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Community Outreach and Stewardship

All Canadians are responsible for protecting fish habitat. The Habitat Management Program (HMP) is encouraging community involvement in the development of management plans and stewardship, and in other cooperative arrangements with industry, non-governmental organizations and other government agencies, to raise the level of awareness, understanding and action around the complex relationship between the resource and its supporting habitats.

In addition, an informed public is essential for action in support of the conservation, restoration and development of fish habitat. To support action at the individual, corporate and community levels, the HMP produces a variety of information resources in cooperation with stakeholders for use by the media and the public, particularly in schools.

Stewardship

What is Fish Habitat Stewardship?

Acting responsibly to conserve fish habitat for present and future generations.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a clear, legislative mandate for the protection of fish habitat. The federal Fisheries Act gives the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans the responsibility to protect fish and fish habitat from destructive activities in marine and inland waters. The Fisheries Act is an important regulatory tool for the sound management of Canada's fisheries resources and supporting habitat. Unfortunately, these regulatory measures alone are not enough to conserve fish habitat. Fisheries and Oceans Canada recognizes the importance of using proactive strategies to protect fish habitat. The Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat (1986) provides a sound framework that highlights these different strategies. Engaging and actively involving Canadians in the protection of fish habitat is an important part of the Policy.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is now developing a detailed national action plan for Fish Habitat Stewardship. The Action Plan will ensure that Fisheries and Oceans Canada is directly involved in stewardship activities across Canada and is applying the proactive strategies outlined in the Policy. The Action Plan will also strive to build partnerships with industry, developers, NGO's, governments and community groups to advocate the benefit of protecting fish habitat so they too can contribute to the net gain of this habitat. Examples of fish habitat stewardship that DFO has already established include:

• The Habitat Conservation and Stewardship Program in British Columbia and the Yukon,
• Cows and Fish program in Alberta,
• Habitat improvement technical workshops for community groups in the Maritimes region
• The Hamilton Harbour Stewardship Award recognition program in Ontario Great Lakes Area (OGLA).

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Who are Stewards of Fish Habitat?

Stewardship Documents

• 1998 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Stewardship Web Sites

• Environment Canada's Community Programs
• Atlantic Coastal Action Plan (ACAP)
• Canadian Forestry Association
• Canadian Model Forest Network
• Canadian Wildlife Federation
• Canadian Wildlife Service
• Countryside Canada
• Cows and Fish
• Ducks Unlimited
• Ecological Gifts
• Forest Stewardship Council of Canada
• Forest Stewardship Recognition Program
• Great Lakes Sustainability Fund
• Habitat Conservation and Stewardship Program
• Land Stewardship Resource Centre
• The Living By Water Project
• North American Waterfowl Management Plan
• Ontario Trillium Foundation
• Partners In Flight - Canada
• Prairie CARE/Ontario Land CARE
• Quebec-Labrador Foundation
• Saint Laurent - Vision 2000
• Stewardship Centre
• WetKit

Community Projects

• Fish and Wildlife Habitat Rehabilitation Program - Project Highlights
• Sensitive Habitat Inventory and Mapping
• Treasury Board of Canada, Adopt-A-Stream

Education Projects

DFO Co-sponsored Education Projects:

• The Big Blue Bus!

Other Education Web Sites:

• Harvard University, The Water Habitat Project