Report of the Independent Panel on Access Criteria

This report, mandated by the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans within a broader Atlantic Fisheries Policy Review, examines the criteria for government decision-making when providing access to emerging and established commercial fisheries. The report provides a historical review of fisheries management in Canada; a summary of the messages conveyed to the Panel during its consultations with stakeholders; a description of three specific decisions about access taken in recent years; and an account of progress towards co-management. The authors describe how access to fisheries, including by Aboriginal people, is governed in other jurisdictions. They also outline approaches to access in other agricultural or natural resource industries. Some specific observations are offered on Aboriginal participation in the fishery and on Nunavut. The final two sections of the report set out the Panel’s recommendations concerning access criteria and the decision-making process.