Canada's aggressive fisheries actions: Will they improve the climate for international agreements?

Abstract

Recent unilateral Canadian actions to protect East and West Coast fisheries, while domestically popular, may not necessarily contribute to Canada's long‐term interests in a rules‐based international fisheries regime. The 1994 events analyzed in this article include the temporary imposition of transit licenses on American ships passing through the Pacific Coast's “Inside Passage,” and the introduction of legislation asserting jurisdiction over stocks straddling Canadian and international waters. A postscript addresses the recent turbot “war” between Canada and members of the European Union, particularly Spain.