Fishing, Hunting & Trapping

 

Before the arrival of European settlers, fishing, hunting & trapping sustained the province's Aboriginal population. Salmon was a particularly important food source.

Hudson's Bay Company traders played a key role in the development of European settlements across North America. In 1670, when Charles II signed the royal charter that created the Company (the English-speaking world's oldest corporation), the fur trade was one of the main reasons for its existence.

Alexander Mackenzie, Simon Fraser, and David Thompson, who worked for the rival Northwest Company (which later merged with the Hudson's Bay Company), explored the interior of BC and established trading posts where furs and salmon were purchased for export to Europe and other destinations. By 1827, salted salmon was being shipped from Fort Langley to Hawaii, and places as far away Asia and South America. Salmon canneries were eventually built on the Fraser River and in other areas such as Fort Rupert and Victoria.

These activities contributed significantly to the early development of the province's economy. They are still important sources of employment and income in many coastal communities, and canning and fish processing remains one of the key activities of BC's food processing industry²⁷.

What's included in the industry?

The fishing, hunting & trapping industry includes establishments that harvest fish and other wild animals from their natural habitat. This includes commercial fishing for both finfish and shellfish species as well as hunting & trapping activities.

Historically, the salmon fishery dominated BC's fishing industry, but that is no longer the case. The commercial salmon fishery, once so important to the province, is declining. This is partly as a result of policies put in place to protect the stock of salmon by reducing the salmon fishing effort. In 1990, salmon was the major seafood species harvested in the province, accounting for about 55% of the total value of the commercial catch. By 2008, the species made up less than 10% of the total value of the catch.

Salmon made up just 10% of the value of the commercial catch in 2008

Herring used to be the second most important species, based on landed value²⁸. That is no longer the case, but the herring catch is still important, accounting for 5% of the total value of landings. The halibut fishery (14%) is becoming an increasingly important source of revenue, as is the harvesting of crab (18%) and sablefish (10%).

What's happened since 1990?

The commercial fishery has gone through some stormy waters

Fishing, hunting & trapping is no longer a primary driver in BC's economy. Only 2,200 people worked in this industry in 2008, accounting for 0.1% of the province's total workforce and a similar share of its total GDP. In 1990, just over 0.4% of total employment and just under 0.4% of the province's GDP originated in fishing, hunting & trapping.

BC's fishing, hunting & trapping industry is in a decline

What are the most common occupations?

Almost all (90%) of the jobs in this industry are in occupations that are specific to fishing, hunting & trapping. Eight out of 10 are skippers of fishing vessels, while 11% are deckhands. The rest are mainly fishing masters, or trappers and hunters.

Most people working in the industry are in jobs specific to fishing, hunting & trapping²⁹

How many people work in fishing, hunting & trapping, and how much do they earn?

In 2008, there were 2,200 people working in the industry. That's a third of the number in 1990, when fishing, hunting & trapping employed 6,900 British Columbians.

Specific data on earnings and hours are not available for this industry, but a rough estimate of employment earnings can be calculated from other sources. These suggest that average hourly earnings in fishing, hunting & trapping were about $17 in 2007³⁰.

What are the characteristics of the work force?

Nine out of 10 people employed in fishing, hunting & trapping had full-time jobs in 2008. This represents a change from the past, when substantially more of the people who were working in this industry were employed part time. On average, 82% of the work force in this industry worked full time during the period from 1990 to 2008.

Employment in fishing, hunting & trapping is highly seasonal

Fishing, hunting and trapping are highly seasonal activities. Some fisheries are only open for harvest at certain times of the year (determined by the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans, which is responsible for managing the fishery). Typically, most of the employment in this industry occurs during the summer months. Hunters and trappers, who comprise just a small portion of total employment in this industry, are usually more active in the autumn and winter months. The hunting season for various species is determined by the provincial government, which is responsible for managing and conserving wildlife in the province.

Self-employment is common in the commercial fishery. Sixty-eight percent of the people working in this industry were self-employed in 2008. The average for the period from 1990 to 2008 was 63%.

With fewer people working in the industry, many of those remaining are likely fish boat owners or skippers. They usually have more of their own resources tied up in their vessels and may be doing much of the work themselves, rather than hiring paid employees.

Women made up about a third of the work force in 2008. The average for the industry in the period from 1990 onward was about 23%.

Unemployment rates in the commercial fishery averaged 16.5% during the period from 1990 to 2008, about twice the rate (7.8%) for the economy as a whole.

Where are the jobs located?

Data on the regional allocation of jobs in BC for fishing, hunting & trapping are not available. Information on the regional allocation of jobs is only reported for forestry, fishing, mining, oil & gas combined. Forestry and mining employ most of the workers in this group, so the aggregated data are not representative of regional employment in the fishery.

However, it is possible to get an idea of the regional allocation of the fishing industry by looking at where the catch is landed. In 2008, 69% of the salmon catch and 49% of the shellfish catch (by value) was landed in the North Coast region³¹. Another 29% of the salmon catch, and 42% of the shellfish catch was landed in the South Coast. The Fraser River accounted for 2% of salmon landings and 9% of shellfish landings. There's no data on landings for other species.

Commercial hunting & trapping activities occur primarily in northern regions of the province.

What's the outlook to 2017?

It's expected that employment in the fishery will not increase as much as in the rest of the economy. The industry's share of GDP is forecast to remain at about 0.1% by 2017.

Employment and GDP in the industry are not expected to keep pace with the rest of the economy