It is increasingly difficult for many B.C. fishermen and coastal community members to access - to use and benefit from - the waters around them due to complex governance regimes and restrictive management decisions, the fragmentation of fishing areas, environmental and economic factors, and individual fishermen’s personal circumstances. This is a major issue threatening the well-being, food security, cultural and social sustainability, and ability to monitor and respond to marine emergencies.

We developed and implemented a fisheries access survey in collaboration with Dr. Nathan Bennett from UBC's Institute for Resources, Environment, and Sustainability. This project aims to fill gaps in our knowledge about the status and drivers of issues around access, the outcomes of attempted solutions, and provide baseline data to help us craft future access-related programs and policy initiatives.

Megan Eadie leads our work in this area. Please contact her for more information.