Canada’s new Fisheries Act gets generally good reviews
A number of groups from scientists to fishing groups, to environmental groups have all said the new Fisheries Act is a step in the right direction.
The Act was announced on Tuesday by the federal Liberal government.
Susanna Fuller is the Marine Conservation Coordinator at the Ecology Action Centre, an environmental group based in Nova Scotia.
ListenIn releasing the new Fisheries Act, the Liberals say it puts back in place many of the provisions taken out of the law by the previous Conservative government, and they insist that other new provisions add more protections.
Susanna Fuller (PhD) of the Ecology Action Centre, Halifax PHOTO: CBC
Provisions in the new act prevent “harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat.”
Extraction and development industries, such as oil gas mining and pipelines had benefitted from the previous law which had fewer restrictions, and have yet to comment on the new Act.
Susanna Fuller says the government has also provided funding for implementation and enforcement of the new sections, but adherence to the new law and its strength and enforcement are still to be seen and tested.
She notes that there are now provisions for Indigenous input into the process as well.
One thing that was not directly mentioned was open sea fish farming.
Open net salmon farming operation near Campbell River, British Columbia. Such operations were not specifically mentioned in the new Act. How such operations may be affected by the Act in terms of their pollution or threats to wild populations remains to be determined
PHOTO: B.C. Salmon Farmers Association
Under the new act this seems to remain in a grey area in terms of how such operations may be affected by new conservation and pollution measures.
Thus any complaints or challenges concerning such operations will have to be tested in the courts
CBC interview with Minister Dominic Leblanc
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.