E-7802 Recreational spearfishing regulations in Nova Scotia Petition Tracker | Signature Growth — Canadian Petition Tracker
Track E-7802 — Recreational spearfishing regulations in Nova Scotia — with 108 signatures and counting. Sponsored by Jessica Fancy. See signature growth trends and provincial breakdown on PetitionTracker.ca.
Canonical URL: https://petitiontracker.ca/petition/e-7802
Petition Details
- Status: Active — open for signatures
- Closing date: December 22, 2026
- Sponsor: Jessica Fancy (South Shore—St. Margarets)
- Category: Fisheries
Signature Statistics
- Total signatures: 108
- Daily increase: +1 in the last 24 hours
- Seven-day increase: +2 over the last 7 days
- Growth velocity: ~0 new signatures per day (7-day average)
- Tracking started: September 23, 2026 — 49 data points recorded
Provincial Distribution
- Nova Scotia: 50 signatures
- Ontario: 22 signatures
- British Columbia: 20 signatures
- Quebec: 7 signatures
- Alberta: 2 signatures
- New Brunswick: 2 signatures
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 2 signatures
- Prince Edward Island: 1 signatures
Historical Signature Growth
| Date | Signatures |
|---|
| September 23, 2026 | 6 |
| September 25, 2026 | 17 |
| September 26, 2026 | 33 |
| September 26, 2026 | 52 |
| September 27, 2026 | 59 |
| September 28, 2026 | 63 |
| September 30, 2026 | 69 |
| October 5, 2026 | 88 |
| October 6, 2026 | 92 |
| October 12, 2026 | 97 |
| October 16, 2026 | 101 |
| October 28, 2026 | 104 |
| November 7, 2026 | 108 |
Petition Text
Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
• The Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (SOR/93-55) govern fishing in Nova Scotia and adjacent tidal waters;
• Those federal regulations already recognize spears as a lawful recreational fishing method for certain species, including eel, smelt and tomcod;
• Recreational spearfishing is the most sustainable fishing method, as it allows the fisher to identify the individual healthy fish before harvesting it, and thus inherently creates virtually no litter, bycatch, or unnecessary harm to the environment when regulated properly;
• Spearfishing is permitted as a regulated recreational fishing method in other Canadian provinces and jurisdictions; and
• Maritimers should have access to recreational fishing methods that can be appropriately managed while maintaining existing conservation objectives, seasons, size limits and catch limits.
We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Amend the Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations and/or the Atlantic Fishery Regulations to establish recreational breath-hold (freedive) spearfishing as a permitted fishing method in the tidal waters of the Maritime Provinces, including both near shore and offshore, for the same species’ that angling is permitted for, subject to appropriate species-specific seasons, size limits, catch limits, conservation closures, safety considerations, and other measures deemed necessary by Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and
2. Consult with local recreational fishers, commercial fishers, spearfishers, First Nation communities, conservation organizations, and other affected stakeholders when developing the regulatory framework for recreational spearfishing.
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