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Applications for Expressions of interest are closed as of July 14, 2023. For those who submitted Expressions of Interest by July 14th, 2023: We will acknowledge the receipt of your expression of interest within 5 business days. If your expression of interest is selected, you will be notified by email and invited to submit a full proposal. Applicants with successful proposals will then be contacted by DFO's regional office to discuss the establishment of a contribution agreement between your organization and DFO. You may be required to provide additional information on your project at that time.

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Overview

The Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR), funded through Budgets 2018, 2021 and more recently renewed through Budget 2023, aims to support the recovery and protection of aquatic species at risk.

The objective of the CNFASAR is to slow the decline of aquatic species at risk and enable a leap forward in their recovery through the injection of funding that supports multi-species recovery and protection activities through place-based and threat-based approaches. DFO has identified 2 priority marine threats and 9 priority places as the focus for projects funded by CNFASAR.

The fund is intended to support medium to large projects that range from $50,000 to $1 million over 3 years, starting in 2023. The fund will prioritize Indigenous led projects, as well as projects that clearly demonstrate the inclusion of Indigenous partners (i.e., as part of the development, design and implementation processes). Preference will also be given to projects that engage many partners and address program priorities.

Who can apply

Eligible recipients under CNFASAR include:

Eligible activities and expenses

Eligible activities

The fund supports a range of activities linked to recovery and protection activities that take place within a CNFASAR priority place or address and CNFASAR threat, including:

Eligible Expenses

Eligible expenses under the fund are limited to:

Ineligible activities and expenses

The following activities and expenses are considered ineligible:

Selection criteria and how to apply

DFO will prioritize projects that address recovery and protection actions for multiple aquatic species at risk and that take place in a priority place or address a priority threat.

Selection criteria

The CNFASAR projects must meet the following criteria:

Preference will be given to projects that also:

How to apply - closed

For questions or assistance please contact the regional coordinator in the region in which your proposed project will take place.

Examples of activities DFO is seeking to support

Fishing interactions (Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean)
  1. Research to address knowledge gaps and better understand how fishing interactions affect aquatic species at risk. For example, understanding bycatch and entanglement rates across fisheries, the gear type involved, the mechanics of interactions, sub-lethal effects, and post-release mortality.
  2. Development, refinement and/or implementation and evaluation of technologies, best practices or tools to prevent, mitigate or monitor impacts from fishing interactions on aquatic species at risk. This may include a variety of initiatives such as, but not limited to:
    • minimize marine mega-plastics from commercial fishing activities (e.g. bait box liners, plastic strappings around new fish/shellfish product bags and boxes);
    • accurately update estimates of and measures to reduce “struck and loss” marine mammals at risk during subsistence hunting activities;
    • develop or test modifications to fishing gear and/or practices to reduce the frequency and/or severity of interactions with species at risk, with a focus on removal of lines from the water column (i.e. on-demand gear), industry-led measures to find and remove ghost gear
  3. Identification, documentation and/or monitoring of areas where aquatic species at risk may interact with fishing activities. For example, increasing near real-time acoustic monitoring (passive or active) of areas where there is a risk of fishing interactions with species at risk
  4. Education for industry and others on the impacts of fishing interactions on aquatic species at risk, reporting requirements and their importance, and methods to avoid and/or mitigate impacts
  5. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions.
Physical and acoustic disturbance (Atlantic Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean)
  1. Development, refinement and/or implementation and evaluation of technologies, best practices or tools to prevent, mitigate or monitor impacts of physical and/or acoustic disturbances on aquatic species at risk for which physical and/or acoustic disturbances have been identified as a primary threat.
  2. Education for industry and other ocean users on the impacts of physical and acoustic disturbance on aquatic species at risk with a focus on vessel strikes and vessel presence, and methods to avoid and/or mitigate impacts.
  3. Research to address knowledge gaps and better understand how physical and/or acoustic disturbances affect aquatic species at risk for which physical and/or acoustic disturbances have been identified as a primary threat .
  4. Monitoring of areas where aquatic species at risk may be affected by physical and/or acoustic disturbance. For example, increasing near real-time acoustic monitoring (passive or active).
  5. The development, refinement, and/or implementation, and evaluation of tools and/or practices to disseminate information in near real-time to industry and ocean users or operators about aquatic species at risk presence in near real-time. and/or potential interactions with aquatic species at risk.
  6. Development, refinement, testing and/or implementation and evaluation of technologies for detection of detecting the presence/location of aquatic species at risk for which physical and/or acoustic disturbances have been identified as a primary threat.
  7. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions.
Southern Newfoundland Priority Place (Newfoundland and Labrador)
  1. Necessary or vital research to address key knowledge gaps and better understand species at risk in the area, their habitat, and how threats affect species at risk in the priority place.
  2. Restoring habitat affected by fragmentation and degradation, through means such as the removal/alteration of barriers to fish passage (culverts, barrier removal, flow alteration), mitigating bank erosion, planting native plants, and stream bank stabilization.
  3. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions
  4. Promote, support, and undertake stewardship and education activities to increase local awareness of regional species at risk and their threats and engage Indigenous Peoples, recreational users, industry, non-governmental organizations, and others in stewardship activities that directly contribute to their recovery, including the collection, documentation and incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into recovery planning and implementation.
  5. Targeted outreach to improve awareness of SAR, their habitat requirements, and threats.
  6. The detection and monitoring of aquatic species at risk including the development, testing and/or implementation of technologies for detection of the presence/location of aquatic species.
  7. Development, refinement and/or implementation of alternative technologies, best practices or tools to prevent, mitigate or monitor impacts from fishing interactions on aquatic species at risk. This may include a variety of initiatives such as, but not limited to: measures to minimize marine mega-plastics from commercial fishing activities (e.g. bait box “liners”, and plastic “strappings” around new fish/shellfish product bags & boxes); methods to accurately update estimates of and measures to reduce “struck and loss” marine mammals at risk during subsistence hunting activities; development or testing of modifications to fishing gear and/or practices to reduce the frequency or severity of interactions with species at risk.
Bay of Fundy and Southern Uplands Watersheds Priority Place (Nova Scotia, New Brunswick)
  1. Activities to support the establishment of self-sustaining populations of:
    • Atlantic Whitefish: range expansion activities in support of conservation translocation in new locations and re-establishing anadromy by undertaking strategic releases into the Petite system (including but not limited to wild-juvenile collections; holding, raising and captive-breeding for the production of progeny to support strategic releases; use of streamside rearing trailer; genetic research and development of genomic tools for decision-making and monitoring; development and implementation of operational plans; and development and implementation of monitoring approaches), and aquatic invasive species control actions such as boat electrofishing, outreach/education, or other methods.
    • Atlantic Salmon, inner Bay of Fundy population: development of innovative methods to support population supplementation, such as streamside trailers, egg baskets, and marine net pens.
  2. Identify and improve degraded freshwater, riparian, and estuarine habitat that are important to multiple species at risk and develop improved land use practices to prevent future habitat degradation. High quality projects will include the identification and mitigation of threats, and the development and implementation of restoration plans to guide the prioritization of restoration actions.
  3. Identify and improve fish passage in key locations to mitigate connectivity issues for multiple species at risk, including undertaking activities to assess dams, aboiteaux and other barriers for their restoration potential, and restoring fish passage to mitigate threats posed by the structures, in consideration of risks (e.g., avoiding AIS passage) and benefits (e.g., promoting species at risk passage).
  4. Identify and implement measures to prevent and mitigate the threat of AIS, in particular Zebra mussels, Smallmouth Bass, Chain Pickerel, and Black Crappie, in key locations that are important to multiple species at risk.
  5. Examine long-term changes in environmental conditions in the Bay of Fundy freshwater and estuarine environments. Compare these changes with past and present habitat use by species at risk and threats to identify changes in habitat use and possible mitigation measures to address threats. Information and data gaps for which further research necessary to support the recovery of species at risk is required include: climate change, cumulative threats, past and present chemical and physical habitat quality characteristics, predator prey relationships, prey composition, and species at risk abundance and distribution data.
  6. Conduct broad-scale (i.e. multi-waterbody, multi-species) population assemblage (e.g. genetics), habitat (e.g. water quality), and/or movement and migration of individuals monitoring and assessments in freshwater waterbodies that have limited or no data to develop baselines, identify important habitat and anthropogenic threats, and implement actions to mitigate threats; using multiple and innovative methods for monitoring such as eDNA, electrofishing, piloting new monitoring methodologies and for tracking (such as PIT tag arrays, acoustic telemetry).
  7. Promote, support, and undertake stewardship and education activities to increase local awareness of regional species at risk and their threats and engage Indigenous Peoples, residents and landowners, recreational users, industry, non-governmental organizations, and others in stewardship activities that directly contribute to their recovery, including the collection, documentation and incorporation of Indigenous Knowledge into recovery planning and implementation.
Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Rivers Priority Place (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island)
  1. Improve freshwater and estuarine habitat, improve fish passage such as through barrier removal or replacement with open bottom structures, improve spawning habitat, and engage resource users for long-term improvement of aquatic ecosystems.
  2. Monitoring habitat enhancement and conservation of species at risk by measuring the effectiveness of habitat restored/improved, monitoring the connectivity restored and the usage of habitat by the target species to support recovery actions.
  3. Prevention, surveillance/early detection, response and control management measures to protect aquatic species at risk from the introduction and spread of invasive species (does not include eradication).
  4. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions.
  5. Land use issues that can be addressed through education and engagement with local groups and organizations to promote best management and land stewardship practices.
  6. Restoring habitat affected by fragmentation and degradation, through means such as the removal/alteration of barriers to fish passage (culverts, barrier removal, flow alteration), mitigating unnatural bank erosion, planting native plants, naturalized stream bank stabilization and improving cold water habitat.
St Lawrence Lowlands Priority Place (Quebec)
  1. Conservation and protection of aquatic and riparian habitats, to ensure the sustainability of restored habitats including measures to increase the area of preserved or protected riparian areas.
  2. Development and implementation of measures to improve agricultural practices and municipal wastewater management, including raising awareness among key stakeholders. Ex: riparian habitat improvement, installation of bridges or other structures to keep human activities out of the water, installation of fences or off-site watering stations to prevent animals from entering the water, etc.
  3. Development and implementation of measures to reduce nutrient, pesticide and sediment inputs to aquatic systems.
  4. Development and implementation of targeted plans for better control of invasive species affecting aquatic species at risk, including the awareness and research needed to develop these plans.
  5. Development of indicators and monitoring plans to monitor populations of species at risk and their habitats.
  6. Restoring the quality of degraded aquatic and riparian habitats, including flow management, fish passage enhancement, shoreline restoration, sediment control, spawning habitats (e.g., grass beds, wetland creation, cold-water habitat creation) and those affected by fragmentation and degradation (e.g., removal or modification of barriers to fish passage, mitigation of bank erosion).
  7. Activities that support partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions.
  8. Targeted activities to improve awareness and increase opportunities for stewardship and partnership activities (presentations to environmental non-governmental organizations, aboriginal groups, etc.). Targeted outreach to different audiences to improve knowledge of species at risk and their habitat needs, promote recreational fishing regulations, best practices for tourism, recreational boaters and promote actions that can enhance the recovery of species at risk.
Arctic Priority Place (Nunavut, Northwest Territories, Yukon, Quebec, Arctic Ocean)
  1. Development, refinement and/or implementation of alternative technologies, best practices or tools to prevent, mitigate or monitor impacts from fishing interactions and physical and acoustic disturbance on aquatic species at risk. This may include a variety of initiatives such as, but not limited to:
    • industry-led measures to find and remove ghost gear
    • measures to minimize marine mega-plastics from commercial fishing activities (e.g. bait box “liners”, and plastic “strappings” around new fish/shellfish product bags & boxes)
    • methods to accurately update estimates of and measures to reduce “struck and loss” marine mammals at risk during subsistence hunting activities
    • development or testing of modifications to fishing gear and/or practices to reduce the frequency or severity of interactions with species at risk
  2. Education for industry and operators and others regarding the presence and threats to aquatic species at risk and their habitat.
  3. Identification, documentation or monitoring of aquatic species at risk, their habitats and threats.
  4. Necessary or vital research to address key knowledge gaps and better understand aquatic species at risk, their habitats and threats.
  5. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, information and knowledge sharing.
Lower Great Lakes Watershed Priority Place (Ontario)
  1. Activities to reduce non-point source pollution (i.e., nutrient and sediment loading, contaminants/toxic substances) and improve habitat quality and quantity for aquatic SAR.
  2. Development of best management practices that address threats such as sediment, nutrient and contaminant loading, increased stream temperatures, flow alteration etc.
  3. Implementation of BMPs and other on-the-ground stewardship activities (e.g., riparian planting and restoration, wetland restoration and creation, barrier removal, creation of sediment traps, fencing of livestock out of riparian area).
  4. Research to identify threats and threat thresholds for aquatic SAR and their habitats (siltation, anoxia, thermal stress etc.) to inform ecosystem-based recovery actions.
  5. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions
  6. Targeted outreach to improve awareness and increase opportunity for stewardship/partnership activities (presentations to environmental non-government organizations, Indigenous groups, etc.).
  7. The establishment of aquatic SAR monitoring programs to track any improvements in their habitat and populations as a result of best management practice implementation and other on-the-ground stewardship activities.
Southern Prairies Priority Place (Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba)
  1. Identification of local threats to species and habitats (i.e. surveys, inventories, monitoring).
  2. Remediation or mitigation of threats to habitat (i.e. improve fish passage through/around water control structures, build bridges/other structures to keep anthropogenic activities out of the water, install fencing/off-site watering stations to keep animals out of the water, etc.).
  3. Restoration or creation of suitable habitat in key areas (i.e. removal of non-functioning anthropogenic barriers, reinforcement of riparian areas/water banks to reduce sedimentation into the water, ensure access to critical habitat areas, etc.).
  4. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions
  5. Targeted outreach to improve awareness and increase opportunity for stewardship/partnership activities (presentations to environmental non-government organizations, recreational fishers, Indigenous groups, etc.).
Rocky Mountains' Eastern Slopes Priority Place (Alberta)
  1. Habitat improvement or mitigation of threats to habitat (i.e. improve riparian habitat, remove anthropogenic barriers, install bridges/other structures to keep anthropogenic activities out of the water, install fencing/off-site watering stations to keep animals out of the water, etc.).
  2. Identification of local threats to species and habitats (i.e. surveys, inventories, monitoring).
  3. Management and reduction of the footprint of anthropogenic activities (i.e. manage effects of resource extraction, land and water use).
  4. Protection, recovery and re-establishment of native trout species at risk from non-native trout (i.e. targeted removal or suppression of non-native trout, installation of barriers to prevent non-native trout access).
  5. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions
  6. Targeted outreach to improve awareness and increase opportunity for stewardship/partnership activities (e.g. presentations to environmental non-government organizations, recreational fishers, Indigenous groups, etc.).
  7. Activities that assist with recovery of populations within their historical range (i.e. re-establish populations, increase current population levels, distribution and connectivity).
Fraser and Columbia Watersheds Priority Place (British Columbia)
  1. Improvements in freshwater and tidal habitat quality and quantity where needed for SARA-listed and COSEWIC-assessed SAR recovery, including improvements to spawning habitats, etc. (e.g., water flow, riparian restoration, sediment control, light pollution).
  2. Management and mitigation of industrial activities, and monitoring of long-term outcomes for SAR in freshwater and tidal habitats.
  3. Support for partnerships, relationship building, and the establishment of venues for continued collaboration, and information and knowledge sharing to support recovery actions
  4. Targeted outreach to improve public awareness of SAR and their habitat requirements and threats.

For each priority (place or threat) measures have been identified that are intended to support species recovery. These are the measures that DFO is aiming to support with this fund.

Regional Coordinators

Expressions of interest must be submitted via email, in MS Word file format, to the DFO Regional Coordinator (see below) by July 14, 2023 (closing at 11:59pm for your region).

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