Freshwater Conservation planning

WCS Canada Comments - Fisheries Act Restoration Next Steps - February 2017

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]

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Abstract

In June, 2016 the Government of Canada appointed a standing committee to lead a comprehensive review of the Fisheries Act. In advance of the release of the report, we joined other Environmental NGOs to provide a set of shared recommendations for next steps for restoring lost protections and introducing modern safeguards into the Act. Recommendations for restoring lost protections included reinstating comprehensive fish habitat protection for all native fish across the county, prohibiting activities other than fishing that cause the death of fish or sub-lethal effects that compromise fish populations, and improved monitoring and enforcement. Recommendations for introducing modern safeguards included designating essential habitat that cannot be destroyed or compensated, establishing a legal obligation to prevent overfishing and rebuild depleted stocks, developing mechanisms to address the cumulative effects of minor projects that don’t require authorization but can alter habitat or contribute to population decline, and creating a public registry of fish habitat authorizations.

Recommended citation

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada] (2017). WCS Canada Comments - Fisheries Act Restoration Next Steps - February 2017. WCS Canada. https://wcscanada.org/resources/wcs-canada-comments-fisheries-act-restoration-next-steps-february-2017/