iPOLITICS
By Holly Lake. Published on Oct 19, 2018 4:28pm
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A bill that would change how fisheries are managed in this country has splashed down in the Senate.
Introduced in February and passed by the House of Commons in June, Bill C-68 aims to restore protections that were gutted by the previous Conservative government in 2012 and incorporate new safeguards to protect fish and their habitat.

But it goes beyond restoring what was.

For the first time since the Act was enacted in 1868, the proposed legislation directs the minister of fisheries and oceans to manage fish stocks sustainably and to put rebuilding plans in place for depleted stocks.

In the upper chamber, it’s being sponsored by Independent Sen. Dan Christmas. He spoke this week of his “deep and abiding connection to the ocean and to the creatures who abound in its waters,” and made clear that he’s viewing the legislation and its proposed amendments through “independent eyes.”

“This bill is important to me; Canada’s fisheries are important to me; and as a Cape Bretoner, the ocean is important to me and, indeed, to the Mi’kmaq nation,” he said.

“As an Independent Mi’kmaq senator, I feel compelled to say that I follow no party ideology. I see this endeavour through a lens that supports improvements to law and policy that can yield benefits to the sea, its marine inhabitants and the people whose living comes from the oceans.”

The Fisheries Act is one of Canada’s oldest laws. With the proposed overhaul, fisheries management could be headed for a course correction in this country.

Before 2012, the Act protected all fish and fish habitat in Canada. That changed when the Harper government introduced omnibus legislation that did away with a prohibition against the “harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat.” The goal was to make life easier for farmers, and spare them having to navigate a sea of red tape to alter what they deemed to be insignificant bodies of water on their land.

As a result, protections were extended only to fish that were part of commercial, recreational or Indigenous fisheries.

This proposed overhaul would give Canada the kind of modern fisheries-management laws other leading fishing nations have in place.

In addition to restored protections for fish habitat and better integrated management, it includes enhanced regulation and enforcement, increased monitoring and reporting, as well as more certainty and clarity of requirements for development projects.

The proposed amendments also require the minister to consider the traditional knowledge of Indigenous peoples when making certain decisions, specifically those involving fish and fish habitat. The government has included a requirement that confidential Indigenous knowledge provided to the minister must be protected, something that has long been called for.

Christmas said the bill provides a constructive framework with practical mechanisms and tools to further the cause of reconciliation, and a more collaborative relationship based on the recognition of the nation-to-nation reality. It also sets the stage for Indigenous partnering agreements.

While he supports the bill and the improvements it’s looking to deliver, he noted it’s a bit of a road to travel.
“As a proud Mi’kmaq and a friend of the late Donald Marshall Jr., who championed our nation’s right to fish, it’s with a sense of duty that I stand before you to affirm the importance of safeguarding and protecting Indigenous rights through this important legislation,” Christmas told the Senate.
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“(The Department of Fisheries and Oceans) is by no means renowned for its sensitivity to Indigenous peoples, practices and customs. … I’ll be watching closely to see whether the aims of these provisions will manifest the improvements they promise. The relationship between First Nations and DFO cannot yet be described as healthy or robust. I’m hopeful that it can be measurably improved.”

Rhianna Schmunk · CBC News · Posted: Oct 02, 2018 1:18 AM PT | Last Updated: October 2

LNG Canada chief executive says it will move 'immediately' into construction

Construction is going ahead on a massive, $40-billion liquefied natural gas project in northern B.C., hours after five primary investors from five different countries granted their approval for the joint venture.

The LNG Canada project will see a pipeline carrying natural gas from Dawson Creek in northeastern B.C. to a new processing plant on the coast in Kitimat. There, the gas would be liquefied for overseas export.

• Just the FAQs on LNG Canada

The partners came to their decision at 9:18 p.m. PT on Monday. They are:

• Royal Dutch Shell.
• Mitsubishi Corp.
• The Malaysian-owned Petronas.
• PetroChina Co.
• Korean Gas Corp.

On Tuesday, LNG Canada CEO Andy Calitz said the company is "immediately, today, moving into construction" on the pipeline and plant.

He said project has already obtained all the necessary approvals to break ground, including from the National Energy Board, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, BC Hydro as well as 25 First Nations.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the announcement represents the single largest private sector investment in Canadian history.

"Today is a good day," he said Tuesday.

Political, First Nations leaders reactTrudeau, B.C. Premier John Horgan and other leaders held a news conference to make the official project announcement in Vancouver on Tuesday morning.

"It's certainly a great day for northern British Columbia," Horgan said.

"I can't tell you how proud I am. I can't stop smiling."

The B.C. ministries of Finance and Energy have estimated the project would generate $22 billion in direct government revenue over the next 40 years.

The project is also expected to employ as many as 10,000 people in its construction and up to 950 in full-time jobs.

The Kitimat plant will be within the traditional territory of the Haisla Nation. Trudeau thanked that nation, as well as others in B.C., for their "leadership" in getting the project approved.

Crystal Smith, chief councillor of the Haisla Nation, was emotional at Tuesday morning's announcement.

"On behalf of our entire nation, we extend our gratitude … for the investment being made in Haisla territory," she said.

"Haisla … history is unfolding before our eyes. We are having a share and we are having our say."

Environmental factorsTo help make the project happen, Horgan's government offered a break on the carbon tax as well as an exemption on provincial sales tax related to construction costs.

According to information provided by the province, LNG Canada would be the least greenhouse gas-intensive large LNG facility in the world.

B.C. Green Party Leader Andrew Weaver was skeptical the project would mesh with the province's climate plan.

Under the NDP and Greens' Confidence and Supply Agreement (CASA), the parties committed to reducing greenhouse gases by 40 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050.

In a statement, Weaver called the LNG announcement a "profound disappointment," saying his party would not support the LNG legislation that would be required.
Horgan's minority NDP government is supported in the legislature by the B.C. Green Party​.

• Job creation and lingering activism: political experts weigh in on LNG tax breaks

• LNG, referendum set to dominate B.C. fall session
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History of LNG in B.C.On Tuesday, Horgan acknowledged that the first discussions on LNG in B.C. began with a pitch for a plant in Prince Rupert in 1982.

He also acknowledged the previous B.C. Liberal government, specifically former minister Rich Coleman, for "tirelessly" lobbying for the project from 2011 onward.

In a Facebook post, Christy Clark, premier from 2011 to 2017 who helped lead the charge for the project, said Tuesday was "the single best day of my professional life."
"This is an achievement for our whole country," she wrote.

• Kitimat house prices starting to soar with LNG anticipation

Since her election defeat in 2017, Clark has retired from politics and joined the law firm Bennett Jones as a senior adviser in Vancouver. She has also since been appointed to the board of directors for Shaw Communications.

With files from The Canadian Press.