The minister of fisheries () is the minister of the Crown responsible for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The minister is a member of the King's Privy Council for Canada and the Canadian Cabinet.
Joanne Thompson has been the minister of fisheries since March 14, 2025. The minister is selected by the prime minister and appointed by the Crown. The title was first used in 1930, however, the role as it exists today was established in 1979 as the minister of fisheries and oceans. From 2015 to 2025, the officeholder was known as the minister of fisheries, oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, before it was changed to the current title in 2025.
History There was a minister of marine and fisheries from Confederation in 1867 onwards. The role was split in two in 1930, with duties related to fisheries going to the new minister of fisheries, and all other responsibilities going to the new minister of marine, which was merged into the role of minister of transport a few years later.
The minister of fisheries lasted from 1930 to 1969, at which point the post was merged with forestry to create the post of minister of fisheries and forestry. This lasted only two years, until 1971, when the minister of fisheries became a secondary role held concurrently by the minister of the environment. In 1974, the fisheries portfolio was assigned to Roméo LeBlanc as the minister of state (fisheries) assisting the minister of the environment. When LeBlanc was appointed as the minister of the environment in 1976, the post was restyled minister of fisheries and environment.
The current post of minister of fisheries and oceans was established in 1979, and it has continued under various names since then. Hunter Tootoo was the first Indigenous person to hold this portfolio, from November 4, 2015, until May 31, 2016.
From 1995 to 2025, the minister was responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), which was a special operating agency of Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Until 1995, the CCG was housed under Transport Canada. In 2025, the government transitioned the CCG to the Department of National Defence.
Ministers of Marine and Fisheries (1867–1930) Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry 1Peter MitchellJuly 1, 1867 November 5, 1873Liberal-Conservative1 (Macdonald) 2Sir Albert James SmithNovember 7, 1873 October 8, 1878Liberal2 (Mackenzie) 3James Colledge PopeOctober 19, 1878 July 9, 1882Conservative (historical)3 (Macdonald) 4Archibald McLelanJuly 10, 1882 December 9, 1885Conservative (historical) 5George FosterDecember 10, 1885 May 28, 1888Conservative (historical) 6Sir Charles Hibbert TupperJune 1, 1888 June 6, 1891Conservative (historical)June 16, 1891 November 24, 18924 (Abbott)December 5, 1892 December 12, 18945 (Thompson) 7John CostiganDecember 21, 1894 April 27, 1896Liberal-Conservative6 (Bowell)May 1, 1896 July 8, 18967 (Tupper) 8Sir Louis Henry DaviesJuly 13, 1896 September 24, 1901Liberal8 (Laurier) 9James SutherlandJanuary 15, 1902 November 10, 1902Liberal 10Raymond PréfontaineNovember 11, 1902 January 5, 1905Liberal –Sir Wilfrid Laurier(acting)January 6, 1906 February 5, 1906Liberal 11Louis-Philippe BrodeurFebruary 6, 1906 August 10, 1911Liberal 12Rodolphe LemieuxAugust 11, 1911 October 6, 1911Liberal 13John Douglas HazenOctober 10, 1911 October 12, 1917Conservative (historical)9 (Borden) 14Charles BallantyneOctober 13, 1917 July 10, 1920Unionist10 (Borden)July 10, 1920 December 29, 192111 (Meighen) 15Ernest LapointeDecember 29, 1921 January 29, 1924Liberal12 (King) 16Arthur Cardin(1st time)January 30, 1924 June 28, 1926Liberal –William Anderson Black(acting)June 29, 1926 July 12, 1926Conservative (historical)13 (Meighen) 17Esioff-Léon PatenaudeJuly 13, 1926 September 25, 1926Conservative (historical) (16)Arthur Cardin(2nd time)September 25, 1926 June 13, 1930Liberal14 (King)Marine portfolio moved to Minister of Marine, Fisheries portfolio moved to Minister of Fisheries.
Ministers of Fisheries (1930–1969) Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry 1Cyrus MacmillanJune 17, 1930 August 7, 1930Liberal14 (King) 2Edgar Nelson RhodesAugust 7, 1930 February 2, 1932Conservative (historical)15 (Bennett) –Alfred Duranleau (acting)February 2, 1932 November 16, 1934Conservative (historical) –Grote Stirling (acting)November 17, 1934 August 13, 1935Conservative (historical) 3William Gordon Ernst August 14, 1935 October 23, 1935Conservative (historical) 4Joseph-Enoil MichaudOctober 23, 1935 October 5, 1942Liberal16 (King) 5Ernest BertrandOctober 7, 1942 August 28, 1945Liberal 6Hedley Francis Gregory BridgesAugust 30, 1945 August 10, 1947Liberal –Ernest Bertrand (acting)August 14, 1947 September 1, 1947Liberal 7Milton Fowler GreggSeptember 2, 1947 January 18, 1948Liberal 8James Angus MacKinnonJanuary 19, 1948 June 10, 1948Liberal 9Robert MayhewJune 11, 1948 November 15, 1948LiberalNovember 15, 1948 October 14, 195217 (St. Laurent) 10James SinclairOctober 15, 1952 June 21, 1957Liberal 11Angus MacLeanJune 21, 1957 April 22, 1963Progressive Conservative18 (Diefenbaker) 12Hédard RobichaudApril 22, 1963 April 20, 1968Liberal19 (Pearson)April 20, 1968 July 5, 196820 (P. E. Trudeau) 13Jack DavisJuly 6, 1968 March 31, 1969LiberalFisheries portfolio moved to Minister of Fisheries and Forestry.
Ministers of Fisheries and Forestry (1969–1971) Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistry 1Jack DavisApril 1, 1969 June 10, 1971Liberal20 (P. E. Trudeau)Fisheries portfolio held concurrently with Minister of Environment.
Ministers responsible for Fisheries through the Department of Environment (1971–1979)
Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistryMinister of Environment & Minister of Fisheries (held concurrently) Jack Davis June 11, 1971 August 7, 1974 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)Minister of State (Fisheries) Roméo LeBlanc August 8, 1974 September 13, 1976Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)Minister of Fisheries and the Environment Roméo LeBlanc September 14, 1976 April 1, 1979 Liberal 20 (P. E. Trudeau)Fisheries portfolio moved to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
Ministers of Fisheries and Oceans (1979–present) Key:
No.PortraitNameTerm of officePolitical partyMinistryMinisters of Fisheries and Oceans 1 Roméo LeBlanc (1st time)April 2, 1979 June 3, 1979Liberal20 (P. E. Trudeau) 2James McGrathJune 4, 1979 March 2, 1980Progressive Conservative21 (Clark) (1) Roméo LeBlanc (2nd time)March 3, 1980 September 29, 1982Liberal22 (P. E. Trudeau) 3Pierre de BanéSeptember 30, 1982 June 29, 1984Liberal 4Herb BreauJune 30, 1984 September 16, 1984Liberal23rd (Turner) 5John FraserSeptember 17, 1984 September 23, 1985Progressive Conservative24 (Mulroney) –Erik Nielsen (acting)September 23, 1985 November 19, 1985Progressive Conservative 6Tom SiddonNovember 20, 1985 February 22, 1990Progressive Conservative 7Bernard ValcourtFebruary 23, 1990 April 20, 1991Progressive Conservative 8John CrosbieApril 21, 1991 June 24, 1993Progressive Conservative 9Ross ReidJune 25, 1993 November 3, 1993Progressive Conservative25 (Campbell) 10Brian TobinNovember 4, 1993 January 8, 1996Liberal26 (Chrétien) –David Dingwall (acting)January 9, 1996 January 24, 1996Liberal 11Fred MifflinJanuary 25, 1996 June 10, 1997Liberal 12David AndersonJune 11, 1997 August 2, 1999Liberal 13Herb DhaliwalAugust 3, 1999 January 14, 2002Liberal 14Robert ThibaultJanuary 15, 2002 December 11, 2003Liberal 15Geoff ReganDecember 12, 2003 February 5, 2006Liberal27 (Martin) 16Loyola HearnFebruary 6, 2006 October 30, 2008Conservative28 (Harper) 17Gail SheaOctober 30, 2008 May 18, 2011Conservative 18Keith AshfieldMay 18, 2011 July 15, 2013Conservative (17)Gail Shea (2nd time) July 15, 2013 November 4, 2015ConservativeMinisters of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard 19 Hunter Tootoo November 4, 2015 May 31, 2016 Liberal 29 (J. Trudeau) 20Dominic LeBlancMay 31, 2016July 18, 2018Liberal 21Jonathan WilkinsonJuly 18, 2018November 20, 2019Liberal 22Bernadette JordanNovember 20, 2019October 26, 2021Liberal 23Joyce MurrayOctober 26, 2021July 26, 2023Liberal 23Diane LebouthillierJuly 26, 2023 March 14, 2025Liberal 24Joanne ThompsonMarch 14, 2025 May 13, 2025Liberal 30 (Carney)Minister of Fisheries (24)Joanne ThompsonMay 13, 2025 IncumbentLiberal 30 (Carney)
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