Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 2023-24 Departmental Results Report

More information on Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

DFO embarked on a new approach to the provision of expert science advice for impact assessments to more efficiently fulfill the regulatory requirements under the Impact Assessment Act. In 2023–24, the Department:

• finalized the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program (FFHPP) Science Impact Assessment Coordination Framework
• developed working-level governance to support program implementation, development, and communication
• developed a search engine tool for staff to conduct topical searches on previously published advice in support of Impact Assessment-related requests
• delivered to FFHPP five specialist / expert information/knowledge responses as outlined in the Coordination Framework, within the regulatory timeframes

The Department’s digital transformation is modernizing traditional hydrographic products and services and delivering high-quality data and digital services to users. The goals of this work are to ensure that Canada’s waters are safe and navigable and to make the Canadian Hydrographic Service an industry leader in packaging and distributing geospatial navigation products and services. We work with partners and the international community to implement new standards for a digital era of marine navigation. For example, in 2023–24, DFO/CCG:

• updated traditional hydrographic products to digital format
• expanded the implementation of the Collaborative Voyage Management System in Marine Communications and Traffic Services centres in Halifax, Prince Rupert, and Iqaluit to allow offshore mariners to send vessel traffic services reports electronically to CCG
• continued implementation of the four-season buoy project (which replaces seasonal buoys with buoys that can remain in the water year-round and which require less frequent service and maintenance) and trialled the use of these buoys on navigation channels in Iqaluit
• transformed existing navigational warning data to be compatible with new technology to align with international standards
• digitalized the Notice to Mariners (NOTMAR) system and Radio Aids to Marine Navigation (RAMN)
• completed improvements to the Integrated Water Level System user experience and long-term archives efficiency
• launched a modern water level forecasting model that uses advanced analytics for data-driven decision-making and end-to-end synchronization, while adhering to the highest standards, to improve navigation safety on St. Lawrence waterways

These accomplishments highlight the Department’s commitment to modernizing hydrographic products and services, delivering high-quality digital data, and collaborating with partners to implement new standards to position DFO/CCG at the forefront of a new era in hydrography and marine navigation.

In 2022, the Government of Canada announced the renewal of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP Renewal), with a commitment of $2 billion over 9 years. OPP Renewal builds on the historic $1.5 billion investment made in 2016 under the first phase of the OPP, expanding and continuing initiatives that have helped to make Canada’s oceans safer, healthier, and cleaner through collaboration with federal partners and Indigenous and coastal communities.

For example, in collaboration with federal partners and Indigenous and coastal communities, DFO supported the implementation of initiatives to strengthen marine traffic management to ensure the safe movement and navigation of vessels, improve on-water safety, and limit risks to our marine ecosystems. The Department is responsible for supporting the safety of marine navigation through the provision of nautical charts and related publications, which require accurate, timely, and complete hydrographic survey data. In particular, these funds enable us to accelerate efforts to improve modern hydrographic services in the Arctic, where maritime traffic has increased over recent years and is expected to continue to grow with longer ice-free seasons. Our Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) produced 52 new electronic navigational charts in 2023–24, surpassing the target of 40-50. This increased the coverage of the proposed primary and secondary low impact shipping corridors in the Arctic to 45.7 per cent, or 240,294.7 km², significantly enhancing the safety and efficiency of marine navigation.

For more information on OPP Renewal, please see the Marine Operations and Response core responsibility below.

Under OPP Renewal, capacity-building projects were successfully developed with four communities (Paulatuk N.W.T., Inukjuak Que., Miawpukek N.L., and Kinngait Nut.), 6 collaboration agreements were established, and the Community Hydrography Program was well-received in its first years. These agreements facilitated the use of advanced hydrographic survey techniques and real-time data sharing, which are crucial for efficient marine traffic management. This initiative also allowed the Department to strengthen relationships with community partners across the Arctic and elsewhere in Canada. By sharing new technologies with communities, we support their capacity to collect and use hydrographic data to meet their requirements for understanding the seafloor in local waters and to share best practices on how to collect, manage, and distribute this information. The Department also developed and shared the report “State of Play Report: Advancement of Community Hydrography in Canada”, highlighting the progress and contributions of Indigenous and coastal communities in hydrographic initiatives.

OPP Renewal builds on the historic $1.5 billion investment made in 2016 under the first phase of the OPP, expanding and continuing initiatives that have helped to make Canada’s oceans safer, healthier, and cleaner. In 2023–24, the CCG advanced a number of operations and response-related goals under OPP Renewal:

• in support of Transport Canada, the CCG contributed to the collection of feedback from partners and the development of a What We Heard report on a nationally-integrated system for marine pollution preparedness, response, and recovery
• started training and qualifying personnel on a new standard for hazardous materials response through the Hazardous and Noxious Substance initiative, which will contribute to response approaches to marine pollution beyond oil spills
• performed high-level risk assessments to determine the best locations for pollution response equipment in the Arctic
• completed 27 contribution agreements for the Communication Portal for Integrated Incident Response initiative, which will enable collaboration among the CCG and Indigenous and coastal partners, and awarded a contract for the system’s development
• increased the number of trained and resourced responders through expansion to the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Program, with 6 new communities approved for funding
• launched a new compliance and enforcement program to work closely with vessel owners to address their problem vessels and, if necessary, to ensure vessel owners are held liable for the costs of addressing their hazardous vessels in accordance with the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act
• launched the Integrated Marine Response Planning initiative, which aims to bring partners together in developing area response plans to respond to marine spills; these area response plans address the risks and conditions specific to each geographical area and include local knowledge from Indigenous groups and coastal and Great Lakes communities, as well as scientific information

The Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA) is a national network of over 4,000 volunteers funded by the CCG through contribution agreements to augment Canada’s maritime search and rescue response capacity along the world’s longest coastline. Auxiliary units are strategically located in remote areas where marine risks are highest. OPP Renewal offered an opportunity to increase ongoing funding to the CCGA Contribution Program to allow Auxiliary non-profit organizations to sustain and grow their on-water response capacity through increased operating budgets, training, and exercising activities. In 2023–24, each CCGA organization received a 30 per cent budget increase. More information on the CCGA is available in the Enhanced relationships with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous people section below.

With the expansion of the CCG’s capacity in upcoming years through OPP, OPP Renewal, and fleet renewal, it’s imperative that the CCG ensures that we have the right people with the right skills. The CCG continued to work on building a sustainable and representative workforce. More than one fifth of the CCG’s fleet employees will be eligible to retire in the next 5 years, indicating a potential for high upcoming turnover, and 86.15 per cent of current fleet employees identify as male, indicating that our workforce is not yet representative of the Canadian population. In 2023–24, we secured a modified Vidcruiter platform to better target outreach and recruitment efforts by connecting with and tracking prospective candidates directly and gathering valuable labour market information to help gauge the success of efforts. In addition, the CCG also improved development of personnel analytics to help ensure an evidence-based approach to attraction efforts of an agile and resilient workforce for sea-going personnel. This included monthly seagoing awareness reports that provide a multi-faceted data view of the sea-going workforce to assist in understanding the current state of the workforce and to help define future workforce strategies.

In 2023–24, we also launched our largest National Recruitment advertisement campaign, testing a new approach and targeting around 200 at-risk positions, as well as developing an associated national inventory of candidates. The targeted positions pose hiring challenges due to requirements for unique skill sets, remote work locations, and/or a high quantity of vacancies to fill. Early results indicate that the campaign has the potential to surpass the need for most targeted positions, with over 1,000 candidates screened in, and more than a third of those candidates self-declaring as a member of 1 or more employment equity group(s).

The CCG completed our Coast Guard College Modernization Project, a five-year strategic plan to ensure that the College remains a world-leading bilingual institution while we develop and update the training that our personnel require to save lives, protect the environment, ensure safe shipping, and maintain the best marine communications systems possible. The project spanned a host of upgrades and modernizations to teaching resources and campus services facilities to support modern and effective learning platforms, both physical and virtual. In 2023–24, we:

• completed the modernization of the Marine Communications and Traffic Services radio and vessel traffic simulators
• completed the John Adams Library renewal project, which included information technology infrastructure upgrades that support the effective delivery of training material to operational personnel and will help ensure that learning is more accessible from coast to coast to coast
• completed the first module of the fleet command course, which assists CCG navigation officers in making the transition to Commanding Officer of a station or ship

The CCG owns and operates the federal government’s civilian fleet and provides key maritime services to Canadians, covering an operational range of approximately 5.3 million square kilometres of ocean and inland waters, along 243,000 kilometres of coastline. However, CCG’s large fleet of vessels is on average 41 years old and our vessels are becoming more costly to maintain and are more frequently taken out of operation for unscheduled repairs. As we encounter increasing pressure for on-water work, the need to replace the vessels has never been higher. In 2023–24, the CCG, through the National Shipbuilding Strategy and in response to the Minister’s mandate letter commitment to renew the fleet, completed the following milestones:

• took delivery of 2 additional Search and Rescue Lifeboats
• completed a prototype test block for the Polar Icebreaker at Vancouver Shipyards
• awarded the build contract for a new Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel to Chantier Naval Forillon
• awarded the construction engineering and long-lead items contracts for the Multi-Purpose Vessel project to Vancouver Shipyards
• awarded a contract to update the current design of, and investigate alternative propulsion systems for, 4 Air Cushion Vehicles to Griffon Hoverwork Ltd. (located in the United Kingdom)
• awarded an ancillary contract to commence work on the Program Icebreakers at Chantier Davie
• saw the start of construction of the first of 2 Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships at Irving Shipbuilding
• saw the full ship consolidation of the Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel at Vancouver Shipyards

One of the key principles of fleet renewal is to prioritize flexible capabilities in the new vessels. These modern vessels with mission modularity capabilities allow the CCG to continue the delivery of our programs to Canadians and meet the evolving challenges driven by climate change. At the same time, to maintain continuity of service, the CCG continued work on vessel life extension to ensure that older active vessels are safe, reliable, and able to continue providing essential services to Canadians until new vessels are built and ready for operations. For example, in 2023–24:

• one modification contract was awarded
• one vessel life extension contract was awarded
• refit work was launched on 2 vessels
• the CCGS Cygnus’s refit work was completed and the vessel was received

All of this work is being done as part of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which has contributed close to $12.63 billion to the Gross Domestic Product of Canada and has created or maintained approximately 9,500 jobs annually.

The CCG is proactively working to make assets and infrastructure more resilient to climate change. Through life cycle management of the assets, we develop repair and replacement plans to incorporate new methods and practices, such as changing the location of installations to offer more protection from rising sea levels and increased ice flows, or the development of four-season buoys which are more resilient to environmental conditions. In 2023–24, CCG invested in the preparation of a climate resiliency report to help understand how changes to the environment might affect our Arctic Marine Communications and Traffic Services sites and infrastructure in and around the Great Lakes.

The Government of Canada has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050. To meet this commitment, the CCG, a federal decarbonization leader, worked on the development of an operational fleet decarbonization plan. The CCG was the first National Safety and Security Fleet department to use the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s (TBS) Low-carbon Fuel Procurement Program, which offsets low-carbon fuel costs. In 2023–24:

• we conducted the first test, for any government asset anywhere in the world, of 100 per cent biodiesel fuel trial with a blend of 20 per cent biodiesel and 80 per cent conventional marine diesel on the CCGS Caribou Isle and monitored and compared emissions to those from other vessels that used conventional marine diesel
• on the CCGS Sir Wilfrid Laurier, we ran a 30 per cent renewable diesel blend in the Arctic in the summer, the first for any governmental asset worldwide
• as part of our commitment to the Greening Government Strategy and the Policy on Green Procurement, we were awarded nearly $1 million in additional funds under the TBS Greening Government Fund to work with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories to expand research and development on resilient energy systems
• we awarded a contract for the Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessel, and work is now underway on the CCG’s first diesel-electric hybrid propulsion vessel with a battery energy storage system
• we commissioned a study through the National Research Council that evaluated the emissions performance of renewable diesel, biodiesel, and ultra-low-sulfur diesel for marine vessel application^Footnote53

Canada has the longest coastline in the world, and Indigenous communities along these coastlines represent one of the CCG’s most valuable partnerships by contributing to the safety of all mariners. OPP Renewal has generated a number of opportunities for the CCG to enhance our partnerships with Indigenous communities on a shared marine response throughout Canadian waters. We were able to commit new funding for community work on marine safety and marine environmental protection and through the longstanding CCGA program, including the Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Program, and through the Coastal Marine Response Network (CMRN). The CMRN, which includes the Co-developing Community Response accommodation measure and Integrated Marine Response Planning, is a broad plan to support ocean sectors and coastal economies while protecting Canadian waters by developing area response plans addressing the risks and conditions specific to each geographical area, and establishing and/or strengthening networks of emergency responders from multiple levels of government and community and volunteer organizations. The network augments existing marine response capacity, particularly in isolated or remote communities, and creates opportunities to advance reconciliation and support self-determination in Indigenous communities. In addition, these programs prioritize co-development and co-management, as well as hiring Indigenous staff and students to provide professional opportunities. As of 2023–24, 29 Nations out of a possible 33 had signed contribution agreements. The development of a strong community-based marine response capacity supports self-determination and enhances protection for the environment, and this protection will ensure that marine ecosystems are safe and healthy and can be relied on as sources of food and employment for Indigenous communities.

The Department’s Reconciliation Strategy (the Strategy) is a roadmap for advancing reconciliation and rethinking how to accelerate reconciliation efforts in collaboration with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. The Strategy is an evergreen document that is designed to support initiatives such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan 2023–2028, be guided by the Inuit Nunangat Policy, benefit from the partnership with the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute, adapt to new challenges, and build on successes to develop best practices and guidance to facilitate Indigenous input and inclusion.

Highlights of the implementation work in 2023–24 included:

• targeted recruitment efforts to improve the proportion of Indigenous employees in leadership and decision-making positions
• the launch of mandatory Indigenous awareness training for the Department’s staff
• review of CCG’s Vessel Naming Policy for alignment with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
• the establishment of the National Indigenous Employees Circles and regional networks, and the development of a departmental Northen Recruitment and Retention Strategy
• the initiation of phase 2 of the Community Engagement Coordinators initiative, which seeks to recruit eight coordinators based in Arctic communities to support information sharing and relationship building at the community and regional level
• the creation of a national working group to support the development of meaningful performance indicators and to improve our understanding of what reconciliation means to Indigenous partners in the context of DFO and CCG

The Department continues to enhance service delivery and achieve efficiencies by integrating local and Indigenous Knowledge into our operations and services across a range of platforms and activities such as science, conservation and protection, search and rescue, and environmental response. DFO and CCG also continue engaging with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners by taking a distinctions-based approach, which has been crucial for the Department’s ability to fulfill key commitments, including better aligning services and operations in the Arctic with the reality and aspirations of Indigenous Peoples. Most of the work to implement the DFO and CCG Arctic Regions is now complete.

The Department continues work that includes the establishment of regional collaborative governance tables with Inuit Treaty Organizations (formerly referenced as Land Claim Organizations) for engagement and collaboration on programs and services, the integration of Inuit Traditional Knowledge (Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, or IQ) and Indigenous Knowledge into programs, services, and operations. For example, CCG Arctic Region has made strides in incorporating 8 IQ principles into its operations:

• respecting others (Inuuqatigiitsiarniq)
• being open (Tunnganarniq)
• serving (Pijitsirarniq)
• consensus decision-making (Aajiiqatigiingniq)
• skills and knowledge acquisition (Pilimmaksarniq)
• being resourceful to solve problems (Qanuqtuurungnarniq)
• collaborative relationship or working together for a common purpose (Piliriqatigiingniq)
• environmental stewardship (Avatimik Kamattiarniq)

Some concrete examples of how CCG Arctic Region has put these principles in practice include collaborating and working with local communities to align CCG operations with local needs and concerns (e.g. ensuring operations do not impact local harvesting), supporting community-led marine monitoring initiatives, and promoting CCG personnel’s acquisition of skills and knowledge through IQ training (e.g. survival techniques).

DFO and CCG Arctic Regions are working with Inuit, First Nations, and Métis partners to develop a joint Northern Recruitment and Retention Strategy to support the development of a northern-based workforce, with a particular emphasis on hiring Inuit, First Nations, and Métis.

As part of our commitment to Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan and as a component of the Marine Training Program, the CCG is developing and implementing the Indigenous Participation Training initiative. This initiative aims to increase recruitment into the CCG of under-represented groups such as Indigenous Peoples, Northerners, and Indigenous women in the marine industry through 2 components: Arctic Pools and the K-12 education. The initiative will also address financial and logistical barriers faced by new northern Indigenous fleet personnel when they are required to board a Coast Guard vessel in the Arctic Region.

Making progress in this area is essential to delivering quality programs via a workforce that is representative of the peoples and communities being served in the Arctic Region. In 2023–24, we continued to engage with Inuit, First Nation, and Métis partners on the Canadian Coast Guard Arctic Strategy and its implementation plan, with the Strategy expected to be published in the summer of 2024–25. During this period, the CCG also continued to engage with Inuit, First Nations, and Métis partners for the development of our Long-Term Strategy, which will articulate our priorities through 2050 and beyond.

Implementation of the DFO and CCG Arctic Regions is a key deliverable under the Inuit-Crown Partnership Committee’s (ICPC) Inuit Nunangat Policy (INP) Space priority area. The Department’s participation at the ICPC Senior Officials and Leaders tables and at the working group provide opportunities to discuss collaborative-governance, INP implementation, and other initiatives of interest to Inuit. While Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) is leading overall federal efforts to improve awareness of the INP and its implementation, DFO and CCG Arctic Regions developed an approach to implementing the INP in the Arctic Region and shared this approach with Inuit partners to start the discussion toward a co-developed plan.

The Greening Government Strategy aims to transition the Government of Canada to net-zero carbon and climate-resilient operations, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon, including on waste, water, and biodiversity. In 2023–24, the Department took a number of steps in support of this goal.

We continued to conduct both general and public infrastructure engineering, Vulnerability Committee Protocol-based climate risk and vulnerability assessments for our key assets, and incorporated them into building management plans where appropriate. We also expanded on the Coastal Infrastructure Vulnerability Index, which informs climate change adaptation planning by enabling the Small Craft Harbours Program to assess the vulnerability of coastal sites to sea-level change, by implementing a version that includes both coastal and inland sites. These proactive risk management strategies allowed us to implement mitigation and adaptation measures tailored to the situation to better manage our real property assets to withstand extreme weather events, hazards, and long-term climatic changes. This approach supports the continued delivery of our programs and services to Canadians.

We collected and analyzed data on parameters such as vehicle location, engine diagnostics, and vehicle operation to identify opportunities to make the best use of zero-emission and hybrid vehicles when we replace our land vehicles. In 2023–24, 86 per cent of new light-duty unmodified administrative vehicles purchased were zero-emission vehicles (ZEV) or hybrid (HEV). We acquired 15 ZEVs for a fleet total of 62 ZEVs, and 36 new HEVs for a fleet total of 133 HEVs. We also generated a long-term Strategic Fleet Greening and Rationalization Plan, which outlines the pathway toward meeting the 2030 fleet vehicle greening goals. With our light-duty vehicle fleet now comprised of 14 per cent ZEVs or HEVs, we expect to see a reduction of greenhouse gas emission and in administrative cost to operate and maintain the fleet.

Under the 2022 renewal of the federal horizontal program on zero plastic waste led by Environment and Climate Change Canada, we continued our work to improve solid waste and plastic management at buildings and harbours managed by the Department. This included conducting gap analyses of current waste and plastic management systems at more than 70 sites, and conducting and planning audits of solid waste. The information we gathered will help us green our operations through waste reduction and cleanup of historic waste, thereby supporting Canada’s vision for a zero-plastic-waste future where plastics stay in the economy and out of landfills and the environment.

As a result of investments in Budget 2018 and the creation of Laboratories Canada, world-class, innovative, and collaborative research centres that support cutting-edge research with state-of-the-art equipment and infrastructure are a priority for the Government of Canada. An example of our work to support this priority area in 2023–24 was the modernization of space at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography to create the Facility for Intelligent Marine Systems (FIMS), a multi-departmental, collaborative facility that brings together science and technology from DFO/CCG, the Department of National Defence, and Natural Resources Canada. This modernization provides a new optimized space for fisheries science, including a purpose-built collaborative space for work with partners. FIMS also supports collaborative use of state-of-the-art, uncrewed surface and underwater data collection platforms and will nurture the development and testing of new systems to observe Canada’s marine environment thereby further helping the Department to produce scientific evidence to inform decision-making.

DFO and CCG are committed to enabling a healthy, diverse, and inclusive workforce that is more representative of the Canadians we serve. In support of the Government of Canada’s commitment to increase diversity and foster inclusion in the public service, the Department continued to use focused measures to recruit and retain employees who identify as Indigenous, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, and women in non-traditional occupations. For example, to support the hiring and retention of persons with disabilities in 2023–24, we used focused recruitment drives, mentoring, and mandatory training on inclusive hiring practices. To support employees’ mental and physical well-being and ensure they receive appropriate training, we implemented DFO-specific training on the prevention of harassment and violence. Work continued on CCG-specific training, which is expected to be completed and delivered in 2024–25.

The Department continued work on the new cloud-based Canadian Fisheries Information System, which will consolidate and modernize more than 60 aging licensing, catch and effort, and quota monitoring systems. This included work on electronic monitoring tools such as electronic logbooks, which allow for real-time reporting and streamline data-capture requirements for industry stakeholders, with one such electronic logbook expected to be implemented by December 2025. All of this work will improve access to data that is vital to the sustainable management of Canada’s fisheries.

We also tested the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of electronic monitoring on Pacific groundfish trawlers. These field tests confirmed that AI could effectively identify fishing events and estimate the size and composition of catches by species type. The Department is working to adapt the AI model to other fisheries, including the new Atlantic redfish fishery, to facilitate the broader adoption of electronic monitoring and reducing monitoring costs for holders of commercial fishing licences.

We supported the Government’s National Action Plan on Open Government through efforts focused on management of data as a strategic asset, open release of data for innovation and economic growth, and prioritizing the release of data of greatest importance to Canadians. For example, we launched our Enterprise Data Hub in 2023–24, a system that facilitates the cataloguing and sharing of data sets within DFO/CCG, and uses an automated workflow to streamline the open release of data to Canadians.

In support of the Government's Roadmap for Open Science, we advanced our Open Science Action Plan. The Plan leverages modern digital tools to more easily share scientific data with the Canadian public and strategies to encourage publication in open access journals. The Department had over 700 documents available on the Federal Open Science Repository of Canada at the public launch in January 2024, and over 850 documents available as of March 31, 2024.

The $18 million increase in expenditures from 2021–22 to 2022–23 is primarily related to spending on the Small Craft Harbours Program and Canada's new marine conservation targets.

The $769 million increase in expenditures from 2022–23 to 2023–24 is primarily related to spending on the Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects and operations as well as Indigenous programs.

The $72 million increase in planned spending from 2024–25 to 2025–26 is primarily related to planned changes in funding for Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects.

The ($1,029) million decrease in planned spending from 2025–26 to 2026–27 is primarily related to:

• planned changes in funding for Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects
• planned changes in funding for the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative
• planned changes in funding related to the Marine Conservation Targets

For certain services, the Canadian Coast Guard collects service fees to ensure that, where appropriate, the entire cost of delivering the service is not borne by taxpayers. Fees for icebreaking, marine navigation, and dredging support the safe navigation of Canadian waters.

The difference between actual and planned spending is mainly attributable to timeline changes in the completion of projects, which cause unspent funding to be carried forward to future years, as well as in-year funding not yet received for 2024–25 through 2026–27 fiscal years such as Supplementary Estimates. See detailed analysis under the tables above for significant year-over-year variances.

The 597 FTE increase between 2021–22 and 2022–23 is related to changes in funding for the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative and Ship Operations.

The 176 FTE increase between 2022–23 and 2023–24 is primarily related to planned changes in funding for modernizing the Fisheries Act.

The 659 FTE decrease between 2023–24 and 2024–25 is primarily related to planned changes to in-year funding.

The 667 FTE decrease between 2024–25 and 2025–26 is primarily related to planned changes in funding for modernizing the Fisheries Act.

The 1,196 FTE decrease between 2025–26 and 2026–27 is related to planned changes in funding for several initiatives including the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative.

Appropriate minister(s):

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head:

Annette Gibbons, Deputy Minister

Ministerial portfolio:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Enabling instruments:

• Oceans Act
• Fisheries Act
• Species at Risk Act
• Coastal Fisheries Protection Act
• Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act
• Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Transport Canada-led)
• Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (Transport Canada-led)

Year of incorporation / commencement:

1979

Mailing address:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Communications
200 Kent Street
13th Floor, Station 13E228
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E6

Telephone:

1-833-212-1438

TTY:

1-800-465-7735

Fax:

613-990-1866

Email:

info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Website:

http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3 year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental priority (priorité)

A plan or project that a department has chosen to focus and report on during the planning period. Priorities represent the things that are most important or what must be done first to support the achievement of the desired departmental results.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

Full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

An analytical tool used to assess support the development of responsive and inclusive how different groups of women, men and gender-diverse people experience policies, programs and policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

government-wide priorities (priorités pangouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2023–24 Departmental Results Report, government-wide priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the November 23, 2021, Speech from the Throne: building a healthier today and tomorrow; growing a more resilient economy; bolder climate action; fight harder for safer communities; standing up for diversity and inclusion; moving faster on the path to reconciliation; and fighting for a secure, just and equitable world.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtones)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.

non budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Net outlays and receipts related to loans, investments and advances, which change the composition of the financial assets of the Government of Canada.

performance (rendement)

What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of an department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A consequence attributed, in part, to an department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead they are within the area of the department’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.