Current issues overview

Purpose

To provide an overview of current issues that will require the Minster’s consideration early in the Government’s mandate.

Aquaculture management

• Challenges enabling an environmentally sustainable and economically successful sector

Shipbuilding

• Meeting long-term operational requirements through the National Shipbuilding Strategy

Protecting whales

• Addressing increased incidences of whales exposed to threats in Canadian waters

Conserving wild salmon

• The sustainability of Pacific and Atlantic wild salmon stocks

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

• Ongoing implications for the Department with respect to environmental assessment

Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation

• The transformation of the Department’s only Crown corporation

Aquaculture management

Challenges in enabling an environmentally sustainable and economically successful sector

Key issues:

1. Some provinces and coastal communities (including Indigenous communities) see aquaculture as key to economic growth
2. Funding for the Sustainable Aquaculture Program will sunset this fiscal year
3. Some stakeholder concerns with the possible/perceived environmental impacts of open-net pens (i.e., cages) and the siting of fish farms
4. Inconsistent regulatory regime that contributes to uncertainty for the aquaculture industry in different regions of the country

Considerations:

• Enhancing how the Department pursues aquaculture management and enables sustainable growth in the sector, including through the development of a new Aquaculture Act
• Advancing an approach that recognizes and addresses the distinctions between Atlantic and Pacific coasts

Shipbuilding

The National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS) is moving forward to meet long-term operational requirements

Key issues:

1. Existing ships are nearing the end of their maximum service life
2. Large ship procurement takes up to 8-10 years to complete

Considerations:

• The Coast Guard will build 29 new large ships, which include science vessels, icebreakers, multi-purpose vessels, and patrol ships
• Significant recent investments in interim measures, including extending the life of the fleet and acquiring ships to back-fill while existing ships undergo life extension work will ensure critical missions are delivered while the new ships are being built
• The Government recently launched a competitive process to add a third Canadian shipyard to help ensure the timely delivery of the new six icebreakers
• The recapitalization of the aging small vessel fleet is being prioritized

Protecting whales

Recent years have seen increased incidences of whales being exposed to threats in Canadian waters

Key issues:

1. North Atlantic Right Whale: collisions with vessels, entanglement in fishing gear, and underwater noise. Nearly two dozen deaths have been reported since 2017
2. Southern Resident Killer Whale: reduction in prey availability (e.g., Pacific salmon), contaminants, acoustic and physical disturbance, and ship strikes
3. St. Lawrence Estuary Beluga: pollution, reduced food sources, disturbance by humans, habitat degradation, ship strikes, and entanglement in fishing gear
4. Blue Whale: recent deaths have ignited calls for greater protections and better information about the underlying causes

Considerations:

• DFO has been working with the U.S. government (NOAA) and federal partners (e.g., Transport Canada) to develop mitigation measures and respond to incidences such as entanglements
• Taking action has important economic implications for fishers, such as maintaining global sustainability certifications and international market access

Conserving Wild Salmon

The Sustainability of Pacific and Atlantic wild salmon stocks

Key issues:

1. Nationally, wild salmon populations continue to decline due to increased pressures on the resource, including challenges associated with meeting the needs of Indigenous groups, recreational fishers, and commercial harvesters
2. There are important differences with respect to managing salmon stock recovery:

• Pacific: ongoing commercial fishery with continued stock declines requiring DFO to implement fisheries closures that have substantial socio-economic impacts
• Atlantic: no commercial fishery but abundance is at historically low levels with little signs of recovery despite a fishing moratorium in place since 2000

Considerations:

• In 2019, DFO began implementing measures along the BC coast to conserve Pacific salmon populations
• There is an opportunity to align best practices and pursue a national approach for both Atlantic and Pacific species
• Other fisheries across Canada face similar fisheries management challenges

Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion

The Trans Mountain Expansion (TMX) Project has ongoing implications for the Department with respect to environmental assessment

Key issues:

1. Mitigating Impacts on Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW): specific focus is on the effectiveness of mitigation measures aimed at avoiding or reducing impacts from Project-related marine vessels on the SRKW; existing and proposed Project-related marine vessel traffic are expected to intersect critical habitat for SRKW
2. In September 2019, the Federal Court of Appeal ruled that six court challenges related to consultation with Indigenous communities can proceed

Considerations:

• DFO will continue to monitor management measures to protect SRKW and adjust as needed
• There is ongoing public opposition to the Project, including among Indigenous communities
• The Government has reached out to Indigenous groups to invite communities to meet and discuss next steps

Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation

The Transformation of the Department’s Only Crown Corporation

Key issues:

1. In June 2019, the Ministerial Advisory Panel on the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation (FFMC) recognized the potential for a harvester-led model for the inland fisheries, and recommended the appointment of an interlocutor to help facilitate the transformation process
2. In September 2019, an interlocutor was appointed to work with harvester associations, co-operatives, and other partners to assess the industry's willingness and capacity to sustain and co-operate under a harvester-led model

Considerations:

• By January 2020, a committee of representatives from the fishing industry will be established to improve communications and information-sharing within both industry and the FFMC
• The aim of the transformation process is to promote industry-led solutions that support harvester ambitions for the future of the inland fishery