House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO) Departmental Appearance on Supplementary Estimates (B)

Background

• These Supplementary Estimates (B) are presenting a total increase of $356.4 million, which is comprised of $340.5 million and $15.9 million in voted and statutory appropriations respectively.
• The $340.5 million increase in voted authorities is mainly attributed to:
• $133.3 million to advance reconciliation on Indigenous rights and fisheries issues;
• $49.4 million to continue the implementation of the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program provisions of the Fisheries Act;
• $42.1 million for the Multi-Purpose Vessel Project; and
• $24.7 million to continue efforts to protect species at risk.
• In addition to those main increases, these Supplementary Estimates include another twenty items valued at $91.0 million for other initiatives with lower funding requirements and technical adjustments such as transfers to other government departments.
• In all, the sum of all items represents an increase to our spending levels, over and above what was approved in the Main Estimates.

Additional context for the largest items:

• $133.3 million to advance reconciliation on Indigenous rights and fisheries issues (re-profiled from previous year)
• DFO has received significant funding over the past few years to advance Reconciliation. This re-profile highlights the challenges associated with arriving at final agreements. Through this funding, the Department remains committed to reaching Rights and Reconciliation Agreements and Framework Agreements with First Nations.
• Atlantic and BC mandates are implicated by these agreements and involve the access to vessels and gear, implementation and governance. These funds have no implication with moderate livelihood.
• $49.4 million to continue the implementation of the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program provisions of the Fisheries Act (Budget 2023)
• This new funding aims to continue to administer and implement the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the modernized Fisheries Act, and relevant provisions of the Species at Risk Act.
• $42.1 million for the Multi-Purpose Vessel Project (Budget 2019)
• Procurement of new CCG vessels, including the Multi-Purpose Vessels is a Government priority and aligns with your mandate letter. This new funding will allow Coast Guard to continue work under the existing ancillary contract and advance project work.
• $24.7 million to continue efforts to protect species at risk (Budget 2023)
• This new funding represents a partial renewal from Budget 2018 for Canada’s Nature Legacy initiative. It covers DFO’s core functions related to its Species at Risk Act legislative responsibilities, including monitoring, protecting and promoting the recovery of species at risk.

Background

• On May 22nd, 2019, the Prime Minister announced a renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard fleet with up to 18 new large ships built in Canadian shipyards, helping the Coast Guard continue to deliver its important services, and creating good, middle class jobs across the country.
• Total funding for the 18 large ships is approximately $15.7 billion, which represents early estimates of project budgets including construction, logistics and support, contingency, project management and infrastructure costs. The costs of each ship class will be announced following contract negotiations.
• Irving Shipbuilding is building two non-combat Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships
• Vancouver Shipyards will build up to 16 Multi-Purpose Vessels to support a variety of missions, including light icebreaking, aids to navigation, environmental response, and offshore search and rescue.
• Work on the Multi-Purpose Vessels at Vancouver Shipyards is underway. The initial Ancillary Contract was awarded in August 2020 to undertake required design work.
• Pre-construction work, namely construction engineering and the procurement of long-lead items for the first flight of six Multi-Purpose Vessels, is anticipated to begin soon.
• In June 2023, the Department sought additional funding of $44.2 million (including taxes) under Supps B to enable the project to continue work under the existing Ancillary Contract until the project was ready to commence pre-construction activities. This brought funding accessed for the project to date to approximately $125.1 million (including taxes).

Background

• The 2021 mandate letter calls for the Minister to work tosupport sustainable, stable, prosperous fisheries through the continued implementation of the modernized Fisheries Act, which restores lost protections, rebuilds fish populations, and incorporates modern safeguards so that fish and fish habitats are protected for future generations and Canada’s fisheries can continue to grow the economy and sustain all communities, including coastal.
• Important engagement activities continue into their third year with Indigenous peoples, partners, stakeholders, and other interested parties on development of policies, frameworks, instruments, and guidance. Additional rounds of engagement on implementation of the Fisheries Act include the Offsetting Policy, Habitat Banking Guidelines, and additional standards and Codes of Practice.
• Some tools and instruments developed to date include Codes of Practice and proposed regulations to streamline regulatory efficiency, a framework for establishing Ecologically Significant Areas, updates to position statements explaining how the Department will interpret certain prohibitions in the Act, and a draft framework for identifying fish habitat restoration priorities.
• In 2018, DFO received $284.2 million over five years (2018/19 to 2022/23) to implement the changes to the Fisheries Act. Part of this funding included a new $50 million grants and contributions program, Indigenous Habitat Participation Program (IHPP), covering the same period that provided for increased participation of Indigenous peoples in the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat. The IHPP supports Indigenous participation in consultation on project authorization decisions under the Fisheries Act, participation in the development of policy and regulatory initiatives, and collaborative projects and capacity building for communities.
• Budget 2023 provided $135.5 million (including 107.7 million to DFO) over 2 years (2023/24, 2024/25) for continued Fisheries Act funding for the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program, Ecosystems and Oceans Science Sector, and Conservation and Protection. These funds were made available to the Department via the Supplementary Estimates B.
• Ongoing resource needs are being assessed in order to continue delivering this vital work, which is a mandate commitment. Prior to the allocation of renewed funding, a reprofile of nearly $9 million in funding from 2022/23 into 2023/24 to support the continued implementation of the IHPP to ensure uninterrupted funding for Indigenous Peoples to participate in consultation, engagement, to build their capacity and undertake other initiatives that support fish and fish habitat.

Background

• Spending on the implementation of treaties and other constructive reconciliation agreements varies from year to year, depending on the stage of negotiations, timing of one-time payments, and other influences. Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is committed to getting these arrangements right through consultations and negotiation and, as such, the conclusion of agreements can take time to complete.
• Planned spending on the implementation of treaties and other constructive reconciliation agreements is typically included in the Main Estimates once negotiation mandates and financial authorities have been secured, in the first year that the funding is expected to be needed. This is important to ensure the funding is available when needed. Funding is then reprofiled to future years if negotiations take more time to get things right.
• This practice of including amounts in planned spending in the first year they might be required and then reprofiling from year to year has resulted in apparent decreases in planned spending over the past few years as funds are spent and the remaining is reprofiled to the next year.
• For example, in 2020-21, $598 million of funding related to reconciliation agreements was reprofiled into 2021-22. In 2021-22, $103 million was reprofiled into 2022-23 in time to be reflected in the 2022-23 Main Estimates, with additional funds of $194 million reprofiled into 2022-23 at year-end.
• Since the beginning of 2023-24, four new fisheries reconciliation agreements, and one amended fisheries reconciliation agreement, have been signed with First Nations in Atlantic Canada. These new and amended agreements include:
• Nation Micmac de Gespeg and Micmacs of Gesgapegiag;
• Mi'gmawe'l Tplu'taqnn Inc.;
• Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik;
• Abegweit First Nation; and,
• an updated agreement with Elsipogtog and Esgenoopetj First Nations.
• Contribution funding for other Indigenous Programs, specifically the Atlantic, Pacific and Northern Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiatives, and the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy and Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management programs, totals approximately $100 million annually and supports ongoing commercial and collaborative fisheries management relationships with more than 300 First Nations and Indigenous communities or organizations across the country. This funding is stable, ongoing and fully utilized each fiscal year.

Background

• Encompassing 40 economies, over four billion people and $47 trillion in economic activity, it is the world’s fastest-growing region and home to six of Canada’s top trading partners. The Indo-Pacific region represents significant opportunities for growing the Canadian economy. The Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) will launch a series trade missions in the region that involve Canadian businesses, provinces and territories and other relevant partners and organizations. The Government will also open an Agriculture and Agri-Food Office in Manila, Philippines to help Canadian farmers and producers diversify their export markets and position Canada as a preferred supplier. The trade-related aspects of the IPS are led by the Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development.
• The Indo-Pacific region is an important market for Canadian fish and seafood with exports totaling nearly $2 billion in 2022. The majority of Canada’s seafood exports to the region go to China ($1.29 billion), notably for products such as lobster, cold-water shrimp, and crab. Canadian exporters have indicated an interest in major economies in the region such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore, but also growing markets like Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.
• In 2022, Canada launched the IPS, a comprehensive roadmap to deepen its engagement in the region over the next decade.
• As part of the IPS, a new Shared Ocean Fund of $84.3 million over five years was created to help increase maritime cooperation and create a healthy marine environment in the Indo-Pacific while supporting measures against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing. Through this initiative, Canada will work to strengthen and enforce the rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region in order to regulate fisheries and fishing activity, protect fish stocks, advance ecosystem conservation, reduce the use of plastic fish aggregating devices, and put in place strong monitoring, control, and surveillance rules with respect to IUU fishing.
• During the United Nations General Assembly in September 2023, the Prime Minister announced a $6.5 million (CAD) investment under the Shared Ocean Fund to combat IUU fishing in the Indo-Pacific. This funding will support the development of the Joint Analytical Cell (JAC), an organization designed to harness complementary information gathering and analytical capabilities; fisheries intelligence tools and databases; and international partnerships to fight against IUU fishing. In October 2023, DFO signed a $15 million, five year agreement with the Philippines to deploy the Dark Vessel Detection project to combat IUU fishing within their sovereign waters.

Background

• Budget 2023 included a commitment to bring the growth of government spending back to a pre-pandemic path.
• As such, overall government spending reductions on travel and professional services, as well as a three per cent reduction of operating and transfer payment spending across all federal organizations was announced.
• Total reductions will help achieved savings of $15.4 billion over five years (2023-24 to 2027-28) and $4.1 billion annually thereafter
• Savings from underutilized government spending will be shifted to priorities like health care and the clean economy.
• The savings targets were established by the Treasury Board Secretariat and are based on Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) operating and transfer payments, and planned expenditures for professional services, minus exclusions for out-of-scope items (e.g., direct transfers to provinces or direct payments to individuals).
• In addition to DFO, 80 departments, agencies, and crown corporations were asked to achieve cost savings targets. Agents of Parliament and small organizations are excluded from this review.
• Further, the 2023 Fall Economic Statement announced that the government will extend and expand its Budget 2023 efforts to refocus government spending, with departments and agencies generating additional savings of $345.6 million in 2025-26, and $691 million ongoing. Combined with the $15.4 billion in refocused spending outlined in Budget 2023, the government will be saving $4.8 billion per year in 2026-27 and ongoing and returning the public service closer to its pre-pandemic growth track.
• Details and guidance has not yet been shared with Departments.

Background

• Renewal of the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) fleet is underway. Funded replacement plans are currently in place for the large vessel fleet, including:
• Three Offshore Fisheries Science Vessels, which were delivered in 2019 and 2020 by Vancouver Shipyards;
• One Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel (OOSV);
• Two Polar Icebreakers;
• Up to 16 Multi-Purpose Vessels (MPV);
• Two Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) (CCG variants); and
• Up to six Program Icebreakers (PIB).
• At Vancouver Shipyards, construction of the OOSV is advancing well, with consolidation of all ship blocks expected by November 15, 2023. Ship design work is ongoing for the MPVs in preparation for the start of construction engineering and material procurement. On May 31, 2023, construction began on a prototype block of the Polar Icebreaker, marking an important step towards increasing Canada’s presence in the Artic to support Northern Canadians and assert our sovereignty.
• Chantier Davie was formally announced as the third National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) large shipyard, with the signing of an Umbrella Agreement on April 4, 2023. Discussions to advance the PIB are now underway.
• At Irving Shipbuilding, work is ongoing on CCG’s two AOPS, with construction having begun on August 8, 2023.

• The CCG is also renewing its small fleet. On May 25, 2023, Canada announced an investment valued at $2.5 billion to fund the completion of the renewal of the CCG’s small vessels fleet for up to 61 vessels. To date, 30 small vessels have been delivered to the CCG. This includes a total of 18 vessels delivered under the NSS (16 Search and Rescue lifeboats (the most recent (CCGS Baie des Chaleurs) was accepted by Canada on October 30, 2023), and two Channel Survey and Sounding Vessels), as well as 9 Mid-Shore Patrol Vessels and 3 Near-Shore Fishery Research Vessels pre-dating the NSS.
• The CCG completed the renewal of its helicopter fleet with delivery of 16 new light-lift helicopters and seven new medium-lift helicopters. Budget 2023 allocated funding to replace one of the CCG’s light-lift helicopters that was lost following a crash in September 2022.
• The CCG continues to implement interim measures to ensure continued delivery of critical services until new ships are delivered. This includes a comprehensive Vessel Life Extension program to maintain current fleet operations as new ships are being built, as well as the acquisition of three interim Medium Icebreakers and one interim Light Icebreaker.

Background

• The Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (WAHVA) became law in 2019 and it: strengthens owner responsibility and liability for vessels; makes it illegal to abandon a boat; and gives the federal government more powers to take action against problem vessels before they can pose even greater problems at greater costs.
• The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) will work with the vessel owner to ensure the hazard is addressed. If the owner cannot be found or is unable or unwilling to solve the problem, the Government of Canada can take direct and immediate action to prevent, mitigate or eliminate the risks that hazardous vessels pose.
• The CCG is focusing on assessing the risks associated with each of the reported vessels to prioritize actions to remediate high risk vessels. The risk factors for problem vessels can include environmental, public safety, socio-cultural and economic risks. The focus is not on removing all problem vessels; it is on mitigating the risk posed by each one.
• As part of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP) Renewal launched in 2022, the CCG and Transport Canada are advancing the next phase of the comprehensive strategy to address wrecked, abandoned and hazardous vessels by implementing long-term measures that include: coastal surveys to identify additional hazardous vessels; outreach to vessel owners on their WAHVA responsibilities; risk and technical assessments for vessels in the National Inventory; and, remediations of hazardous vessels nationally.
• As part of Budget 2023, the Government of Canada announced the creation of an owner-financed Vessel Remediation Fund. It is anticipated that the coming-into-force of the regulatory charge to finance the Vessel Remediation Fund will be in 2025, following external engagement to establish the regulatory charge and the timely issuance of an order by the Governor in Council to enable the Vessel Remediation Fund into force
• The Fund will also support the CCG and Transport Canada in assessing and/or addressing vessels in cases where owners are unknown, the owners are known but cannot be located, or the owners are unable or unwilling to deal with their vessels themselves.
• As part of the renewed Oceans Protection Plan funding, beginning in 2022, Transport Canada's Abandoned Boats Program has grants and contributions funding of $4.3 million over three years.

Background

• On August 28, 2019, the new fish and fish habitat protection provisions and stronger protections to better support the sustainability of Canada’s marine and freshwater resources for future generations came into force.
• As part of the implementation of these changes, the Department has been developing new tools to make the regulatory process more predictable and transparent while strengthening the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat.
• Under the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act, the Department provides advice, and regulates works, undertakings, and activities occurring near water (freshwater and marine) that could impact fish and fish habitat. The Department receives approximately 5000 referrals a year and issues approximately 200 Fisheries Act Authorizations spread across every industrial sector in Canada.
• DFO is an important federal expert providing advice on fish and fish habitat in the context of federal Impact Assessments led by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada
• Budget 2023 committed that “by the end of 2023, the government will outline a concrete plan to improve the efficiency of the impact assessment and permitting processes for major projects, which will include clarifying and reducing timelines, mitigating inefficiencies, and improving engagement and partnerships.”
• This plan must support the government’s ambitious energy, economic, and climate objectives for 2030, 2035 and 2050, which are supported by a series of initiatives, strategies, and frameworks that respond to and address climate, energy, and economic sector goals.
• In September 2023, the Prime Minister announced the creation of the new Ministerial Working Group on Regulatory Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects. The Working Group Coordinates government efforts to grow the clean economy and meet net-zero commitments by ensuring an efficient regulatory framework to support the development of clean growth projects. The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard is a member of the working group.

Background

• On July 22, 2021, the Government of Canada announced a historic investment in marine conservation, providing $976.8 million in funding over five years to manage existing sites and to meet the Government of Canada’s commitment of protecting 25 per cent of Canada’s ocean by 2025.
• Canada currently conserves 14.66 per cent of marine and coastal areas, including 14 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) established by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) under the Oceans Act and 60 marine refuges.
• In February 2023, at the 5th International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), Canada released key areas it is exploring in support of the 2025 target.
• At IMPAC5, new details on activities subject to the 2019 MPA Protection Standard were announced. The Government plans to apply the standard to most new federal MPAs, by prohibiting: oil and gas exploration, development and production; mineral exploration and exploitation; disposal at sea of waste and other matter; dumping of fill; deposit of deleterious drugs and pesticides; and bottom-trawl gear. Transport Canada is leading regulatory proposals to enhance restrictions on certain vessel discharges in MPAs.
• In December 2022, DFO released the Government’s Guidance on marine Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs), which aligns with the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) voluntary guidance, and implements Canada’s 2019 OECM Protection Standard.
• Also in December 2022, member nations to the CBD, meeting in Montreal, agreed on a historical framework to safeguard nature and halt and reverse biodiversity loss. This framework aligns with Canada’s main goals of protecting 30 per cent of lands and waters by 2030, respecting the rights of Indigenous peoples, and addressing key drivers of biodiversity loss, such as pollution and overexploitation of nature.
• At the CBD, in December 2022, the Prime Minister announced up to $800 million over seven years, starting in 2023-24, to support up to four Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. This investment brings together Indigenous organizations, governments, and the philanthropic community to identify shared goals for protecting nature and ultimately halting biodiversity loss. The government recognizes the community leadership and the work of philanthropic organizations in support of this important work.
• Project Financing for Permanence agreements will support the establishment of protected areas through an innovative funding model, which is based on partnership, through four initiatives in British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and Ontario.

Background

• Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Science conducts research and monitoring, generates and shares scientific data, produces data products and services, and provides science advice to support evidence-based decision making.
• As a science-based Department, scientific integrity is essential to the work at DFO and of its employees. Scientific integrity is critical to the decision-making process, from the planning and conduct of research to the production of advice and the application of advice to the Departmental decision-making processes.
• The Department’s Scientific Integrity Policy recognizes the importance of high quality science, free from political, commercial and client interference and the importance of this in the decision-making processes utilized by the Department.
• The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) coordinates the production of peer-reviewed science advice for DFO. Science advice is prepared both nationally and through DFO’s regional offices.
• CSAS provides a systemic process for the delivery of science advice to the Department’s decision makers. Advice might relate to the state of an ecosystem or aquatic resources, the impacts of a human activity, the effectiveness of a mitigation strategy or another subject related to DFO’s mandate.

Background

• The 2J3KL Cod stock is a straddling stock. The stock occurs in both Canadian domestic waters and in international waters beyond the 200-mile limit.
• This stock covers Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Subdivision 2J3KL and includes inshore and offshore waters which extends from the mid Labrador to eastern Newfoundland including the Grand Bank.
• The Northern Cod stock was closed to direct commercial fishing in July 1992. Since 2006, the Northern Cod stock has been harvested via inshore stewardship and recreational fisheries.
• In March 2021, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) held a peer reviewed stock assessment of the Northern Cod stock to assess stock status. The meeting was attended by scientists and resource managers from DFO, academia, province of Newfoundland representatives, industry and indigenous groups, and Non-governmental Organizations.
• Results indicated that the Northern Cod stock remained in the Critical Zone with spawning stock biomass at 52 percent of the limit reference point.
• The annual bottom trawl survey was incomplete in the fall of 2021 which prevented the completion of a stock assessment in 2022.
• Comparative fishing was conducted in the fall of 2022 instead of the annual stock survey. This prevented the completion of a stock assessment in 2023 but allowed to maintain comparability in the survey time-series.
• DFO Science has recently completed a new assessment framework (the meeting was Oct 16 to 20, 2023) in which improvements were made to estimates of natural mortality and recruitment. In addition, the model now goes back to the 1950s to give a longer historical context for the stock and for the reference points. 
• The Newfoundland and Labrador fall 2023 survey is well under way. It started
• September 17, 2023 and is planned to go until December 16, 2023. Data collection is going as planned and the department is on track to have a new stock assessment for Northern cod in March 2024.
• Northern Cod were prescribed under the Fish Stocks provisions (FSP) on April 4th, 2022. Application of the updated model and LRP indicates that the stock is above the Limit Reference Point (LRP) with 71 percent probability. Should the March 2024 assessment indicate the stock is below the LRP, the Rebuilding Plan will need to be updated to align with the new FSP requirements.

Background

• Following the passage of Fiona, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) identified 142 harbours impacted by the storm.
• After in depth evaluations, it was determined that 80 of these 142 harbours required significant interventions. In total, 235 projects were needed to address all of the damage caused at the Fiona-impacted-harbours (multiple projects are required at some locations). To date, 113 of these have been completed.
• On October 17, 2022, the former Minister (Minister Murray) and Minister Petitpas Taylor confirmed $70 million to support the Small Craft Harbours (SCH) Program with dredging, clean-up, assessments, minor repairs, and design development of climate-resilient infrastructure at small craft harbours in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Quebec impacted by Hurricane Fiona.
• Initial clean-up and minor repairs have been carried out at most of the impacted harbours. Dredging was conducted at harbours where sediments were affecting harbour operations.
• The Department is forecasting that remaining funds will be spent by the end of the fiscal year. SCH officials are closely monitoring the progression of these projects.
• All fish harvesters located at impacted harbours were accommodated during 2023 fishing seasons throughout the regions.
• Work is ongoing to plan and execute longer-term repairs at impacted harbours. This includes working with consultants and harbour authorities to determine the scope of work and associated costs. Depending on the scope and complexity of individual projects, it could take up to five years for all Fiona damages to be repaired.
• The SCH program regularly incorporates climate resiliency factors when planning and undertaking infrastructure work so that structures are able to withstand extreme weather. These factors are based on evolving building codes and information from coastal studies and DFO’s Coastal Infrastructure Vulnerability Index.
• SCH staff have concluded that harbours where recent maintenance or upgrade work had been carried out better withstood the impacts of Fiona, as opposed to harbours where no recent interventions had taken place.

Background

• In April 2023, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans published a report on the Protection and Coexistence of North Atlantic Right Whales (NARW), providing a series of recommendations related to right whale management, science and protection.
• In September 2023, the Government responded to this report, thanking the Committee for their recommendations. The response reiterated the importance of a continued precautionary approach to protecting right whales, to support the species’ recovery under the Species at Risk Act and to ensure continued access for Canadian seafood products to the American market under the import provisions of the United States (U.S.) Marine Mammal Protection Act.
• In 2023, three NARW were disentangled by marine mammal response experts in the U.S. that were confirmed to be carrying Canadian fishing gear.
• So far in 2023, there are no reported NARW mortalities, but two new entanglements were observed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence in July 2023.
• On October 23, 2023, the NARW Consortium released the most recent population estimate of 356 whales, which indicates a slowing in decline. The 2021 estimate of 340 whales was revised to 365.
• The Department of Fisheries and Oceans continues to apply adaptive measures to prevent fishing gear entanglements, such as: changes to the open and closure dates of fisheries; dynamic and seasonal closure protocols, special closure provisions for waters shallower than 20 fathoms; focused surveillance using acoustic underwater technology (hydrophones), aircraft and vessels to confirm the presence of whales; continued ghost gear retrieval; and collaborating with Transport Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard to address the potential threats from vessel strikes.
• In April 2023, the former Minister announced the development of a national Whalesafe Gear Strategy to guide the implementation of lower breaking strength and on-demand fishing gear systems to address the risk of whale entanglement. Engagement on this strategy begins in the fall of 2023, to be finalized in 2024.

Background

• On November 7, 2023, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) tabled in the House of Commons the 2023 Fall Reports of the CESD.
• The CESD Commissioner’s Report 6: “Monitoring of Marine Fisheries Catch” focuses on whether Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) obtained dependable and timely fisheries catch monitoring information and whether the department used that information in support of its decisions to sustainably manage the harvesting of commercial marine fisheries.
• Overall, the report found that DFO remained unable to collect dependable and timely data and provided four recommendations to DFO. These recommendations include streamlining the implementation of the Fishery Monitoring Policy, expediting the implementation of an integrated national fisheries information system, completing the review of third-party observer programs, and developing and implementing a nationally consistent procedure for systematically tracking whether third-party observers deliver fisheries catch monitoring information as required in terms of coverage, timeliness, and data quality.
• DFO agrees with the recommendations of the Performance Audit and continues to make improvements to the management of our fisheries based on the best available scientific evidence.

Background

• The letter from the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (FOPO) was sent on February 22, 2023.
• The most recent stock assessment was held in February 2023 and determined that the Atlantic mackerel stock biomass was at a historically low level in 2021 and 2022, and the rebuilding potential is limited by low recruitment, high predation pressure, and a collapsed age structure due to overfishing.
• On June 28, 2023, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced the continued closure for the Atlantic mackerel commercial and bait fisheries for the 2023 season. The difficult decision to close the fishery was postponed to ensure that all considerations were appropriately weighed and that the decision was founded in sound science and reason.
• Atlantic mackerel fishing activity typically starts in May in the Maritimes, June in the Gulf and Quebec Regions and late August in Newfoundland.
• In 2022, harvesters observed an increase of mackerel in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) 3KL, which could be due to warming waters. This increase does not necessarily indicate a change in abundance, but could be due to a change in distribution under current climate conditions and this change in distribution is known to vary year-to-year.
• An Atlantic Mackerel Science Working Group was established in 2020 that includes DFO and industry representatives from each region. This working group was created to identify additional sampling opportunities or sources of data that could contribute to a better understanding of stock dynamics and structure.
• DFO is making use of every opportunity to engage with and contribute to current United States (U.S.) science and management decision-making processes for the next fishing year. Most recently, Canadian and U.S. officials met virtually, on October 17, 2023, to discuss both countries respective interests in the transboundary Atlantic herring and mackerel stocks.
• Notably, on October 12, the U.S. implemented an emergency order on Atlantic mackerel for the rest of 2023 and beginning of 2024, instituting amended trip limits. These fishing trip catch limits should effectively reduce commercial catches to bycatch only, and significantly decrease the probability of overfishing.

Background

• On February 24, 2023, the government issued its response to the Standing Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans (POFO) report entitled “Peace on the Water: Advancing the Full Implementation of Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqiyik and Peskotomuhkati Rights-Based Fisheries” (the Report).
• The Report was tabled in the Senate on September 27, 2022. It examines the federal government’s response to the 1999 Marshall decisions by the Supreme Court of Canada and the implementation of the rights of 34 Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik First Nations in the Maritime Provinces and the Gaspé region of Quebec, and the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik (“Treaty Nations”), to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood. The Report examines past policy responses and nation-to-nation agreements, concluding that Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has not fully implemented rights-based fisheries for these Treaty Nations.
• The Report presents ten recommendations for DFO, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, including to directly reallocate fishing licences to Treaty Nations, to increase anti-racism and rights-based fishing education efforts, and to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into collaborative fisheries management decisions. 
• Between March and June 2023, the Senate Committee held six meetings with experts and witnesses from various backgrounds to study the Government Response. Some Treaty Nation representatives criticized the Government Response for a perceived lack of willingness to change fisheries-related regulations, policies, legislation, or programs to fulfill Canada’s obligations. DFO continues to implement rights-based fishing through an array of programming and nation-to-nation understandings and agreements. However, the right to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood is not frozen in time and requires ongoing implementation and adjustment over time. Work is ongoing in this regard.
• On June 21, 2023, the Department of Justice released Canada’s Action Plan to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. All Ministers have been directed to implement the Action Plan and to work in partnership with Indigenous Peoples to advance their rights. DFO is leading on eleven Action Plan measures. Of note, Action Plan item #36 involves pursuing amendments and reforms to fisheries legislation, regulation or policies to support self-determination and meaningful implementation and exercise of Indigenous fishing rights. Efforts to implement Action Plan item #36 will align with recommendation #1 made by the Senate Committee in its report.

Background

• The issue of foreign ownership of Canadian fishing enterprises was highlighted as part of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans’ (FOPO) 2019 report “West Coast Fisheries: Sharing Risks and Benefits.” The report’s 20 recommendations called for significant changes to the current fisheries management and licensing regime, including a recommendation that “no future sales of fishing quota and/or licences be to non-Canadian beneficial owners”.
• FOPO studied Foreign Ownership and Corporate Concentration in the Spring of 2023. The Department is anticipating the release of FOPO’s report on this study in December 2023.
• There is no national standard for foreign ownership limits for commercial fisheries in Canada. The Department’s foreign ownership restrictions on commercial fisheries access are established through its regional licensing policies, which are designed to support the fishery’s unique management objectives.
• In February of 2021, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) strengthened the application of its foreign ownership restrictions in Atlantic Canada. Under the “Enhanced Application of Foreign Ownership Restrictions”, the requirement to be at least 51 per cent Canadian is applied to the full corporate structure of prospective licence holders for all future licence re-issuances where this policy applies.
• On January 30, 2022, DFO launched a survey that was mandatory for all Pacific commercial licence holders and vessel owners, and all Atlantic and Quebec licences holders whose corporate structure were not already prescribed by regulation (inshore and communal commercial fisheries were excluded).
• The Survey results were published on September 22, 2023. The Survey found that foreign participation among survey respondents is approximately two percent, however more work is required to understand alternative means of control and influence in the fishery, including concentration of access and quota leasing.
• DFO is engaging key stakeholders to discuss the findings’ impacts and any potential policy solutions, if required. DFO also intends to engage stakeholders through the upcoming West Coast Commercial Fisheries Modernization engagement sessions. Careful consideration of the potential impacts on existing licence holders across all commercial fisheries, as well as Canada’s international trade obligations, will be required before any policy changes could be introduced, or regulatory amendments considered.

Background

• As part of Budget 2022, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) successfully brought forward a proposal seeking additional incremental funding of $44.9 million over five years and $9 million ongoing for the Great Lakes Fishery Commission (GLFC), to ensure that Canada meets its bilateral treaty requirement with the US - bringing Canada’s contribution up to over $19 million in 2022 and moving forward. This funding will help to augment Canadian sea lamprey control activities, and support the GLFC’s scientific research and binational fisheries management coordination across the Great Lakes.
• In recent years, the GLFC has been lobbying key stakeholders in the US and Canada, including Members of Parliament (MPs), and US Senators and Representatives, with their request for federal a leadership and responsibility for the GLFC to be moved from DFO to Global Affairs Canada (GAC).
• The government of Canada is assessing the implications of a possible change in federal leadership and fiscal responsibility for the GLFC. Decisions on the machinery of government are the preserve and prerogative of the Prime Minister
• On June 8 and 12, 2023, the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans held two meetings on the GLFC. DFO officials provided testimony on June 8th, followed by GAC officials appearing on the 12th. Committee members remarked that the relationship between Canada and the United States is being impacted by funding and governance problems, with questions focusing on: 1) machinery and governance; 2) GLFC’s legal opinion related to a conflict of interest; 3) the flow of funds; and 4) aquatic invasive species. The Department anticipates the release of the Committee’s report on this study shortly.

Background

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous peoples based on recognizing rights, respect, collaboration, and partnership. As part of that commitment, we are working with First Nations harvesters so that they can exercise their Supreme Court-affirmed inherent and Treaty rights to fish through various DFO-authorized fisheries. These fisheries include food, social and ceremonial (FSC), and communal commercial fisheries, including interim understandings reached to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood. 
• Many First Nations harvesters are exercising their right to fish FSC lobster throughout Nova Scotia. In areas such as St. Mary’s Bay in southwestern Nova Scotia and in the vicinity of St. Peter’s Canal in Cape Breton, fishery officers are working with these communities to protect the rights of Indigenous harvesters engaged in this fishery. Part of that protection is ensuring that the fishing complies with the Fisheries Act, and other associated regulations. As with all fisheries, our fishery officers are verifying gear for compliance, monitoring activities on and off the water and, where warranted, seizing gear and catch, and laying charges for violations under the Fisheries Act. Fishing activity occurring without a required DFO-issued licence or not in compliance with the conditions of the licence is subject to enforcement action. 
• DFO is committed to providing for a safe, orderly and sustainable lobster fishery for all participants. We firmly believe that respectful, constructive dialogue is the way to achieve this.
• DFO continues to work with all those involved in lobster fisheries –Indigenous and non-Indigenous - to responsibly manage this socially, historically and economically important species.
• Established seasons support this shared goal. Seasons provide predictability for all those participating in the fishery, as well as for other fleets and industries, and reduces gear conflict among fisheries operating in the same geographic area. The timing of season openings also help ensure that the benefits of the inshore lobster fishery are distributed broadly to Indigenous and coastal communities across Atlantic Canada. 
• DFO is working with the RCMP to monitor and address any illegal activity including harassment and violence on the water. 
• We will continue to take action whenever unauthorized harvesting and other violations under the Fisheries Act are observed, while supporting the exercise of Indigenous fishing rights. 

Background

• In May 2022, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) received an application from Sustainable Marine Energy Canada Ltd. (SMEC) for a Fisheries Act authorization and Species at Risk Act permit in relation to a proposed in-stream tidal energy project. SMEC was proposing to deploy and operate a floating tidal energy device (i.e. platform) of 5 Megawatts, including the installation of three, six, and eventually twelve floating platforms.
• In March 2023, the proponent communicated that they were withdrawing their application, resulting in a pause of DFO’s project review. The proponent identified DFO’s regulatory process as a key factor in its decision. The tidal energy industry and Province of Nova Scotia have communicated that they are seeking a clear regulatory path for tidal power development in Canada.
• On June 20, 2023, the former Minister of DFO and the Minister of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) announced the establishment of a task force on sustainable tidal energy to explore issues and opportunities associated with the deployment of tidal energy projects in the Bay of Fundy. More specifically, the purpose of the Task Force is to clarify regulatory requirements, improve risk assessment processes, and reduce time for decisions.
• The Task Force is co-chaired by DFO and NRCan and includes members from the Province of Nova Scotia, industry, and research organizations. The Task Force facilitates greater collaboration between the federal government, the province, members of the tidal industry and the tidal research community. An interim report summarizing key issues and progress was released on September 29, 2023. A final report will be submitted to Ministers early in the new year.
• Bill C-49, An Act to amend the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act, was tabled in the House of Commons in May 2023. Bill C-49 aligns the Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia Accord Acts with the Impact Assessment Act and provides authority for the Offshore Boards to regulate offshore renewable energy projects, such as wind power. It is not clear that these authorities extend to tidal energy projects, as tidal projects are unlikely to occur in the defined offshore area.
• Marine spatial planning, currently underway in five marine areas including the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy, has strong potential to support the renewable energy sector in the region, including tidal energy. Through early identification of sites with optimal conditions and/or areas to avoid, and better understanding of regulatory processes early in planning, upstream efficiencies can be gained in the development process, adding much-needed investor certainty.

Background

• Elvers are juvenile American Eels. Because all American eel originate from the same spawning location in the Sargasso Sea and are therefore all of the same genetic makeup, they are considered a single global population. The American eel population has decreased substantially across eastern Canada in the last forty years. Canada is currently considering whether to list the species under the Species at Risk Act (SARA); if listed, prohibitions would apply.
• The elver fishery is managed with a total allowable catch (TAC) and site-specific river catch limits set for each fishing location (rivers, streams, brooks) in licences. The TAC of 9960kg has remained the same since 2005. For 2023, there were eight commercial licences, one communal commercial licence, and two interim communal commercial licences covering 10 First Nation Communities. The First Nation access was reallocated from existing licence holder TAC. The Department participated in a Judicial Review (JR) brought by three non-Indigenous elver licence holders who disagreed with the approach to reallocating the 2022 quota and were successful. Three JRs have also been brought to the Department on the 2023 decision.
• The elver fishery has become extremely lucrative in the past 10 years, with landed value rising from $450 per kg in 2009 to approximately $5000 per kg in 2023, with a peak value of $5,100 per kg in 2019. In comparison to other commercial fisheries, the investments required to harvest are relatively low.
• Due to the ease of harvesting, high value of the fishery, and the limited current extent of access held by First Nations, there is considerable risk of ongoing assertion of rights and unauthorized fishing by Indigenous communities in the Region and First Nations from various Provinces and States impacting conservation and orderly management. DFO considers greater access by First Nations to the elver fishery could help to mitigate these risks.
• Fishing outside the DFO authorized commercial elver fishery steadily increased over the last decade. In the springs of 2020and 2023, and contemplated for 2022, as a result of significant fishing activity outside the commercial fishery by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous harvesters, the Minister issued a Fisheries Management Order to close the fishery.
• Unauthorized harvest of elvers poses a significant safety concern for both harvesters and fishery officers. DFO received numerous complaints of disputes between harvesters and responded to incidences of fishing gear tampering and situations involving threats to harvesters and fishery officers.

Background

• The Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture (NSDA) operates the existing Avon River tidal gates. Since installing the causeway and tidal gate structure in the 1970’s, the controlled elevation of water has provided a source of agricultural and recreational water (Lake Pisiquid) for the surrounding area and helped prevent flooding. However, the structure was not designed, or operated, in a manner that provided effective fish passage for a variety of fish species, including species at risk.
• The Nova Scotia Department of Public Works is twinning the two-lane highway over the existing tidal gates, which are considered at the end of their operational life. This proposed twinning project requires an expansion of the causeway, and includes a proposal to replace the existing tidal gates.
• In 2020, following two years of discussions with the Province of Nova Scotia and consultations with the Mi’kmaq, DFO began issuing Ministerial Orders which directed NSDA to operate the tidal gates in a manner that allows for more natural passage of fish. This resulted in lowering Lake Pisiquid water levels and allowing for some tidal water to enter the Avon River.
• During the forest fires that occurred in parts of Nova Scotia in late May 2023, the province of Nova Scotia declared a State of Emergency for the area and directed the refilling of the Lake Pisiquid to support potential wildfire response. The Province of Nova Scotia has actively and publicly stated their desire to maintain this artificial lake.
• DFO continues to work with the province on maximizing fish passage through the existing tidal gate structure, and the design and review of the proposed new structure. Consultation with the Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia is also underway on both the operation of the existing structure, and the proposed new structure. The Mi’kmaq of Nova Scotia are seeking significant improvements to fish passage.

Background

• The Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) is a fund of over $400 million over seven years (2017-18 to 2023-24) cost shared with provincial partners, 70/30 (federal/provincial) over the life of the program. The Atlantic component of the AFF was launched on August 31, 2017, and its national marketing pillar, the Canadian Fish and Seafood Opportunities Fund (CFSOF) was launched December 5, 2018.
• To date, 78 per cent of the total available federal/provincial contribution budget for the $379.8 million ($265.86 million of which is federal) of the Atlantic component of AFF has been committed, on over 1123 approved projects.
• Another 27 projects are pending approval valued at over $4.6 million in AFF contributions. Also, there are currently 133 applications in-house seeking funding of over $78.8 million with new applications being received daily. This positions AFF well to commit most of its remaining funds by March 31, 2024.
• A two-year reprofile has been operationalized through the extension of the AFF Framework Agreement until March 31, 2026. This process does not permit for the contracting of new projects beyond the original sunset date of March 31, 2024.
• The CFSOF, the fourth national marketing pillar of AFF, which currently has its own set of Framework Agreements with ten signatory provinces and territories, also has an end date of March 31, 2024. Provincial and territorial partners and its recipients are aware of and support CFSOF’s sunset date and they are not expecting it to be extended.
• The AFF focuses on supporting innovation in the fish and seafood sector throughout Atlantic Canada by investing in projects that help the sector to better meet growing demands for sustainably- and legally-sourced, high-quality fish and seafood products. Its ultimate objective is that “sustainable economic growth will be realized in the fish and seafood sector” through innovative investments under its three strategic Atlantic Pillars: Infrastructure, Innovation, and Science Partnerships. Eligible applicants include Indigenous groups, commercial enterprises (including fish harvesters, aquaculturalists, and seafood processors), universities and academics, industry associations and other non-profits, and other organizations such as research institutions and provincial crown corporations. Other eligibility criteria includes residence in a participating province; being active in or supporting activities related to the fish and seafood harvesting, processing, or aquaculture industries; and, being able to demonstrate that maximum economic benefits will accrue to the Atlantic Region. All proposed projects are also assessed for whether they will trigger a Duty to Consult or Impact Assessment (previously known as an environmental assessment) to ensure that all regulatory requirements are met.
• To date, the majority of approvals (89 per cent of total projects and 71 per cent of investment dollars) have fallen under the Infrastructure Pillar. The technology adoption and adaptation investments under the Infrastructure pillar have been pivotal in promoting the benefits of innovation and automation in the fish and seafood sector. The sector has been traditionally hesitant to invest in innovation as it was perceived as too financially risky but the AFF, through these investments has started to shift that perspective by reducing the barriers to innovate and allowing the benefits of innovation to be realized by recipients.

Background

• In 2019, and again in 2021, Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard was mandated to work with the Province of British Columbia (B.C.) and Indigenous communities on a responsible plan to transition from open-net pen salmon farming in coastal B.C. waters by 2025.
• On July 29, 2022, Fisheries and Oceans Canada released a discussion framework which outlines a proposed vision for transitioning from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in B.C. The proposed framework will help guide engagement with the Province, First Nations, industry, local governments, stakeholders, and British Columbians.
• A “What We Heard” Report, released May 18, 2023, provides a summary of ideas and perspectives raised during Phases 1 and 2 of engagement.
• In response to requests from First Nations and others, the department has extended the time period for consultation on the transition with all interested parties.
• Phase 3 of engagement (July to September 2023) provided participants the opportunity to review the What We Heard Report and provide their own perspectives on the points raised. DFO anticipates providing an update on the next steps in the engagement process soon.
• The feedback and input received during this engagement will be instrumental in the development of the final transition plan.

Discovery Islands

• On June 22, 2022, former Minister Murray announced next steps towards development of a plan for transitioning from open-net pen salmon aquaculture in coastal B.C. At the same time, the former Minister made a decision to approve a two-year reissuance of marine finfish licences across B.C., with the exception of the Discovery Islands. Following the Federal Court’s decision, the former Minister directed the Department not to reissue licences for 15 Atlantic salmon facilities in the Discovery Islands, and to issue six-month licences for two remaining chinook facilities.
• Consultations with five licence holders and seven First Nations in the area were subsequently conducted to inform a decision on reissuance or non-reissuance for all 17 licences, which the former Minister intended to make in January 2023.
• On February 17, 2023, the former Minister announced her decision to not renew licences for fifteen open-net pen Atlantic salmon aquaculture sites in the Discovery Islands.
• In March 2023, DFO received notice of applications for judicial review of that decision by Mowi, Cermaq, Grieg and Wei Wai Kum First Nation (representing both itself and We Wai Kai First Nation). Concurrently, DFO was informed that Mowi, Cermaq, and five tertiary companies filed civil claims against DFO, and  two former Ministers of the Department, relating to Ministerial Decisions going back to December 2020.
• DFO is working with the Department of Justice, which will be leading the litigation on these two files. The judicial review has been proceeding with cross-examinations of affiants this fall, and will be heard in Federal Court in December 2023. The civil claims are also currently progressing. Both files are expected to be active over the next year.

Background

• The parliamentary Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans wrote a report in 2019 titled “West Coast Fisheries: Sharing Risks and Benefits”. It included 20 recommendations that called for significant changes to the current commercial fisheries management and licensing regime in Pacific Region to support greater transparency about quota and licence holdings and transactions, facilitate the accrual of benefits from commercial fisheries to active participants, and ensure benefits flow to Canadians rather than foreign interests, amongst other things.
• The Government responded to the report in 2020, outlining DFO’s position and planned approach. Key points in the government’s response included confirmation of the Minister’s authority to consider social, economic, and cultural factors in decision making, that future DFO policies and programs should not negatively impact conservation objectives, that DFO would consider ways to support the viability of fishing enterprises, and that the needs, rights, and capacities of Indigenous harvesters and their communities must be respected.
• The Department has appeared before the Committee multiple times since the 2019 report’s release, most recently in June 2023 to report on progress on the Committee’s 2019 recommendations. You received a letter from the Committee about the Government’s action on the report’s findings, dated August 16, 2023; a draft response is in approvals. The speaking points above are consistent with the draft response to the Committee’s letter.
• DFO will next engage key stakeholders through the upcoming west coast commercial fisheries management modernization engagement sessions planned for early 2024.

Background

• Budget 2021 provided a transformational investment starting in 2021-22, to Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to stabilize and conserve wild Pacific salmon populations as part of the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI).
• The PSSI was launched in June 2021, with the goal of stemming the severe and ongoing decline of key Pacific salmon stocks on Canada’s West Coast and restoring them to a sustainable level for future generations of Canadians.
• As part of Budget 2021
• This investment is to implement initiatives from 2021-22 to 2025-26 and is organized under four pillars: Conservation and Stewardship (habitat and rebuilding-related work); Salmon Enhancement (hatcheries-related work); Harvest Transformation (harvest-related work); and Integration and Collaboration (internal and external integration of planning and collaboration with others). The long-term initiative is unprecedented in both value and scope, and the work will require the efforts of not only the Department, but of those whose lives and interests are affected by the state of Pacific salmon.
• The 2018 Fall Economic Statement reiterated the Government’s commitment to the sustainability of wild Pacific salmon, supporting stock assessment and rebuilding efforts through a renewed Fisheries Act for priority fish stocks, and announcing the launch of the first iteration of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF). The federal-provincial joint BCSRIF was officially launched on March 15, 2019 originally allocating $142.85 million over five years: $100 million from Canada and $42.85 million from BC. The second phase of the BCSRIF was announced in August 2022, with an additional $100 million funded via PSSI. This brings the total funding of BCSRIF to $285 million ($85 million from BC), with an extended program end date of March 31, 2026.
• The Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada has assessed 43 populations of Pacific salmon to be at risk (Endangered, Threatened, or of Special concern). These populations are under consideration for listing under the Species at Risk Act.
• Since 2021, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has funded a number of projects led by Yukon First Nations to support local salmon priorities and interests. Examples of PSSI-funded projects in the Yukon include a feasibility study for a salmon stewardship centre including a conservation hatchery, First Nations salmon fishery programs, and integrated stock rebuilding planning. Resources have also been confirmed for the Yukon Salmon Sub-Committee to enhance their capacity to further engage with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Yukon First Nation Governments and the public, on PSSI and efforts to address declines in Yukon salmon populations. The Government is committed to continuing to advance Pacific salmon conservation, rebuilding and restoration in the Yukon through collaboration with Yukon First Nations and Territorial Governments.

Background

• Canadian Arctic sovereignty is not only demonstrated through the physical presence of assets, like icebreakers, but also through the communities and peoples who live there. For example, the Canadian Coast Guard’s (CCG) icebreakers are instrumental in enabling industry vessels to undertake community resupply that would otherwise be inaccessible to most of Canada’s Arctic communities which do not have road access.
• Canadian Coast Guard ships (CCGS) operate in the Arctic region from June until November each season with the regional headquarters in Yellowknife. Through funding enabled by the renewal of the Oceans Protection Plan, Arctic Region’s Inshore Rescue Boat North station in Rankin Inlet is being upgraded to an Arctic Marine Response Station, supporting Eastern Arctic response.
• The CCG base in Hay River hosts the CCGS buoy tenders, the CCGS Eckaloo and CCGS Dumit that maintain the Mackenzie River; a Search and Rescue (SAR) vessel; and a Rapid Air Transportable pack environmental response equipment.
• The CCG has assets spread across the region including over 20 community caches of environmental response equipment; one rapid air-transportable pack; two Marine Environmental Hazards Response (MEHR) depots - one in Hay River and one in Iqaluit; two MEHR depots – one in Tuktoyaktuk and one Churchill.
• The CCG works with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and Danish counterparts to plan and conduct joint exercises on SAR, environmental response, and incident management. Additionally, the CCG conducts joint passing exercises with the USCG for inter-border operability.
• The Marine Communications Traffic Services (MCTS) centre in Iqaluit monitors and tracks reporting vessels that enter the Northern Canada Vessel Traffic Services Zone Regulations’ waters. The CCG has 2,000 navigational aids across the Canadian Arctic to help maintain the Canadian Arctic waterways as a economic corridor.
• The CCG Auxiliary (CCGA), which is a separate national non-profit network, has 40 units across the Arctic with 469 members and 59 vessels. The CCGA are integral to the local SAR response capacity, and the CCG supports the CCGA through the training and certification of both the members and the CCGA’s vessels. Through the Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Program, the CCG has awarded over $7.2 million to support the purchase of Community Boats and to become CCGA units.
• The CCG is one of the primary contributors to Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) in the Arctic. Canada's ability to respond to regional challenges, provide security and ensure compliance with our laws and regulations depends on its ability to build and maintain MDA as a comprehensive picture of what is happening across the region.
• The Office of the Auditor General’s Report on Arctic Waters Surveillance (November 2022) concluded that to assess safety and security risks adequately and respond appropriately, Canada must be aware of what happens in Arctic waters through MDA.
• Effective response to maritime security incidents and the development of MDA depends on seamless, interoperable efforts between the CCG and the Marine Security Operation Centres partners.
• A key tool the CCG utilizes to contributes to MDA is the geopolitical risk management and economic sanctions compliance product called PurpleTRAC, which provides five layers of screening: ship and flag watch list, global sanctions, country sanctions, ship movement history and port state control.

Background

• In October 2018, the Government of Canada announced the creation of stand-alone Arctic Regions for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG). After significant consultation with northern Indigenous governments, organizations, and communities, the boundaries of the Regions were announced in March 2020, to include all of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut along with Nunavik (Quebec) and Nunatsiavut (Newfoundland), the Yukon North Slope and Hudson Bay and James Bay. The DFO/CCG Arctic Regions are the first Federal government departments to be inclusive of all of Inuit Nunangat, the territorial home of Inuit.
• The transition of CCG Arctic programs was completed in 2021. Initial DFO Arctic programs were transitioned to the Arctic Region in 2020 and the remaining programs are expected to transition as of April 1, 2024.
• DFO plays a unique role in the Arctic, related to DFO’s mandate for the aquatic environment, with the majority of Arctic communities situated along the marine coast, or on other navigable waterways. Fish and marine mammals are a staple of the Northern diet and critical for Arctic food security. These resources also form the basis of renewable economic opportunities for many in the Arctic, in fact, according to the National Indigenous Fisheries Institute, commercial fishing is one of the few economic drivers for communities in many areas of the North.
• CCG Regional Headquarters is in Yellowknife and DFO Headquarters is in Rankin Inlet, with additional offices in Iqaluit, NU, and Inuvik and Hay River, NT.
• In 2021, the Inuit Nunangat DFO-CCG Arctic Committee was established as the formal governance mechanism between DFO and Inuit governments to help guide collaborative engagement and decision-making with respect to program and service delivery priorities and provide an essential platform for effective communication and coordination with Indigenous governments and communities.
• Seven Community Engagement Coordinators are being recruited for January 2024 to foster on-the ground relations between the community and the Department to advance Departmental priorities, including programs and services.
• Meaningful and wide-ranging engagement with Inuit, First Nations and Metis and northern communities has identified priorities for the Regions,including: increasing presence and capacity in the North; using Indigenous Knowledge in decision making; leading policy development from the North; addressing employment barriers and creating new opportunities; adapting to climate change; and addressing infrastructure gaps.
• In 2018, the Arctic Region was allocated initial short-term funding from internal departmental resources along with the transfer of programs and associated funding from other Regions, of which $19.8 million annually is ongoing.
• DFO Arctic Region has over 100 positions, of which 31 are based in the North.Additional positions are anticipated to transition to the Arctic Region in 2024. Two DFO Arctic Executive positions are staffed in the north.
• As of October 2023, Coast Guard’s Arctic Region has 151 employees, of which 70 employees are based in the north, including one Executive.

Background

• Since the start of the season, landings of northern shrimp in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence have been described as "spectacularly catastrophic" by fishermen and processors. Catch rates in the busiest fishing areas are at 50 per cent of what they were last year.
• These low catch rates combined with high operating costs are creating major profitability issues. Several fishing companies and processing plants are facing major financial difficulties, and the low volumes caught to date are already having economic repercussions in certain communities in New Brunswick (NB), Quebec (QC) and on the west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).
• The latest Stock Assessment of Northern Shrimp in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence concluded that  three of the four stocks are currently in the critical zone of the proposed precautionary approach, and that their respective biomass values are the lowest observed since 1990.
• Warming and oxygen depletion in deep waters, as well as increased predation by redfish appear to be major factors contributing to the decline and lower productivity of these stocks. The ecosystem changes observed in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence indicate a heightened risk to the sustainability of stocks, and consequently to the entire ecosystem of which it is a part, due to its role as a forage species.
• At the advisory committee meeting held on October 31 and November 1, fleet representatives from Quebec, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador reiterated their dismay at the anticipated reduction in quotas. They rejected the revised Precautionary Approach proposal and called for an ecosystem-based management approach that would take into account redfish predation levels.
• They also recommended opening the commercial redfish fishery in Unit 1 as early as the 2024 season, and called for the rapid implementation of a government assistance program to help finance fleet rationalization and the transition to the redfish fishery

Background

• Under the Fisheries Act, Fisheries and Oceans (DFO)can issue licences to harvest marine plants in Canada’s coastal waters under the conditions deemed necessary to ensure the conservation of marine plants.
• In 2022, 29 marine plant harvesting licences were issued in Quebec, 11 of which were for commercial harvesting and 18 for scientific, educational or public display purposes. This is still a relatively undeveloped activity.
• The issuance of licences by DFO is a privilege that comes with significant responsibilities. In 2014, DFO revised the harvest conditions of marine plants in Quebec, in order to better respond to the particularities of the different harvesting sectors.
• To ensure the long-term protection of this precious resource, manual harvesting of seaweed using a sharp cutting tool is the only method authorized in Quebec. Even accidental uprooting of seaweed has a considerable negative impact on its regrowth, an impact amplified by ice and predators such as sea urchins in the St. Lawrence.
• Fishery officers in the field use their judgment and take into account the nature and context of non-compliance cases in their enforcement actions. They ensure that the law is applied fairly.
• The prohibition of seaweed harvesting in Quebec is currently being criticized by a Gaspésie harvester who has received infraction notices, who considers this condition impossible to comply with. A meeting with this stakeholder was held on November 9, 2023.
• Holdfasts uprooting rate might vary significantly between species: brown algae could be much more sturdier than red or green algae, which could be more fragile to uprooting. The latter would be the ones mainly harvested by this stakeholder.
• Opportunities for collaboration between DFO Sciences and this stakeholder to improve scientific knowledge on marine plants and harvesting methods were discussed. Conditions of licence could potentially be modified, when scientific information is sufficient and if it demonstrates that changes would be justified.
• The possibility of organizing a workshop bringing together various stakeholders of this industry was also discussed.

Background

• The Quebec Fisheries Fund is designed to support the fisheries and aquaculture sector, spark innovation and support the development and sustainable growth of the industry. The two levels of government have committed $40 million, including $27 million from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. To date, 152 projects have been approved under this program, for a total of $23.3 million.
• The requested extension would allow the continuity of the program by two years (2024–25 and 2025–26) to support the development of a healthy and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture industry to meet the growing demand for high-quality seafood from sustainable sources.
• The extension would allow projects to be approved until March 31, 2024, for implementation and conclusion by March 31, 2026. This period is necessary to allow recipients enough time to complete their projects and be reimbursed, particularly in the case of multi-year projects.