Freshwater Conservation planning

WCS Canada Comments - Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans Brief - November 2016

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada]

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Abstract

Fish and fisheries are an integral part of Canada’s history, culture, and economy. However, our country is failing to sustainably manage our once-abundant fisheries resources and to protect our globally significant freshwater and marine habitats. The Fisheries Act is Canada’s oldest environmental law, and is long overdue for comprehensive review. We urge an evidence-based approach in developing a strong and modernized Fisheries Act, in close coordination with the ongoing federal review Environmental Assessment (EA) processes, in order to deliver on the sustainable management of fisheries, and on the protection of marine and freshwater fish habitats. We recommend restoring protection for all native fishes, and restoring prohibitions against destroying habitat destruction. Further, we recommend modernizing the Fisheries Act to include: 1) Precautionary principles; 2) Ecosystem approaches; 3) A commitment to evidence-based decision making; 4) Consideration of cumulative effects; 5) Consideration of climate change; 6) Stronger provisions for co-management and co-governance; and 7) A commitment to monitoring and enforcement.

Recommended citation

Wildlife Conservation Society Canada [WCS Canada] (2016). WCS Canada Comments - Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans Brief - November 2016. WCS Canada. https://wcscanada.org/resources/wcs-canada-comments-standing-committee-on-fisheries-and-oceans-brief-november-2016/