the sector • Companies, fishermen investors and speculators are taking control of licenses and quotas • Fewer young people coming up due to rural depopulation, out-migration of youth, low crew wages and reduced fishing opportunities.

9. Core Analysis (Continued) • Public policy reasons to protect owner operator fleets and coastal communities • Maintenance and intergenerational transfer of the substantial base of knowledge and skills • Maintenance of coastal-rural labour force for many other industries (forestry, tourism, aquaculture, oil and gas development, etc.) • Maintaining a dominant role in wild fish harvesting for people with a long-term stake in conservation and sustainable harvesting. • Sustaining coastal peoples, First Nations

10. Core Analysis (Continued) • Policies and programs • Fully enforced OO and FS policies • Expansion of industry-directed education and training programs • Management of more valuable small businesses • Management of local fleets and fisheries • Participation in fisheries science • Improvements in health and safety • Tax measures and financial resources to facilitate intergenerational transfers of fishing enterprises

11. Breakdown of Informal Apprenticeship Tradition

12. Informal Apprenticeship • Young people grew up in fishery • Usually on family enterprises • Acquired knowledge and skills on the job • Reliance on mentors • Limited access to formal training • Decline in recent years

13. Captains - Age Profile

14. License Acquired From

15. Last Year Crew Worked For

16. Will Acquire Licenses From…. • Family member • Atlantic - 46% • Pacific - 65% • Other license holder from community • Atlantic - 32% • Pacific - 20% • Employer (family or not) • Atlantic - 65% • Pacific - 70%

17. Crew -- Future Plans • Plan to become skippers • Atlantic 39% • Pacific 12% • Cost of licenses a “very serious” barrier to new entrants or crew becoming skippers • Atlantic Crew - 48% /Captains - 64% • Pacific Crew - 55% /Captains - 64%

18. License Price Issue • Big jump in license prices since 1995 • S-F: license & quota = 2/3 value of enterprise • Driven by speculators, trust agreements • Average enterprise sale prices • LFA 34 - $988K • Gulf NS - $375K • Financial analysis • At these prices, enterprises not viable for owner-operators

19. Breakdown of Apprenticeship • Fewer enterprises to provide jobs • Shorter fishing seasons • Lower wages • Competition from skilled trades occupations • Young people leaving fishing communities • Career barrier - high costs of buying licenses

21. Policy Recommendations • Renewal of formal training options • Affordable • Local delivery/distance education • Multi-skilling strategy • Financial supports for new OOs • Expanded loan board • Licenses as collateral • Capital gains • Professional incorporation

22. Professionalization Vision

23. “Professionalization” means: • Public recognition of the value and strategic importance of the fishing industry • Recognition of the status of harvesters as skilled professionals • Expanding and improving opportunities for education and training • Address new knowledge and skills priorities • Promote life-long learning similar to most other skilled occupations

24. New Knowledge & Skill Challenges • Health & Safety • Transport Canada • Workers Compensation • Expanding management roles • Public demands for conservation • SARA/COSEWIC • Need to offer safer, better paid jobs to get and hold crew • Managing more valuable businesses

25. Bottom Line… • Need a comprehensive and concerted policy commitment to survival of community based owner-operator fishery • DFO licensing policy (OO/FS) • Education and training • Taxation regulations • Sources of affordable capital • Infrastructure (DFO, ACOA, province, etc.)