New Fisheries Act Tabled In Parliament

[Harps]

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/media/newsrel/2007/hq-ac59_e.htm

 

Recognized as one of the world's strongest environmental legislations... Now to be changed after 139 years

of often not enforced existance... check out this quote from pre-Alberta Pincher Creek in 1897 regarding the enforcment of the Fisheries Act: “… if there is a question of ‘Fish vrs Irrigation’ the fish must go because the settlers here cannot possibly do without irrigation.” from Inspector Steele, NWMP. (Thanks Kerry Brewin)

 

Anyways...

 

Does making things simpler, cleaner and faster mean more pollitical decisions before we have scientific evidence??...

or does it make things better??

 

Will licence sactions and tickets from a fisheries tribunal result in more enforcement because punishment is easier??... or more committed offences because the punishment is less??

 

Will inter-governmental, provincial cooperation mean less broad federal and more local pollitically influenced desisions (think oil sands)??... or will it result in more shared knowledge and better managed resources??

If a province is failing to enforce its regulations, then the Minister will have the ability to reinstate the national regulations.

...yeah, the feds will re-hire the staff they fired to do the work that the feds used to do... )

 

Will regulations for smaller projects result in less protection to the environment (no review, no enforcement, no cumulative effects considerations)?? or a stream lined proccess that focuses risk and resources on big problems.

The Act will take a more effective approach to ensuring compliance and may allow for the use of Alternative Measures Agreements instead of costly and lengthy criminal court proceedings.

Fluffy hand shakes and promises over paved streams instead of big fines and jail time...

 

Is the glass half full??... or half empty??

 

Read up on it, make your own decisions... tell the minister what you think!

This will affect the future of your fishing across Canada!!!

Speak up.

 

Hopefully thare are other viewpoints besides gov't published ones... Suzuki (even though an extreme) can raise valid counter points, TU Canada should say something about this, and there will be lots from angling groups on the coasts.

This is the most important topic on fishing in Canada and will affect every angler, whether you know it or not.

 

Proposed bills are posted Here: http://www.parl.gc.ca/legisinfo/index.asp?Language=E

If you are concerned about the direction (hidden or apparent) of the current government... you should be looking at some of these bills.

 

Cheers,

 

NEW FISHERIES ACT TABLED IN PARLIAMENT

 

November 29, 2007

 

 

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OTTAWA – On Thursday November 29, the Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, introduced in Parliament a new Bill to modernize the 139-year-old Fisheries Act.

 

Bill C-32 aims to provide a more predictable, stable and transparent fisheries and fish habitat management system where fish harvesters, and others with an interest in the fisheries, can share in the management of this important public resource.

 

"It is simply not realistic to govern a $12-billion fishing industry any longer with laws that were drafted before British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador or the North were a part of Canada," said Minister Hearn. "In the 21st century it is not acceptable to have a system that allows politicians to determine who gets what fish without any type of public accountability."

 

Last December, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-45, a bill to modernize the Fisheries Act. With the prorogation of Parliament on September 14, 2007, Bill C-45 died on the Order Paper.

 

The Government has received significant input on the bill from fish harvesters, their associations, the fish processing sector, aquaculturists, Aboriginal groups, resource industry, environmental groups and many, many others. The Government has incorporated this feedback, leading to improvements contained in the new Fisheries Modernization Bill C-32.

 

Broad agreement exists in four key areas. In keeping with the Government’s commitment to engage stakeholders, it amended the bill to:

 

affirm that the fisheries are a common property resource;

require the Minister to first take into account conservation in licencing and allocation decisions and then all other important considerations;

remove the authority to allocate fish within a Fisheries Management Agreement; and,

remove language that cast doubt over the issue of licence "transfers" by removing wording that cast doubt on the practice.

"Canadians will have further opportunity to discuss this legislation when it is sent to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans after Second Reading in the House of Commons, and the Government will work collaboratively with the Committee and Canadians to make this the best legislation possible," said Minister Hearn.

 

Backgrounders:

 

New Fisheries Act

Modernizing The Fisheries Act

Before and After: What Do The Fisheries Act Changes Mean

A Modern and Effective Fisheries Management Compliance Regime

Safeguarding Our Aquatic Ecosystems

Benefits to Canadians of the Modernized Fisheries Act

[cowtownscribe]

Hey Harps.

 

Thanks for the information. I must admit, I have neglected to follow up with C-45, since my MP informed me that it was being axed and they were starting all over again. He assured me that there would be more public involvement in the new (C-32) bill - but until I saw this post - I hadn't heard squat.

 

More surprising, is that I usually see something come through on our OWC list serve. Other than a far reaching B.C. land claim settlement, and some writing related stuff - it's been pretty quiet. Looks like it's time to sharpen the quill and ask what happened to the Public feedback.

 

Then again, maybe I've just been out of the loop. Has anyone else on the forum - associated with TU, ACA, F&G, etc. - been involved?

 

It will be interesting to find out?

 

Regards,

 

Frank.