Overview

The Fisheries Management Directorate, Central and Arctic Region, conducts programs to conserve and manage fishery resources in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Nunavut, Yukon North Slope and territorial marine waters primarily in conjunction with legislated co-management boards established under land claim settlements. Other programs are conducted, with functional direction and resources provided by Science, to protect fish habitat in the NWT and Nunavut, and to provide some stock assessment services in the NWT.

The Fisheries Management Directorate also contains the Region's Policy and Economics functions. Policy and Economics' role is to provide staff with the policy infrastructure and associated information needed to achieve the Department's vision and mission, in Canada and abroad, in a timely and cost effective manner. For the fishery, the principal services include:

• policy and economic analysis
• fishery development coordination and
• harvest statistics co-ordination

The Fisheries Management Directorate's partners and clients include: the Fisheries Joint Management Committee, the Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board, the Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, the Sahtu Renewable Resources Board, and other boards and organizations established under land claims agreements; the Great Slave Lake Advisory Committee (GSLAC), and other fishery management advisory committees; fishers, the fishing industry, and commercial and recreational fishery organizations; hunters and trappers organizations; industrial and other developers and industry associations; aboriginal organizations; federal/provincial/territorial government departments; local governments and community organizations; international governments and organizations; conservation groups; and the general public.

The Directorate's arctic fishery management and Conservation & Protection programs are delivered primarily through the Directorate's Nunavut Area and NWT Area offices with support from the Fisheries Management Secretariat and the Director, Conservation & Protection, and legislation. The programs
are delivered through staff in Burlington, Inuvik, Iqaluit, Hay River, Rankin Inlet, Winnipeg and Yellowknife.

The Directorate is establishing Conservation and Protection programs in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta in support of the fish habitat management program. Locations for program delivery are being identified.