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CANADIAN WATERS | ![]() |
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![]() The Library![]() The Courthouse!Judge Jellyfish would like to welcome you to the Courthouse, where the mission is to serve and protect Canadian waters. Cruise through our legal library and learn how law and order is kept in the underwater world.
What is the Fisheries Act?The Fisheries Act is one of the oldest statutes in Canada; it was passed in 1868, just one year after Confederation. It is one of the strongest pieces of environmental legislation in Canada. The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is in charge of protecting and conserving fish and fish habitat. The Fisheries Actallows the Minister to stop any activities which risk or endanger fish. The Minister can enforce strict penalties to those who do not obey the law. Protecting fish and their homesThe section of the Fisheries Act that protects fish and their habitat is Section 35. Section 35 says:
A "work or undertaking" is a project or activity that can be big or small. Sometimes a poorly planned small project harms fish or their habitat as much as a big project.
Big Projects that could harm fish and their habitat
Small Projects that could harm fish and their habitat
"Harmful alteration, disruption, or destruction of habitat" is how the Department of Fisheries and Oceans describes activities that are unhealthy for fish or their habitat. Follow this link to see a list of Activities That Are Unhealthy for fish and their habitats. Section 35 applies to all Canadian freshwater and marine waters. These include rivers, streams, ditches, lakes, estuaries, salt marshes, coastal waters and marine offshore areas. This section of the law also covers shorelines and riverbanks and areas that are not underwater such as floodplains. Fish Habitat Biologists and the LawBiologists that work for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans can stop or change projects that could harm fish and the places they live. Occasionally, when habitat damage cannot be avoided, the Fisheries Act allows Biologists that work for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to give permits allowing projects to go ahead, but this depends on the type of project and type of fish habitat being affected. The Fisheries Act helps protect fish and is a tool for preventing harm. Healthy water and healthy fish benefit all Canadians. The Oceans ActThe Oceans Act is one of Canada's youngest pieces of environmental legislation. It was passed in January 1997 to ensure that Canada's oceans and their resources are cared for. The Oceans Act provides Fisheries and Oceans Canada with the tools it needs to develop a national strategy that will ensure safe, healthy and productive oceans for both present and future generations. Under the Oceans Act, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada may establish Marine Protected Areas, Integrated Management Plans, and Marine Environmental Quality Objectives.
What are Marine Protected Areas?Marine Protected Areas, also called MPA's are special areas in the ocean that need to be protected. MPA's may be created to do one or more of the following…
What are Integrated Management Plans?Integrated Management involves working together with coastal communities, environmental organizations, aboriginal groups, governments and others to find the best way to manage a particular area. Together these partners create Integrated Management plans that balance the conservation, sustainable use and economic development of the area. What are Marine Environmental Quality Objectives?Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ) Objectives are created in order to protect the marine environment from harm. DFO managers of Integrated Management and Marine Protected Area Plans work with scientists and others to determine what objectives will best help protect certain areas in the ocean. These objectives could include keeping sewage concentration below a certain level or keeping the concentration of nutrients below a certain level. MEQ objectives help us to monitor the health of our oceans. National Marine Conservation AreasCanada has over 243,000 km of coastline along three oceans and another 9,500 km of shoreline along the Great Lakes. The ecosystems in these areas are varied, productive - and precious. We have a responsibility to protect examples of this marine and freshwater heritage for today and tomorrow. Parks Canada is responsible for setting up a national system of marine protected areas, the National Marine Conservation Areas Program, to represent the full range of marine ecosystems found in Canada's Atlantic, Arctic and Pacific oceans, and the Great Lakes. NMCAs are protected from such activities as ocean dumping, undersea mining, and oil and gas exploration and development. They include zones of high protection as well as zones where activities such as fishing are permitted, with conservation of the ecosystem as the main goal. The NMCA Program is designed to:
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Created: 2001-06-08 Updated: 2005-01-27 Reviewed: 2003-09-03 |