Opening Statement to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

Fisheries and Oceans Canada—Canada's Oceans Management Strategy
(Chapter 1 - 2005 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)

22 November 2005

Johanne Gélinas,
Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

Mr. Chairman, thank you for this opportunity to present the results of our audit of Canada 's Oceans Management Strategy. Joining me today is Neil Maxwell, Principal, and Kevin Potter, Director, from our Halifax office.

In this chapter, we concluded that the promise of the Oceans Act has not been fulfilled. Indeed, implementing the Act and the oceans strategy has not been a government priority.

What we examined

Our oceans are an important source of food, transportation, recreation, and natural resources, such as fish and oil and gas. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has estimated that the economic impact of ocean activities is about $23 billion annually.

In 1994, the government recognized that Canada 's oceans policies and practices had been short term, piecemeal, and fragmented. This contributed to over-exploitation of the fisheries and the degrading of the ocean environment.

The 1996 Oceans Act established Canada as the first country with comprehensive oceans-management legislation. The Act's purpose was to conserve and protect our oceans' environment, ecosystems, and resources, while managing those resources in ways that were economically sustainable and environmentally acceptable.

We focussed on Fisheries and Oceans Canada's implementation of the Oceans Act. Specifically, we examined the Department's role in developing and implementing a national oceans strategy, oceans management plans, and marine protected areas.

In addition, we examined the actions taken on oceans commitments made by the government and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. These include commitments made internationally and in response to this Committee's 2001 report on the Oceans Act.

We found a failure to deliver on commitments

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has fallen far short of meeting commitments and targets for implementing key aspects of the Oceans Act.

In 2002, the Department released Canada 's Oceans Strategy, which specified 55 activities to be undertaken by about 20 departments over four years. The results of what the Strategy was to achieve were not well defined, and there has been no consolidated public reporting on what it has achieved.

No oceans management plans have been finalized. These plans were intended to manage ocean industries sustainably and resolve increasing conflicts between ocean resource users in specific areas.

Little progress has been made in establishing marine protected areas under the Oceans Act. Such areas would protect marine habitat and biodiversity. For the areas we examined, it had taken between five and seven years to complete an evaluation. At this rate, it will take many years to put in place a national system of marine protected areas. We are concerned that Canada will not meet its international commitment to establish representative networks of marine protected areas by 2012.

We also found that the Department's reporting to Parliament on Oceans Act responsibilities has been generally poor, although we did note improvements in 2005.

The Department has had many requests to produce state-of-the-oceans reports, including a recommendation from this Committee. Eight years after the Oceans Act came into force, a state-of-the-oceans report, which would provide information on the health of our oceans ecosystems, communities, and industries, has not yet been produced.

Conclusion

Mr. Chairman, in conclusion, the implementation of the 1996 Oceans Act is a story of unfulfilled expectations and commitments. Canada's Oceans Action Plan, released in 2005, comes with new commitments, including some made in response to recommendations in our chapter.

This new action plan raises many interesting questions:

• How does the Department plan to deliver on its new commitments, given the Department's poor record on meeting past commitments?
• What is the status of the 2002 Oceans Strategy, given the new Oceans Action Plan?
• When will the government report on the Strategy's 55 activities?

In our view, the Department should report on the Strategy's results and on results achieved under Phase I of the Oceans Action Plan before Phase II of the Plan is approved and funded. This is scheduled for fall 2006.

Mr. Chairman, this concludes my opening statement. We would be pleased to answer your Committee's questions.