The impacts of industrial fishing on local food security: insights from the Canadian North

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the complex relationship between industrial commercial fishing and household food security through a multi-scalar, mixed-method approach. Guided by the social-ecological systems (SES) framework, the research integrates literature synthesis, participatory research, ecosystem modeling, and agent-based simulation to understand how ecological changes driven by industrial fishing intersect with social dynamics and community food systems. Chapter 2 presents a systematic review of 55 peer-reviewed studies on industrial fishing and food security, identifying four key thematic pathways. The review reveals a critical gap in empirical studies that directly link fishing activity to food security outcomes. Chapter 3 explores food access and decision-making in Nunavik, an Inuit region in Arctic Canada, using participatory mapping and scenario-based workshops with 17 community members. Findings reveal a complex and adaptive food system that includes both country and market food sources, with access shaped by a range of social and economic factors. Chapter 4 evaluates the ecological and economic implications of shrimp fisheries in Ungava Bay. Results show that fishing activity has increased notably in the region and that the Indigenous corporation likely earns 11–13% of total fishing revenues through royalties. Even under a hypothetical scenario in which shrimp harvest is doubled, ecosystem impacts remain limited. Chapter 5 builds a coupled ecosystem–agent-based model, inspired by regional dynamics, to simulate how changes in biomass interact with social conditions to affect household food security in a hypothetical northern coastal community. The simulation shows that while biomass declines from fishing have measurable effects on household food insecurity, social factors play a more significant role in shaping outcomes. Together, these chapters offer novel insights into how industrial fisheries development—and broader anthropogenic change—can shape local food systems, particularly in remote coastal communities.