Fisheries Act

Entering this year’s fishing season, Oceana Canada Urges Canadian Government to Finally Address 30-Year Fisheries Crisis as Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss Accelerate

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Knowledge, DFO, Failure, Health, Climate change, Pressure, Stagnation, Indigenous peoples, Science, Federation, Fisheries Act, Capelin, News, Food, Plastic, Population growth, Unit

The situation is becoming more urgent because of accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss.

Key Points: 
  • The situation is becoming more urgent because of accelerating climate change and biodiversity loss.
  • Now, the Canadian government has an opportunity to demonstrate how to successfully re-open a previously collapsed fishery and provide benefits now and for generations to come.
  • The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans faces many fisheries management decisions in the coming months which could help set Canada’s fisheries on a path to recovery and abundance.
  • By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future.

Fishery officers make 39 arrests and seizures at rivers for unauthorized elver fishing

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 25, 2024
DFO, Weapon, Fisheries Act, Sale, River, Fishery, Minister, NS, Violence, Aquaculture

The elver fishery is not open for 2024 in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, therefore any harvesting is unauthorized.

Key Points: 
  • The elver fishery is not open for 2024 in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, therefore any harvesting is unauthorized.
  • Since March 6, 2024 in separate incidents across Southwest Nova Scotia, fishery officers arrested a total of 39 individuals who are under investigation for infractions of the Fisheries Act and Maritimes Provinces Fishery Regulations for the unauthorized harvest of elver.
  • Fishery officers are patrolling rivers, facilities and export points to deter and disrupt unauthorized elver harvest, sale and export from the region.
  • DFO continues to work on the management changes necessary to provide a sustainable and orderly elver fishery for all harvesters.

Fishery officers make 26 arrests and seizures at rivers for unauthorized elver fishing

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 18, 2024
DFO, Fisheries Act, Sale, Fishery, River, Minister, NS, Violence, Aquaculture

The elver fishery is not open for 2024 in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, therefore any harvesting is unauthorized.

Key Points: 
  • The elver fishery is not open for 2024 in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, therefore any harvesting is unauthorized.
  • Fishery officers also seized a total of six vehicles, seven fyke nets, 59 dip nets, elver fishing equipment, one firearm, and approximately 6.54 kg of elver, which were released live back into their river of origin.
  • Fishery officers are patrolling rivers, facilities and export points to deter and disrupt unauthorized elver harvest, sale and export from the region.
  • DFO continues to work on the management changes necessary to provide a sustainable and orderly elver fishery for all harvesters.

Statement - Minister Lebouthillier's decision regarding the elver fishery in 2024

Retrieved on: 
Monday, March 11, 2024
Fishery, Fisheries Act, River, The Department, Travel, Government, Sale, NS, Violence, Fishing

Our government is committed to the conservation of American eel, with sustainability and orderly management as the top priorities for the elver fishery.

Key Points: 
  • Our government is committed to the conservation of American eel, with sustainability and orderly management as the top priorities for the elver fishery.
  • I have carefully considered all options on whether the existing circumstances would enable a sustainable and orderly elver fishery this year.
  • That is why I have made the difficult decision to not issue elver licences and not open the Maritimes Region elver fishery in 2024.
  • The Department continues its work to make regulatory and management changes necessary to provide a safe and sustainable elver fishery for all harvesters.

Government of Canada releases report to guide the path towards tidal energy projects in Bay of Fundy

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, February 28, 2024
Natural Resources Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Growth, Risk, Government, Natural Resources, Fisheries Act, Climate change, Acadia University, Risk assessment, Task force, Legislation, Science, Research, Renewable energy

The Government of Canada is working closely with the province of Nova Scotia, Indigenous communities and industry to support the development of clean technology and energy projects, including tidal projects in the Bay of Fundy.

Key Points: 
  • The Government of Canada is working closely with the province of Nova Scotia, Indigenous communities and industry to support the development of clean technology and energy projects, including tidal projects in the Bay of Fundy.
  • "Fisheries and Oceans Canada supports the development of marine renewable energy and recognizes the positive impacts tidal energy may have towards clean energy growth in Canada.
  • "The Government of Canada recognizes that tidal energy can have an important role to play in our clean energy future and welcomes the Tidal Energy Task Force's Final Report.
  • In June 2023, the Task Force on Sustainable Tidal Energy in the Bay of Fundy was established to explore issues and opportunities associated with the deployment of tidal energy projects in the Bay of Fundy.

Town of Trenton fined $100,000 for violating the Fisheries Act in Nova Scotia

Retrieved on: 
Friday, February 16, 2024
Complaint, Speckled trout, Fishery, Town, Escherichia coli, Chemistry, Biophysical environment, Microbiology, Publishing, Registry, Sewage, Government, Climate change, Government of Canada, Fisheries Act, Safety, Trout, Atlantic salmon, Fund, NS, Direction, Environment, Water

On February 15, 2024, the Town of Trenton was ordered to pay a total of $100,000, after pleading guilty to one count of violating the Fisheries Act at the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in Pictou County.

Key Points: 
  • On February 15, 2024, the Town of Trenton was ordered to pay a total of $100,000, after pleading guilty to one count of violating the Fisheries Act at the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in Pictou County.
  • Some of the conditions include: training on the Fisheries Act and its requirements; training on proper effluent sampling protocols for Town of Trenton employees and contractors; completing routine sampling; and publishing emergency contact information and information about the incident and sentencing on the Town of Trenton website.
  • On November 13, 2019, Environment and Climate Change Canada enforcement officers received a complaint of a strong sewage smell around Lowden Brook along North Main Street in Trenton, Nova Scotia.
  • Environment and Climate Change Canada administers and enforces the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act.

Person from Belleville area fined $20,000 for destroying fish habitat in the Bay of Quinte

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 15, 2024
DFO, Atmosphere, Fish, Education, Mohawk people, Fisheries Act, Health, Act, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, Failure, Justice, Water

The funds will be used for projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat, or restoration of fish habitat.

Key Points: 
  • The funds will be used for projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat, or restoration of fish habitat.
  • Destroying fish habitat in the Bay of Quinte cost a Belleville excavation company $15,000, and an individual $20,000.
  • The funds will be used for projects related to the conservation and protection of fish or fish habitat, or restoration of fish habitat.
  • The Program works with proponents to avoid and mitigate negative impacts to fish and fish habitat from proposed development activities to ensure conservation, protection, and restoration of fish and fish habitat.

Breaking: Oceana Canada Sounds Alarm with Seventh Fishery Audit, Highlights Government’s Ongoing Struggle to Revitalize Wild Fisheries

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, November 21, 2023
Knowledge, Sustainability, Failure, Science, Capelin, Indigenous peoples, Fisheries Act, Government, Mortality, Health, Musqueam Indian Band, Federation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Indigenous, DFO, Climate change, Food, Investment, Plastic, Aquaculture

VANCOUVER, unceded and traditional homelands of the Musqueam and the Squamish, Nov. 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In the face of accelerating climate change, Oceana Canada's 2023 Fishery Audit, launched today on World Fisheries Day, exposes Canada's persistent mismanagement and failure to rebuild depleted populations, harming marine life, coastal communities, the seafood economy and our planet.

Key Points: 
  • DFO is yet to revise the suite of policies under the Sustainable Fisheries Framework to meaningfully include Indigenous Knowledge Systems in fisheries management.
  • “This failure to address Canada's fisheries crisis has dire implications for our oceans, fishing communities and the planet.
  • Account for climate change effects on marine ecosystems by implementing climate-adaptive approaches in fisheries management and prioritizing rebuilding depleted forage fish.
  • By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future.

Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited fined $1 million for unlawful deposit of effluent into the Saskatchewan River

Retrieved on: 
Monday, December 18, 2023
Biophysical environment, Climate change, Fund, Government, Gekkoninae, Government of Canada, Fisheries Act, Court, Environment, Health, Registry, Pulp, PAS, Fishery, Water, MB, Committee, Safety, Saskatchewan River

The charges stemmed from a February 2019 pipe leak at Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited's pulp and paper mill in The Pas, Manitoba.

Key Points: 
  • The charges stemmed from a February 2019 pipe leak at Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited's pulp and paper mill in The Pas, Manitoba.
  • The leak resulted in the release of 23,000 litres of black liquor, a by-product of the manufacturing process, into Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Limited's mill effluent treatment system.
  • Through a subsequent investigation, they determined that over the course of six days, close to 181 million litres of acutely lethal effluent had been released from the effluent treatment system into the Saskatchewan River.
  • Subsection 6(5) of the Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations does not allow the deposit of effluent when the effluent is acutely lethal to fish.

Mining Association of Canada statement on the Supreme Court of Canada's opinion on the constitutionality of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA)

Retrieved on: 
Friday, October 13, 2023
Diamond, Mining, Climate, Government, Indigenous peoples, Climate change, National Union of Mineworkers (Great Britain), Private sector, Migratory Birds Convention Act, Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, Fishery, GDP, Government of Canada, Impact Assessment Act and Canadian Energy Regulator Act, Supreme Court of Canada, Legislation, Federal Explosives Act of 1917, Supreme, Metal, Parliament, Supreme court, Federation, Fisheries Act (Canada), IAA, Species at Risk Act, Uncertainty, MAC, Fisheries Act, Water, Cryptocurrency

There are some 20 mining projects currently undergoing federal assessment, and additional projects about to enter the assessment process.

Key Points: 
  • There are some 20 mining projects currently undergoing federal assessment, and additional projects about to enter the assessment process.
  • We call on the Government of Canada and Parliament to respond to the Supreme Court of Canada opinion expeditiously to shorten the period of investment uncertainty.
  • However, most new mining projects and major expansions have been subject to the federal Impact Assessment Act (IAA) and predecessor legislation.
  • The industry is proportionally the largest private sector employer of Indigenous peoples in Canada and a major customer of Indigenous-owned businesses.