Fisheries and Oceans Canada

The Beneficial Ownership Survey is now available for completion. It will remain open from January 31 to March 31, 2022.

The Survey is mandatory for all:

• Party-based licence holders in Pacific Region
• Contact vessel owners for vessels that hold vessel-based licences in Pacific Region
• Offshore, mid-shore, exempted fleet, and inshore Elver licence holders in Atlantic Canada, Quebec and Arctic Region

Communal-commercial licence holders issued under the Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations (ACFLR) are exempt from the Survey, unless they also hold on the West coast a party-based licence or own vessels that have been issued vessel-based licences; or hold on the East coast a mid-shore, offshore or exempted fleet licence. Atlantic inshore licence holders subject to the inshore regulation (Atlantic Fishery Regulations, Part III) are also exempt from the Survey. 

The Survey will help DFO gather information about who is benefitting from having access to commercial fishing across Canada. The Beneficial Ownership Survey is mandatory and failure to provide required information through the Survey constitutes a prosecutable offence under section 78 of the Fisheries Act.

For detailed information about the Survey, including who needs to complete it, how to complete it, and the contact information that inquires can be forwarded to, please visit us at: Beneficial Ownership Survey.

The Survey will be available until March 31, 2022, we encourage you to complete it as soon as possible.