Supplementary Information Tables

Details on transfer payment programs of $5 million or more

• Contributions to Support Increased Aboriginal Participation in Commercial Fisheries Management Arrangements and Consultations Respecting Aboriginal Fisheries Agreements
  • Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy
  • Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative
  • Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative
  • Northern Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative
• Contributions under the Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management Program
• Ocean and Freshwater Science Contribution Program
• Coastal Restoration Fund
• Contributions to Support the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program
• Contribution Agreements to Permit the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) Associations to Carry Out Authorized Activities Related to Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations, SAR Prevention and Other Safety Related Activities
• Contribution Program to Support Atlantic Canada’s Fish and Seafood Sector
• Grant to Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund

Contributions to Support Increased Aboriginal Participation in Commercial Fisheries Management Arrangements and Consultations Respecting Aboriginal Fisheries Agreements (Voted)

Note: This includes the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy, the Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative, and the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative, which were reported separately in the past.

Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (Voted)

Start Date: 1992

End Date: Ongoing

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2009-10

Link to Department’s Program Inventory: Aboriginal Programs and Treaties

Description: Launched in 1992, the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (AFS) provides for negotiated arrangements with Indigenous groups around the harvesting, use, and management of Indigenous food, social and ceremonial fisheries and, where applicable, communal commercial fisheries.

In 1994, Fisheries and Oceans Canada introduced a commercial access component to the AFS programs, the Allocation Transfer Program (ATP). Fisheries and Oceans Canada introduced the ATP to facilitate the voluntary retirement of commercial fishing licenses and the issuance of communal licenses to eligible Indigenous groups in a manner that does not add to the existing effort on the resource.

Budget 2017 allotted new funding to the AFS program in order to make strategic investments in the core capacity of Indigenous partners, focusing on the effective management of food, social and ceremonial fisheries through enhanced monitoring, reporting, and enforcement activities, as well as increasing the level of program participation. Over a 5-year period, a total of $32,427,760 will be added to existing AFS funding allotments ($42,886,123 in ongoing funds).

Provisions of negotiated fisheries agreements under the AFS may include:

• a harvest allocation to the Indigenous group for food, social and ceremonial purposes;
• terms and conditions pertaining to communal fishing licenses;
• enforcement provisions, including the training and engagement of Aboriginal Fisheries Guardians;
• arrangements for the co-management and stewardship of fisheries resources and their supporting habitats, including the restoration and protection of species at risk;
• co-management projects for the improvement of the management of fisheries generally, such as scientific research, stock assessment, fish enhancement, and habitat management; and
• communal commercial fishing arrangements including the transfer of vessels and gear, as well as support for fisheries-related economic opportunities (e.g., demonstration fishery projects, aquaculture development, business planning support).

The AFS applies where Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages the fishery and where land claims agreements have not already put in place a fisheries management framework.

Results Achieved: In 2018-19, the AFS program administered 141 agreements representing more than 200 Indigenous communities or organizations. These agreements provide ongoing support to Indigenous communities and organizations as they develop the capacity necessary to effectively manage and enforce food, social and ceremonial fisheries, as well as to participate in the stewardship and management of aquatic resources and their supporting habitats.

Building on Budget 2017 and the long-term program investments it identified, 2018-19 also saw the Department continue its support for the Indigenous Program Review process, with a focus on broad, nation-wide engagement with Indigenous participants involved in AFS program delivery and its Aboriginal Fishery Guardian component. Led by the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute, including a board of regional and national Indigenous executives, this engagement process was designed to inform the development of a summary report and recommendations to guide future investments, improve program administration, and enhance co-design, co-development and co-delivery relationships. The final report and recommendations were released publicly in May 2019.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audits were conducted during the 2018-19 reporting year. A Review Engagement of Indigenous Reconciliation Activities is planned to begin in the fall of 2019. The final report is anticipated for June 2020.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: An Evaluation was completed in March 2019. The evaluation results indicated the following:

• There is a continued need for AFS and AAROM, and both programs contribute to departmental results. However, funding has limited the ability of the programs to fund other recipient activities in order to increase their involvement in collaborative management.
• There is currently no common understanding of capacity building for AFS or AAROM among program recipients and program staff. Moreover, the availability of high-quality and reliable data is needed to ensure that AFS and AAROM measure the advancement of the capacity of recipients.
• While information contained within the Aboriginal Programs and Governance Information System is found to be beneficial to manage the contribution agreements between DFO and AFS / AAROM recipients, the information and data are inconsistently captured.
• Greater coordination is needed as limited interaction occurs between AFS / AAROM programs and other DFO and Canadian Coast Guard programs, resulting in missed opportunities.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: Engagement of program applicants and recipients is central to AFS program delivery, and occurs on an ongoing basis throughout the fiscal year. Strategic face-to-face meetings and negotiations are held with Indigenous communities and organizations across all DFO regions, and serve to inform work-planning and coordination, build and maintain collaborative relationships, and ensure effective oversight and reporting.

Beyond ongoing engagement for the purposes of program delivery, the Department also supported, as part of the abovementioned Indigenous Program Review process, broad, nation-wide engagement with approximately 350 Indigenous communities and organizations. This engagement was led by the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute, and occurred through 32 regional and program-specific workshops, as well as four plenary sessions.

Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (Voted)

Start Date: 2007-08

End Date: Ongoing

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2007-08/2009-10: Implementation of the Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries initiative (PICFI) was originally carried out using the established Terms and Conditions for the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (Negotiation and Implementation of Fisheries Agreements and Allocation Transfer Program) and Aboriginal Aquatic Resources and Oceans Management program. In 2009, a review of all Fisheries and Oceans Canada Aboriginal contribution based programs, including the PICFI, has culminated in the development of the Integrated Aboriginal Contribution Management Framework, which includes the recently approved Integrated Aboriginal Contribution Management Framework Terms and Conditions, under which the PICFI now operates

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Aboriginal Program and Treaties

Description: On July 16, 2007, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard announced the PICFI, which is designed to support increased First Nations participation in integrated commercial fisheries, where all commercial harvesters fish under common and transparent rules, a higher standard of accountability for all resource users, and strengthened collaboration and cooperation amongst all fishery interests.

The PICFI was initially launched as a five-year $175 million program to lay the foundation for an integrated, stable, and prosperous fishery in British Columbia, where all commercial harvesters, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, operate under common and transparent rules. The initiative received one-year extensions from 2012 to 2014 ($22.5 million and $22 million respectively). Budget 2014 announced a two-year ($44.1 million) renewal of the initiative ($22.1 million in 2014-15 and 2015-16). An additional one-year extension of PICFI ($22.5 million – 2016-17) was announced in Budget 2016. Budget 2017 announced that the PICFI would be funded on an ongoing basis at $22.5 million per year.

The initiative includes the following four distinct yet integrated elements:

• increased First Nation participation in integrated commercial fisheries, British Columbia-wide, in advance of treaties, through the voluntary relinquishment of commercial licenses and quota to support First Nations self-sufficiency through economic development, building a foundation for future treaties, and bringing First Nations more fully into integrated management processes;
• First Nation capacity building to support the development of First Nations commercial fisheries enterprises so that the commercial fishery access provided is effectively utilized and managed;
• fisheries accountability measures to support enhanced fisheries monitoring, catch reporting, and greater enforcement, to enable the development of a traceability system, and to ensure all fishery participants are confident that integrated management plans are being respected and that the fisheries resource is being managed in a sustainable manner; and
• new Pacific co-management models to establish new mechanisms for increasing the collaboration of resource users in commercial fisheries decision-making, to facilitate joint problem-solving among interested groups, and to better achieve sustainable resource management approaches that meet conservation goals.

Results Achieved: Under PICFI Collaborative Management, funding was provided to enhance the ability of all harvesters, with a strong focus on First Nations, to participate in the collaborative management of the integrated commercial fishery and foster needed collaborative decision-making mechanisms. This funding has worked to strengthen and link existing collaborative processes (e.g. advisory boards and Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Ocean Management aggregate groups), in addition to supporting new mechanisms where gaps are identified.

Under PICFI Enhanced Accountability, funding was provided to support consistent monitoring and catch reporting standards and programs in all fisheries for all sectors including First Nation Food Social Ceremonial, and commercial and recreational sectors.

Under PICFI Enterprise Development, funding was provided to Commercial Fishing Enterprises (CFE) to support operational expenditures for the year with a focus on activities related to capacity development. Further funding is also available to CFEs for harvesting and fisheries-related diversification activities such as acquiring access, fishing vessels and gear, fishing operations upgrades, primary-production-related diversification, processing and distribution / logistics diversification, market access diversification, and fisheries-related tourism.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audits were conducted during the 2018-19 reporting year. A Review Engagement of Indigenous Reconciliation Activities is planned to begin in the fall of 2019. The final report is anticipated for June 2020.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: The next planned evaluation is scheduled for 2020-2021.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: PICFI Enterprise Development signed a total of 59 contribution agreements in 2018-19 with 35 recipients. Regional CFE engagement was conducted over a series of 6 sessions across BC (Alert Bay, Campbell River, Kamloops, Nanaimo, Prince Rupert, and Vancouver) to provide program updates and create an opportunity for in-person discussions with PICFI participants. All CFEs were invited to attend one of these sessions. A similar process took place over a four-day period in May 2017, where PICFI representatives held sessions in five locations across BC (Kamloops, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Campbell River, and Prince Rupert) to communicate on program objectives. A CFE Business Development Forum was also held over two days in November 2017, where all PICFI participants were invited. The intent of the Forum was to provide a venue to discuss topics relevant to the development of self-sustaining businesses related to commercial fisheries and to facilitate networking.

Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (Voted)

Start Date: 2007-08

End Date: Ongoing

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2007-08 / 2009-10: Implementation of the Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (AICFI) was originally carried out using the established Terms and Conditions for the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy (Negotiation and Implementation of Fisheries Agreements and Allocation Transfer Program) and Aboriginal Aquatic Resources and Oceans Management program. In 2009, a review of all Fisheries and Oceans Canada Aboriginal contribution-based programs, including AICFI, has culminated in the development of the Integrated Aboriginal Contribution Management Framework, which includes the recently approved Integrated Aboriginal Contribution Management Framework Terms and Conditions, under which AICFI now operates.

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Aboriginal Programs and Treaties

Description: The Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (AICFI) was initially launched in 2007, as a five-year, $55.1 million program set to expire on March 31, 2012. The 2012 and 2013 Federal Budgets provided identical one-year $11.02 million extensions of the program. Budget 2014 provided an additional $22.04 million for the two-year renewal of the initiative ($11.02 million in 2014-15 and 2015-16) and Budget 2016 renewed the program at $11.02 million for 2016-17. Budget 2017 announced that AICFI would be funded on an ongoing basis at $11.02 million per year.

The long-term goal of the AICFI is to continue to create positive conditions towards concluding longer-term arrangements for Mi'kmaq and Maliseet First Nations (MMFN) in the Maritimes and Gaspé, Québec to:

• enhance capacity in governance and management of MMFN commercial fishing enterprises;
• develop effective participation in sustainable, integrated commercial fisheries with a greater role in fisheries management; and
• help diversify existing fishing enterprises to support the full realization of economic potential of existing fishing licenses.

The AICFI has been developed to proceed along two separate paths of deployment. The first is through individual MMFNs where the individual First Nations can apply for funding for components of the initiative provided they have completed the prerequisite planning as per component requirements. This will allow First Nations the ability to personalize their development to their own needs and development schedule.

The second path of deployment is through associated aggregate bodies which may apply for funding to proceed with the development of the Commercial Fishing Enterprise (CFE) Business Development Unit as well as co-management and various training and mentoring projects. Aggregate bodies will develop expertise that can be shared with individual First Nations which will provide smaller First Nations a larger voice within the commercial fishery and provide a higher value for dollar on mentoring and training sessions.

Results Achieved: As of 2018-19, there are 34 of 35 Mi’kmaq and Maliseet and Passamaquoddy CFEs now participating in some aspects of the program. Overall, the quality of business cases and detailed project descriptions contained in applications has improved, and 2018-19 saw an increase in the number of business plans prepared by CFEs participating in the program. Additionally, three CFEs participating in the program achieved the highest CFE Business Capacity Rating (sustainable), bringing the overall amount of CFEs rated sustainable to 11.

In 2018-19, AICFI helped support and maintain 1,310 harvesting jobs and 358 shore-based fisheries jobs, bringing total AICFI-supported CFE employment to 1,669 jobs. AICFI contributed $206,000 in funding for harvester and CFE management training for 600 individuals. Training ranged from marine certification courses, to at-sea mentoring and deckhand training, and to specialized aquaculture operations training.

Under the Expansion / Diversification component of the program, AICFI provided considerable funding to vessel, equipment, and license purchases and shore-based and aquaculture investment, totaling $6.7 million in 2018-19. Notably, under Vessel Purchase and Construction projects that were supported by AICFI, MMFNs funded 37 percent of the total project costs themselves, while under Commercial Communal Access Acquisition projects, MMFNs funded 42 percent of the total project costs themselves and, the costs of On-shore Facility projects, MMFNs funded 21 percent of the total project costs themselves. Additionally, under the Expansion / Diversification component of AICFI, other sources of Government funding were leveraged to fund 19 percent of the total project costs of aquaculture projects under this component.

Improved relationships with and outcomes for Indigenous people:

• Increased number of eligible indigenous groups accessing AICFI (Target: 33-34 groups)
• Increased number of business plans prepared by Indigenous groups accessing AICFI (Target: 30-33)
• Number of indigenous people employed in commercial fisheries programs (AICFI & PICFI combined) (Target: 2,950 people)
• Percentage of eligible Indigenous groups represented in AICFI agreements (Target: 97 percent)

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audits were conducted during 2018-19. A Review Engagement of Indigenous Reconciliation Activities is planned to begin in the fall of 2019. The final report is anticipated for June 2020.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: A planned evaluation is scheduled for 2020-21.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: Program participants were engaged by AICFI staff and the Business Development Team through the course of the fiscal year, using a formalized application process that included formal correspondence, ad hoc telecommunications, public program guidance materials, and face-to-face meetings. AICFI also engages participants by facilitating an annual Fisheries Coordinator’s Workshop involving Fisheries Coordinators from each AICFI group. This engagement framework resulted in the certification of 89 contribution agreements in 2018-19 with 33 recipients.

Northern Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (Voted)

Start Date: 2017-18

End Date: Ongoing

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2009-10 (Integrated Aboriginal Contribution Management Framework)

Link to Department’s Program Inventory: Aboriginal Programs and Treaties

Description: The Northern Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative (NICFI) will work with Indigenous communities to develop community-based commercial fishing enterprises (CFEs), build capacity and business management skills, train harvesters to fish safely, and facilitate the expansion and diversification of CFEs, while promoting strong corporate governance and results-based reporting back to the communities they represent.

Results Achieved:

Commercial fisheries programs are available to Indigenous groups:

• Increased number of eligible indigenous groups accessing NICFI (Target: 4-10 groups)
• Increased number of business plans prepared by Indigenous groups accessing NICFI (Target: 4-10)

Improved relationships with and outcomes for Indigenous people:

• Number of indigenous people employed in commercial fisheries programs (AICFI & PICFI & NICFI combined) (Target: 3,000 – 3,250 people)
• Percentage of eligible Indigenous groups represented in NICFI agreements (Target: 80-100%)

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: Not applicable

Finds of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: Not applicable

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: Eligible participants of the program include Indigenous groups and communities in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador, where DFO manages the fishery.

Budget 2017 announced permanent funding for Indigenous integrated commercial fisheries programs (AICFI & PICFI), with expansion to the north under NICFI. Budget 2017 also announced increased permanent funding for collaborative programs (AFS & AAROM).

This presented a unique opportunity to collaborate with Indigenous groups in the co-development, co-design and co-delivery of programs. Indigenous Programs partnered with the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute (NIFI), an Indigenous-led technical organization, to design and deliver the IPR, which was launched in Autumn 2017.

The co-design of NICFI involved over 17 NIFI-led engagement sessions with more than 50 different communities, 17 groups and 143 participants, including government leaders and officials, hunters and trappers, fish harvesters, commercial fishing managers and association leads and community members. A final report recommending NICFI program design elements will be provided to the Department in early 2019. The recommendations in the final report will inform program guidance for DFO staff and applicant guides for recipients, for utilization during the first full year of NICFI implementation during the 2019-20 fiscal year.

Contributions under the Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management Program (Voted)

Start Date: 2005-06

End Date: Ongoing

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2009-10

Link to Department’s Program Inventory: Aboriginal Programs and Treaties

Description: Launched in October 2004, the Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management (AAROM) program provides for capacity building and collaborative management initiatives that support the involvement of Indigenous groups, working together, to obtain access to technical, scientific, and administrative expertise in order to facilitate their participation in multi-stakeholder and other decision-making processes used to manage aquatic resources and ocean spaces.

Budget 2017 allotted new funding to the AAROM program in order to make strategic investments in the capacity of aggregate Indigenous organizations, focusing on expanding coverage of the AAROM platform as a means of supporting the objectives of member communities and engaging them in the delivery of departmental or inter-departmental initiatives that require ongoing collaboration with Indigenous partners. Over a five-year period, a total of $25,312,237 will be added to existing AAROM funding allotments ($23,041,996 in ongoing annual funds).

Provisions of Contribution Agreements under AAROM may include:

• establishing AAROM collaborative management structures or bodies;
• accessing skilled professional, administrative, and technical expertise from within the Indigenous community or other external sources but excluding public office holders;
• participating in aquatic resource and oceans management planning through the development of resource and oceans management plans and the coordination of community input into the development of plans;
• developing or providing input into the development of models, structures, and processes to guide the interactions of external bodies and agencies with the respective Indigenous group;
• planning and holding consultation sessions with member communities on AAROM-related issues;
• participating in various government technical committees and other multi-stakeholder fora;
• developing, implementing, and monitoring the AAROM capacity-building strategies;
• developing enforcement capacity, including Aboriginal Fishery Officers, and upgrading the skills of Aboriginal Fisheries Guardians;
• collaborating in scientific research efforts related to aquatic resource and oceans management;
• participating in and providing input to various aquatic and oceans resource policy and management processes;
• undertaking scientific research activities to support appropriate watershed / ecosystem-based management efforts, including the collection and gathering of Indigenous Traditional Knowledge;
• conducting community outreach, stewardship, and awareness activities;
• conducting liaison activities with other relevant, interested parties;
• developing protocols on Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, dealing with new and innovative approaches to collect, analyze, and integrate this information into environmental and habitat assessments and management practices;
• ongoing program planning, administration, and reporting activities of the AAROM Collaborative Management body; and
• negotiations and implementation of related AAROM agreements (and associated protocols) for which Fisheries and Oceans Canada is a signatory.

The AAROM program is applicable in areas where Fisheries and Oceans Canada manages the fishery, and where land claim agreements addressing those matters covered under the AAROM program are not in place. Where the Indigenous group has signed a comprehensive land claims agreement, and one or more of the matters covered by the AAROM program are not dealt with in the agreement, the group would be eligible to apply for support in those matters not covered.

Results Achieved: In 2018-19, 37 AAROM agreements were signed with 36 Indigenous organizations, representing more than 300 Indigenous communities. These agreements provide ongoing support for the capacity necessary to collaboratively manage Canada’s aquatic resources, oceans, and related habitats.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audits were conducted during 2018-19. A Review Engagement of Indigenous Reconciliation Activities is planned to begin in the fall of 2019. The final report is anticipated for June 2020.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: An Evaluation was completed in March 2019. The evaluation results indicated the following:

• There is a continued need for AFS and AAROM, and both programs contribute to departmental results. However, funding has limited the ability of the programs to fund other recipient activities in order to increase their involvement in collaborative management.
• There is currently no common understanding of capacity building for AFS or AAROM among program recipients and program staff. Moreover, the availability of high quality and reliable data are needed to ensure that AFS and AAROM measure the advancement of the capacity of recipients.
• While information contained within the Aboriginal Programs and Governance Information System is found to be beneficial to manage the contribution agreements between DFO and AFS / AAROM recipients, the information and data are inconsistently captured.
• Greater coordination is needed as limited interaction occurs between AFS / AAROM programs and other DFO and Canadian Coast Guard programs, resulting in missed opportunities.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: As part of the actions developed to respond to the results of the Indigenous Program Review, a national AAROM meeting was held (February 2018 in Kelowna, B.C.). The meeting, which was attended by the Directors of AAROM departments and DFO staff involved in program delivery, was an action-oriented meeting to enable the networking required to share expertise and best practices, and to address common challenges. The AAROM National meeting will now become an annual event.

Ocean and Freshwater Science Contribution Program (Voted)

Start Date: May 2016

End Date: Ongoing

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2016-17

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Aquatic Animal Health; Aquatic Invasive Species; Biotechnology and Genomics; Fisheries Protection; Hydrographic Services, Data and Science; Oceans Management; Species at Risk, Aquaculture Management, Aquatic Ecosystem Science, Oceans and Climate Change Science, Aquaculture Science, Fisheries Management.

Description: The Ocean and Freshwater Science Contribution program allows the Department to provide financial assistance to organizations that wish to conduct scientific research and related science activities aligned with Departmental program areas.

Results Achieved:

1. Increased understanding of our ocean and freshwater environments for evidence-based policy development and decision-making relating to Canada’s oceans and aquatic ecosystems. The scientific information and knowledge is generated as a result of scientific research performed under contribution agreements entered into with academic institutions and other scientific research organizations.
2. Increased research capacity for the Canadian ocean and freshwater science community, including Indigenous organizations. A large proportion of projects include, as an indirect outcome of their activities, the training and development of new high-quality personnel in the Canadian ocean and freshwater science ecosystem.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audits were conducted during the 2018-19 reporting year. An audit engagement of the Use of Science for Program Decision-making is scheduled for 2020-21.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: A planned evaluation is scheduled for 2020-21.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: Applicants and recipients are engaged through proposals solicited in response to a formal call for proposals. In addition to the formal call process, engagement may occur at the national, regional, and local level on an ad-hoc basis in order to encourage proposals responding to emerging issues of concern.

In total, 141 projects were funded, with 76 recipients, broken down among the following categories:

• Canadian Non-Government: 30
• Canadian Post Secondary Academic Institutions: 23
• Foreign Organizations: 9
• Indigenous Groups: 6
• Business and Industry: 5
• Canadian Government: 3

For each dollar expended under the OFSCP, approximately $0.58 was leveraged through the contributions (cash and in kind) of external recipients. The leveraging amount has decreased slightly due to the full funding of Indigenous projects.

Coastal Restoration Fund (Voted)

Start Date: April 6, 2017

End Date: March 31, 2022

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2017-18

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Fisheries Protection

Description: The Coastal Restoration Fund (CRF) contributes to the development and implementation of coastal restoration plans, supports the identification of restoration priorities, and assists actions to address threats to marine species located on Canada’s coasts. The aquatic habitat restoration projects contribute to the mitigation of stressors (such as contaminants, grounding, noise, erosion, and habitat degradation) affecting marine life and their habitats, and engages Indigenous groups, resource users, and local groups and communities in undertaking restoration activities.

The program does not have repayable contributions.

Results Achieved: During its initial call for proposals, the program allocated funding to 40 projects on all three coasts worth over $57.6 million. A second call for proposals, opened in fall 2018, allowed the remainder of program funds to be allocated. A total of 24 projects have been approved for funding through this second call, with a combined funding value of close to $13.6 million. Fisheries and Oceans Canada is currently in the process of negotiating and signing contribution agreements from this second call, after which all program funds will be allocated to support projects that span the remaining years of the program.

All performance measures and performance indicators are monitored and reported on in the CRF’s annual report.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audit was performed in 2018-19. An audit is planned for no later than 2021-22.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: A planned evaluation is scheduled for 2020-21.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: CRF managers hosted WebEx training sessions in November 2018 to supplement guidance to potential CRF applicants. Two English sessions and one French session were offered to potential applicants to provide them with information about the approach to be taken in evaluating proposals under the second round of funding and provide guidance on what was required to complete their Expression of Interest.

Contributions to Support the Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships Program (Voted)

Start Date: June 6, 2013

End Date: March 31, 2019

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2013-14

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Fisheries Protection

Description: The Recreational Fisheries Conservation Partnerships program (RFCPP) promotes multi-partner initiatives and supports projects led by recreational fishing and angling groups, as well as conservation organizations, aimed at improving Canada’s recreational fisheries. These groups have established expertise and collaborative approaches in fisheries conservation and are well positioned to deliver habitat restoration projects that benefit recreational fisheries.

Program funding allows recipients to take action to restore, rebuild, and rehabilitate compromised or threatened fisheries habitat in areas that are important to the sustainability and productivity of Canada’s recreational fisheries. For example, the RFCPP funds groups to deliver activities such as making in-stream and streamside habitat improvements, removing barriers to fish migration, stabilizing riverbanks or reducing erosion, and re-vegetating shorelines or enhancing structures to allow the free passage of fish to natural habitats.

The RFCPP focuses primarily on funding small- and medium-sized projects (i.e., in the $20,000 to $100,000 range) but has a maximum contribution limit of $250,000 per project per year. Canadian government (i.e., federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal) support cannot exceed 75 percent of total project expenditures, while federal support cannot exceed 50 percent of total project expenditures.

Expected Results: The RFCPP sunset in 2018-19 and the program will continue to support multi-partner initiatives led by recreational fishing and angling groups, as well as conservation organizations, aimed at improving Canada’s recreational fisheries.

The key performance indicators for this program during this timeframe were:

• investments in habitat restoration; and
• improvements to fisheries habitat.

Results Achieved: The program sunset on March 31, 2019. All of the program’s remaining funds were allocated. The program provided $53 million to a total of 733 projects over its six years (2013-2019). Through the requirement for recipients to provide matching funds from other sources, over $109 million in additional funding for these restoration projects was leveraged over the six years.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No program audit was completed in 2018-19.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: A planned evaluation is scheduled for 2023-24.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: No engagement activities performed in 2018-19 as the program sunset.

Contribution Agreements to Permit the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) Associations to Carry Out Authorized Activities Related to Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations, SAR Prevention and Other Safety Related Activities (Voted)

Start Date: April 1, 2013 (renewed contribution agreements)

End Date: March 31, 2023

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: Amended to - Integrated Canadian Coast Guard Contribution Management Framework Terms and Conditions - approved May 2019

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Search and Rescue

Description: The program provides funding to eligible Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) organizations to supplement the response efforts of the Canadian Coast Guard. The CCGA is an integral part of the national Search and Rescue program.

This program is not a repayable contribution as the CCGA corporations are federally incorporated non-profit organizations.

Results Achieved: The Auxiliary organizations participated in 27.7 percent of maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) responses relative to the total number of incidents, surpassing their target of 20 percent. (Note: mid-year 2018-19 results were used as final results have not yet been updated). For the first half of the year, there were 4,301 maritime incidents and the Coast Guard Auxiliary responded to 1,193 incidents.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No internal audits were completed for the Auxiliary recipients in 2018-19. One Auxiliary organization will be audited in 2019-20, and the remaining organizations will be audited in 2020-21. However, the Auxiliary organizations have professional financial audits completed annually on funding received by the Coast Guard, as required under our agreements.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: A planned evaluation is scheduled for 2021-22.

Engagement of applicants and recipients in 2018-19:

• The Coast Guard regularly engages with CCGA organizations on Search and Rescue (e.g. Search and Rescue Response, towing of disabled vessels, fire fighting to save lives, provision of humanitarian assistance);
• Search and Rescue System Awareness (e.g. reporting of out-of-position, damaged, and malfunctioning aids to navigation; Search and Rescue system awareness activities such as presentations, staffing booths at boat shows, and demonstrations of Search and Rescue equipment);
• Training and exercising (e.g. participation in international Search and Rescue events and training activities, participation in training exercises, familiarization patrols); and
• Administration (e.g. attendance at Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary meetings and meetings of other organizations, including twice-yearly joint national meetings between the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary, as well as various other SAR forums).

Contribution Program to Support Atlantic Canada’s Fish and Seafood Sector (Voted)

Start Date: August 31, 2017

End Date: March 31, 2024

Type of Transfer Payment: Contribution

Type of Appropriation: Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2017-18

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Fisheries Management

Description: The Contribution Program to Support Atlantic Canada’s Fish and Seafood Sector, also known as the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF), is a seven-year, $325 million contribution program to assist in transitioning the fish and seafood sector in Atlantic Canada and support the sector across Canada to capitalize on upcoming free trade agreements and achieve sustainable Canadian fisheries in economic and environmental terms. The AFF is a federal-provincial cost-shared program with a 70/30 funding ratio over the life of the program.

The objectives of the AFF are to:

• Increase productivity, competitiveness, quality, and sustainability in the fish and seafood sector;
• Enhance capacity to adapt to and address ecosystem shifts and their impacts on the fish and seafood sector, including shifts related to climate change; and
• Increase recognition of Canadian fish and seafood products as market-leading in terms of quality and sustainability.

Results Achieved: The three AFF Atlantic pillars (Innovation, Infrastructure, and Science Partners) launched on August 31, 2017. During the first year, interest and demand for the fund was high in all four Atlantic Provinces. In its first year, the AFF helped foster partnerships and networks to encourage innovation, and supported research and innovations to contribute to the sustainability of the fish and seafood sector – a sector critical to the local economy. The AFF is also contributing to advancing sectors, such as fish harvesting, through the adoption and adaptation of equipment that enables them to fish more efficiently and effectively while reducing their environmental footprint. The AFF is also supporting projects that contribute to scientific knowledge for various species through the science partnerships pillar.

Between the program’s launch and March 31, 2019, 574 applicants sought funding through the AFF, and the AFF supported 194 projects in the four Atlantic provinces (24 in Nova Scotia, 26 in Prince Edward Island, 31 in New Brunswick, and 113 in Newfoundland and Labrador). As of March 31, 2019, total assistance provided was $48.4 million. Infrastructure was by far the most popular pillar; 165 projects received $28.6 million in assistance for adopting / adapting technologies to make businesses more sustainable and efficient. In addition, 25 innovation and four science partnerships projects were approved, with assistance of $12.7 million and $7.1 million respectively.

On December 5, 2018, the AFF launched the fourth pillar of the program, the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund (CFSOF). The CFSOF is a national marketing pillar that will invest more than $40 million over the next six years to strengthen market access and enhance branding opportunities for the fish and seafood sector in partnership with the provinces and territories. Between the launch of the CFSOF and March 31, 2019, 16 groups submitted an expression of interest for funding, with eight being invited to submit a full proposal.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audit was planned or completed during 2018-19.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: A planned evaluation is scheduled for 2022-23.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: Over the first year, the AFF engaged potential program applicants and participants using an online application process that included formal correspondence, ongoing communications (i.e. electronic or via telephone), public program materials, and strategic face-to-face meetings. This engagement work resulted in a total of 194 approved projects and $48.4 million in funding.

Grant to Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund (Voted)

Start Date: 2018-19

End Date: 2018-19

Type of Transfer Payment: Grant

Type of Appropriation: Supplementary Estimates

Fiscal Year for Terms and Conditions: 2018-19

Link to Department's Program Inventory: Fisheries Management

Description: The Grant provides $5 million in 2018-19 to provide a one-time grant to the Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society, which will incrementally increase their current endowment fund and allow for increased grants and funding from the organization to support small-scale, community-based conservation and wild Pacific salmon restoration activities in B.C.

Results Achieved: Through the one-time grant, the Society is advancing citizen engagement in a culture of salmon and ecosystem stewardship.

Findings of Audits Completed in 2018-19: No audits were conducted during the 2018-19 reporting year.

Findings of Evaluations Completed in 2018-19: No evaluations were conducted during the 2018-19 reporting year.

Engagement of Applicants and Recipients in 2018-19: The Pacific Salmon Endowment Fund Society was created in 2001 to manage the endowment fund provided to the Pacific Salmon Foundation, and to contribute to the Foundation’s capacity and core costs. The Society was provided the one-time grant in April 2019 to supplement the existing endowment fund. The Department engages with the Foundation on an ongoing basis through various programs and operations.