About Us

This page will provide you with information about the programs and activities that are carried out in this region.

The Central and Arctic Region is by far the largest geographically and includes:

• 71 percent of Canada's coastline
• 67 percent of the country's fresh waters
• 65 percent of Canada's marine waters
• 64 percent of Canada's area
• 55 percent of Canada's population

As a result the Region is home to the majority of pleasure boaters and recreational fishers. The Region also supports a significant proportion of commercial shipping. The Great Lakes, in addition to being a key commercial and recreational waterway, represent the water supply for over 30 million people in Canada and the United States.

Arctic Research

The mandate of the Arctic Research Division is to provide information to support the management of arctic fisheries resources and fish habitat to the DFO and its Land Claims co-managers. Successful co-management and conservation of the arctic fisheries resources (including more than 300 stocks of fish and more than 50 stocks of marine mammals) depends on obtaining, analyzing and sharing biological knowledge of the animals and the ecological processes that affect them. Increasingly, the Division meets its responsibilities through partnership projects with co-management boards. One of the Division's goals is to expand and further develop such joint projects.

Canadian Coast Guard

The Canadian Coast Guard, Central and Arctic Region, is responsible for the delivery of marine programs such as: Marine Communications and Traffic Services (MCTS), Search and Rescue (SAR), Office of Boating Safety (OBS), Environmental Response, Aids to Navigation, Navigable Waters Protection, and Ice Breaking Operations.

Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS)

The CHS office for the Central and Arctic Region conducts hydrographic surveys and produces the official nautical charts and publications for the major navigable waters in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut. The CHS also produces water levels tables, sailing directions and other products in the Central and Arctic Region.

Environmental Science

The Environmental Science Division at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba carries out process research on problems such as acid rain, climate change, toxic chemicals, contaminants, and the ecological impacts of physical disruptions on fish habitat. One of the major sites of experiments and long-term monitoring is the Experimental Lakes Area in northwestern Ontario.

Fisheries Management

Fisheries Management in the Central and Arctic Region conducts programs to conserve and manage fishery resources for sustainable use in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. In areas where land claims are settled, fisheries are co-managed with legislated co-management boards. Activities include: Integrated Fisheries Management Planning, Conservation, Education and Enforcement.

Great Lakes Research

The Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (GLLFAS) is a research division of the Central and Arctic Region. GLLFAS staff and projects are loosely organized into four groups, tackling complementary and overlapping topics: Fish Habitat, Food Web Dynamics, Fisheries Production and Ecotoxicology.

Habitat Management

Fish Habitat Management programs are those activities, legislative responsibilities and policies administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada for the purpose of conserving, restoring and developing the productive capacity of habitats for the fisheries resources.

Issues

This page provides information on the current issues affecting the Central and Arctic Region.

Oceans Programs

The vision of the Oceans Programs group is to ensure healthy, safe and prosperous oceans for the benefit of current and future generations of Canadians. To support this vision four immediate goals have been identified:

• Develop a collaborative, integrated approach to oceans management;
• Expand working partnerships among oceans stakeholders and increase their responsibility and accountability;
• Optimize the economic potential of our oceans while ensuring their conservation and sustainability; and
• Position Canada as a world leader in oceans management.

Policy

The Policy Sector, through its five headquarters directorates and six regional Policy offices, provides support for the Minister and the department.

Regional Library

The Central and Arctic Regional library at the Freshwater Institute in Winnipeg, Manitoba focuses on the full spectrum of literature covering freshwater and Arctic waters fisheries, ecology, and wildlife management. It is an important resource for DFO staff, other government departmental staff, students and consultants.

Research Facilities

Scientific research facilities of the Central and Arctic Region include the Freshwater Institute (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Bayfield Institute (Burlington, Ontario), Sea Lamprey Control Centre (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario), Experimental Lakes Area (northwestern Ontario), Resolute Bay Laboratories (Resolute, Nunavut).

Science

The Science Directorate in the Central and Arctic Region provides high quality and timely new knowledge, products and scientific advice on Canadian aquatic ecosystems through scientific excellence. In the Central and Arctic Region the five Divisions of the Science Directorate are: Arctic Research, Canadian Hydrographic Service, Environmental Science, the Great Lakes Laboratory for Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences and the Sea Lamprey Control Program.

Sea Lamprey Control Program

Staff at the Sea Lamprey Control Centre in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario are responsible for keeping sea lamprey populations in the Great Lakes basin at a minimum. These primitive fish attach themselves to the bodies of native fish and feed on the fish's body fluids. This often leads to the death of the native fish. Through the Sea Lamprey Control Program and Great Lakes Fishery commission, DFO works with partners in the United States to reduce the population levels of sea lamprey in the Great Lakes.