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Stewardship - Working with Canadians to safeguard our marine and freshwater legacy

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Canada’s Marine and Freshwater Heritage

Canada’s oceans, inland waterways, and their resources have played an important role in our history, identity and culture. While they continue to provide great social, economic and environmental benefits, there is a growing realization that they are vulnerable and must be protected, and managed, for the benefit of present and future generations.

What is Stewardship?

Stewardship is about the millions of Canadians who make conscious decisions to act responsibly toward our environment. It’s about Canadians – including landowners, industry, governments, Aboriginal organizations, local communities, voluntary groups, and individual citizens – acting alone or in partnership, to care for our land, air and water.

We are all dependent on the quality of our water, air, and soil. Whether we are motivated out of concern for our health, for our personal enjoyment, for sound business reasons, or for our environment, we all need to work together to ensure that the life-support systems of our communities remain healthy.

What You Can Do

All Canadians are responsible for our water resources, and public opinion shows that Canadians want to be more engaged in maintaining healthy, safe, and productive waters. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) works with many partners to further involve Canadians in stewardship activities from coast to coast to coast. The Department leads and participates in various national initiatives including:

Salmonid Enhancement Program

The Salmonid Enhancement Program provides seed money to volunteers and community organizations to carry out salmon habitat protection, restoration and enhancement projects. About 10,000 volunteers operate approximately 300 projects. The program also supports educational activities in British Columbia and Yukon schools through Salmonids in the Classroom.

Canada’s Oceans Strategy

Canada’s Oceans Strategy promotes stewardship and public awareness. Through the Strategy, DFO will continue to develop and promote national initiatives in these areas.

Canada’s Stewardship Agenda

Canada’s Stewardship Agenda proposes a national vision and operating principles for stewardship. It provides DFO with a key mechanism to strengthen and build partnerships with other federal, provincial and local government agencies, Aboriginal communities, industry and non-governmental organizations.

Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (CCGA)

The CCGA consists of some 5,000 members who volunteer their time and vessels to assist fellow mariners in distress. These volunteers are often the first to arrive on the scene of a distress call and are credited with saving an average of 200 lives annually. The CCGA has been providing Search and Rescue services and safe-boating education programs to Canadians since 1978.

Canadian Biodiversity Strategy

The Canadian Biodiversity Strategy promotes the conservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use of Canada’s biological resources. Partnerships involving governments, non-government conservation organizations and the private sector, as well as individual and community stewardship initiatives are essential to achieving the goals of the Strategy.

Habitat Management Program

DFO’s Habitat Management Program (HMP) encourages community involvement in stewardship. Working with industry, non-governmental organizations and other government agencies, DFO supports action at individual, corporate and community levels through the HMP by producing a variety of information resources for use by the public, media, and particularly schools.

Oceans Day

World Oceans Day (June 8th) is a time to remember the life-sustaining role of our oceans worldwide. Every year DFO works with various organizations to coordinate events across the country to celebrate World Oceans Day, and to educate and impress upon Canadians their own individual responsibility for caring for our oceans and coasts.

Species at Risk Act

The Species at Risk Act (SARA) aims to protect wildlife at risk from becoming extinct or lost from the wild, with the ultimate objective of helping their numbers to recover. The Act covers wildlife species listed as being at risk nationally, and their critical habitats. Experience in the areas of wildlife and habitat conservation has shown that stewardship initiatives can be very effective. The Act fosters and encourages voluntary actions through initiatives such as the Habitat Stewardship Program.

Stewardship Canada Portal

The Stewardship Canada Web Portal provides a point of access to a virtual, growing community of information, knowledge, contacts and resources specifically related to stewardship.

The Water Wizards

The Water Wizards is a club that engages youth ages 8-15 in oceans issues and encourages them to get involved in oceans conservation by fostering a sense of community, personal responsibility, and stewardship toward our oceans.

Contact your regional DFO office to learn about stewardship initiatives taking place in your area.