Employment Insurance (EI) and Violations - Fishing Benefits

To qualify for fishing benefits, fishers need to earn between $2,500 and $4,200 from self-employment in fishing in a maximum 31 week period before their claim starts. This amount varies based on the unemployment rate in your region.

To qualify for sickness, maternity, parental or compassionate care benefits, fishers need to earn $3,760.

However, if you received a notice of violation regarding prior EI benefit periods, the required amount of insurable earnings is increased and is determined as follows:

Number of insurable earnings required to qualify for benefits

To find out the regional rate of unemployment for your region	Without violation		With violation
	Fishing benefits	Sickness Maternity Parental Compas- sionate care benefits as a fisher	Minor violation	Serious violation	Very serious violation	Subse- quent violation
	Number of insurable earnings
6% and under	$4,200	$3,760	$5,250	$6,400	$7,350	$8,400
6.1% to 7%	$4,000	$3,760	$5,000	$6,000	$7,000	$8,000
7.1% to 8%	$3,800	$3,760	$4,750	$5,700	$6,650	$7,600
8.1% to 9%	$3,600	$3,760	$4,500	$5,400	$6,300	$7,200
9.1% to 10%	$3,400	$3,760	$4,200	$5,100	$5,850	$6,800
10.1% to 11%	$3,200	$3,760	$3,950	$4,750	$5,600	$6,400
11.1% to 12%	$2,900	$3,760	$3,625	$4,350	$5,150	$5,850
12.1% to 13%	$2,700	$3,760	$3,450	$4,050	$4,800	$5,500
More than 13%	$2,500	$3,760	$3,200	$3,800	$4,350	$5,100

If you started to work for the first time, worked sporadically or part-time or after a long absence from the workforce, to qualify for fishing benefits fishers must earn $5,500 of insurable earnings from self-employment in fishing and $3, 760 for sickness, maternity, parental or compassionate care benefits.

However, if you received a notice of violation regarding prior EI benefit periods, the required insurable earnings increased and is determined as follows:

Number of insurable earnings required to qualify for EI benefits after a long absence from the workforce

Without Violation		With Violation
Fishing benefits	Sickness Maternity Parental Compassionate care benefits as a fisher	Minor violation	Serious violation	Very serious violation	Subsequent violation
Number of insurable earnings
$5,500	$3,760	$6,875	$8,250	$8,400	$8,400