GUARDIAN
  • About
  • Watch the Trailer
  • RENT
  • SCREENINGS & AWARDS
  • NEWS
  • PRESS
  • Contact

STAY INFORMED
​on the state of
science & fisheries
in Canada


Inadequate environmental impact assessments and crippled environmental legislation are still governing the fate of the Canadian landscape--but that could soon change.

Despite Justin Trudeau's inaugural promise to reinvest in ocean science, restore the scientific capability of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and use scientific evidence in environmental decision-making, liquefied natural gas projects continue to be approved without the amendments to environmental legislation Trudeau promised three years ago.

That being said, not all is lost. Amendments to the Fisheries Act and a newly-proposed Impact Assessment Act are currently being discussed in the Senate. Proposed amendments were introduced in February 2018 and passed the House of Commons in July 2018.

Soon after his inauguration, Justin Trudeau initiated a review of environmental and regulatory processes in response to rollbacks of environmental legislation under Stephen Harper. Over three years later, these promises may be coming to fruition.

Canada's next election is in October 2019.

Restoring lost protections to fish and fish habitat

2/6/2018

 
By Government of Canada

Changing the Fisheries ActThe Fisheries Act gives the government authority to manage Canadian fisheries and to protect the fish and fish habitat that support them. Learn about what we’re doing to conserve our resources, improve our tools for protecting the aquatic environment and ensure the sustainability of Canada's fisheries.
​
On this page
  • Why we’re proposing changes to the act
  • What needed to be fixed
  • About the review
  • Related links

Why we’re proposing changes to the ActOn November 13, 2015, the Prime Minister directed the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to:
  • review changes made to the Fisheries Actin 2012
  • restore lost protections and incorporate modern safeguards

To meet this goal, the Minister asked the House of Commons Committee on Fisheries and Oceans to:
  • examine the 2012 changes to the Fisheries Act
  • engage with Canadians

Fisheries and Oceans Canada also engaged directly with Indigenous peoples and provinces and territories.

Canadians made it clear that protecting fish and fish habitat matters to them. They’ve called for strong, fair and clear legislation that sustains the aquatic environment and protects our oceans and waters.

What needed to be fixedSome changes made to the Fisheries Act in 2012 challenged our ability to protect fish and fish habitat. Canadians, including Indigenous peoples, expressed concerns with these changes.

We looked at how to:
  • restore lost protections and incorporate modern safeguards
  • provide better certainty for industry
  • ensure the long-term sustainability of marine resources
  • make sure the Fisheries Act provides strong and meaningful protection for our fish and waters
The proposed amendments would:
  • restore lost protections by returning to comprehensive protection against harming  all fish and fish habitat;
  • strengthen the role of Indigenous peoples in project reviews, monitoring and policy development;
  • recognize that decisions can be guided by principles of sustainability, precaution and ecosystem management;
  • promote restoration of degraded habitat and rebuilding of depleted fish stocks;
  • allow for the better management of large and small projects impacting fish and fish habitat through a new permitting framework and codes of practice;
  • create full transparency for projects with a public registry;
  • create new fisheries management tools to enhance the protection of fish and ecosystems;
  • strengthen the long-term protection of marine refuges for biodiversity;
  • help ensure that the economic benefits of fishing remain with the licence holders and their community by providing clear ability to enshrine current inshore fisheries policies into regulations; and
  • clarify and modernize enforcement powers to address emerging fisheries issues and to align with current provisions in other legislation.

About the review:

Consultation has been at the core of our review. The proposed amendments to the Fisheries Act were undertaken with the views of Canadians in mind.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) consulted broadly with Canadians, partners, stakeholders and Indigenous peoples. We received extensive feedback on restoring lost protections and adding modern safeguards through two rounds of online public consultation and numerous in-person meetings.

After both phases of consultation, DFO had:
  • 2,163 Canadians registered online
  • 5,438 completed e-workbook questionnaires
  • Over 170 meetings with Indigenous groups
  • Over 200 submissions from Indigenous peoples
  • Over 200 letters to the Minister

In addition to the consultation by DFO, the review by the House of Commons Committee on Fisheries and Oceans:
  • held 10 meetings
  • heard from 50 witnesses
  • received 188 written submissions

All of this feedback was considered when developing the proposed amendments.
Stay connectedFollow us on twitter: @DFO_MPO (Fisheries and Oceans)

​Related links
  • A Fisheries Act for the Future
  • Fisheries Act
  • Online public consultation: letstalkfishhabitat.ca
  • Fisheries Protection Program
  • 2018 proposed Fisheries Act
  • Threats to fish and their habitat
  • Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
  • Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
SOURCE: ​https://bit.ly/2cO4CcS

Comments are closed.

    THIS BLOG ...

    is an archive of news on science and environmental legislation in Canada with a particular focus on marine and freshwater ecosystems and LNG.

    Archives

    February 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    February 2018

    Categories

    All
    Bill C-48
    Bill C 68
    Bill C 69
    British Columbia
    Canada
    Climate Change
    Convention On Biological Diversity
    DFO
    Environmental Legislation
    Fisheries Act
    Fish Populations
    House Of Commons
    Impact Assessment Act
    IUCN
    LNG
    Marine Protected Areas
    Marine Refuges
    National Energy Board
    Salmon

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
  • Watch the Trailer
  • RENT
  • SCREENINGS & AWARDS
  • NEWS
  • PRESS
  • Contact