This is Queen Street Analytics' weekly digest of regulatory developments, legislative discussions and other government-related news concerning fisheries, aquaculture, shellfish, and marine conservation. Once a week, we break down the most important updates in this space in under five minutes.

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Dates: 2026-02-15 to 2026-02-21

📋 In This Week's Newsletter

• 🏛️ This Week's Parliamentary Calendar
• 🇨🇦 Federal Government News
• 🗺️ Provincial Government News
• 📚 What We're Reading This Week

This Week's Parliamentary Calendar

• House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans: Marine and Coastal Protections and Quotas: The House of Commons Fisheries and Oceans Committee will meet on February 23, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. to study Marine and Coastal Protections, with scheduled witnesses including Doug Mavin (Bay of Fundy Inshore Fishermen’s Association), Colin Sproul (Coast Tsimshian Fish Plant Ltd), and Glenn Kierce. Part of the meeting includes in camera discussions on redfish quotas and exploratory lobster fishing licenses.
• House of Commons Fisheries and Oceans Committee: Federal Departmental Witnesses on Marine and Coastal Protections: The Fisheries and Oceans Committee will reconvene on February 25, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. to take testimony from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, and Parks Canada Agency officials such as Kathy Graham and Amy Amos, focusing on marine planning and protected areas establishment.
• Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans: Pacific Coast Licensing: On February 24, 2026, the Senate Fisheries and Oceans Committee will examine the commercial fisheries licensing regime of Canada’s Pacific Coast, with Rebekah Pesicka, Daniel Edwards, and Jon Martin as witnesses.
• Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans: Inshore Fisheries Independence: A session is scheduled for February 26, 2026, to review the independence of commercial inshore fisheries in Atlantic Canada and discuss government tools such as the Owner-Operator Policy, with witnesses to be announced.
• Senate Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources: Status of Endangered Wildlife: The Senate Energy, Environment and Natural Resources Committee will meet February 26, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. to hear from David S. Lee of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada, focusing on wildlife as it relates to fisheries resources.
• House of Commons Finance Committee: Budget Implementation Bill and Fisheries Input: The Finance Committee is scheduled to review Bill C-15, implementing provisions of the 2025 federal budget, on February 23, 2026. Department of Fisheries and Oceans officials, Bonny Wong-Fortin and Kara Vlasman, are among witnesses contributing to budget discussions.

Federal Government News

Newfoundland Lobster Tags from the 1980s Appear Among Plastic Debris in Scotland

Lobster tags dating back to the 1980s from Newfoundland fisheries have been found in plastic debris washed ashore on the Scottish coast. The presence of these decades-old tags is detailed in coverage from CTV News and illustrates the international movement of marine debris originating from Canadian fisheries. The find links contemporary concerns over marine pollution with the operational footprint of the Canadian lobster sector. Tracked tags offer tangible evidence of the long-term persistence of fishing-related plastics and their transport far beyond Canadian waters. The discovery contributes data to ongoing efforts concerning traceability, marine litter, and wider ecosystem considerations facing both domestic and international stakeholders. The story gives further visibility to issues around lost and discarded fishing gear, offering context to supply chain discussions and regulatory compliance within the fisheries sector.

Sources: www.ctvnews.ca

Provincial Government News

Nova Scotia Issues Statement on Liverpool Bay Aquaculture Review Board Decision

The Government of Nova Scotia issued a statement affirming the Aquaculture Review Board’s independent role in the decision to amend the Liverpool Bay fish farm boundary and outlined the process of consultation, regulatory compliance, and environmental monitoring administered in such cases.

Sources: news.novascotia.ca

New Brunswick Provides Financial Support for Seafood Processor Expansion

The New Brunswick government announced up to $115,000 in payroll rebates to Alliance Seafood Inc. for the creation of up to 28 jobs at Grand-Bouctouche and up to $3.8 million in repayable funding for the modernization of Kelly Cove Salmon Ltd.'s salmon farms.

Sources: www2.gnb.ca

Ontario Fines U.S. Resident for Illegal Fishing on Lake Erie

An individual from Michigan was fined $1,700 and banned from fishing in Ontario for one year after being convicted of having extra lines and fishing without a licence on Lake Erie. Twelve walleye and gear were forfeited to the Crown.

Sources: news.ontario.ca

British Columbia Introduces New Trade Recognition Legislation

Bill 5, the Trade Recognition Act, was tabled in British Columbia, aiming to make permanent the interprovincial recognition of goods and services, which could affect seafood trade standards and logistics among Canadian provinces.

Sources: news.gov.bc.ca

What We're Reading This Week

• Why this Nova Scotia lobster fisher keeps going back to sea even as adversity mounts: A feature on occupational resilience and operational pressures in Nova Scotia’s lobster sector.

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