Changes to federal rules surrounding employment insurance will soon make it easier for self-employed fishermen to enrol in the program.

The amendments will scrap EI fishing regulations for new entrants and re-entrants that were originally introduced in 1978.

The new changes Ottawa is looking to make would require self-employed fishermen to reach a lower insurable-earnings entrance requirement of between $2,500 and $4,200.

That's compared to the previous amount of $5,500 in the qualifying period.

For hourly workers looking to access the EI program, changes are also coming.

Claimants will be required to meet working-hour entrance requirements of between 420 and 700 hours to be eligible for regular benefits.

That's down from the previous requirements of 910 hours of insurable employment in the year preceding their EI claim.

Rules didn't achieve 'intended purpose'

The 1978 provisions were meant to "discourage a cycle of EI reliance by ensuring that workers — and especially young people — develop a significant attachment to the labour force before collecting EI.

"It was later determined that the new entrant and re-entrant rules did not achieve their intended purpose," said a government release.

These changes to the EI program were announced in the Liberal government's March 2016 budget.

An evaluation of the EI system conducted in 2011 determined these requirements made the program for difficult to access for the first time, but did not discourage frequent use of EI.

In addition, the 1978 provisions also kept workers from accessing any of the EI-funded training supports with the provinces and territories.

The federal government intends to introduce the new EI rules later in July.