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Home Infocentre Publications Annual Report 2001-2002
4.0 Habitat Enhancement
Fisheries and Oceans Canada seeks to achieve its policy objective of “net
gain” in the productive capacity of fish habitat by supporting conservation
and voluntary organizations as well as others interested in restoring and developing
fish habitat. Examples include rehabilitating streams, eliminating or controlling
exotic species, and removing human-made barriers.
Regional Highlights
Examples of regional activities in habitat enhancement during fiscal year
2001‑2002 are highlighted below. Details are provided in Supporting Documents
available electronically at <http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/canwaters-eauxcan/infocentre/publications/index_e.asp>.
Maritimes
- Coordinated a partnership of governments, industry and community
groups proposing to neutralize the acidity of the Salmon River in Nova Scotia
through the use of calcium kiln dust, a by-product of the cement-making process.
- Partnered
with the Petitcodiac Watershed Monitoring Group and the Sentinelles Petitcodiac
Riverkeepers on the Halls Creek Watershed Rehabilitation
Project in New Brunswick, providing technical advice on removing hazardous
debris, conducting a habitat survey, identifying pollution sources, and
preparing a restoration plan.
- Continued to work with community partners
in the pilot project launched in 1997 to restore and manage the River Denys
watershed on the
Bras d’Or Lakes in Nova Scotia, where activities included habitat
restoration in the upper watershed by a stewards group, water sampling,
habitat mapping and shoreline surveying.
Quebec
- Through its involvement in the SLV 2000 Action Plan, DFO has provided
technical, scientific and financial assistance which has made it possible
to conduct various studies or to take measures to enhance fish habitat.
- Current data regarding the habitats, resources and uses of the Gaspé Bay
were indexed and mapped in order to circulate information among the population
and foster a more sound management of the bay as a whole.
- A follow-up campaign on the Bonaventure barachois focused on precise biophysical
parameters in order to assess environmental modifications due to restoration
measures implemented at the end of the 90s. A report on this subject will
be produced during the winter of 2003.
- In Saguenay, research on locating the principal rainbow smelt spawning
area continued in order to effectively protect this critical habitat. The
results strongly suggest that the next steps carried in 2002 will lead to
achieving the objective of this initiative.
- In the Magdalen Islands, various
activities enabled the characterization and the improvement of the coastal
areas of the lagoons. For example, the
clean-up of the banks of the lagoon of Havre-aux-Basques and Grande-Entrée
and the various steps taken to clean up Petite baie and Baie du Bassin.
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Central and Arctic
- Administered approximately $200K of a fish habitat compensation
fund established as a condition of a subsection 35(2) authorization
issued to BHP Billiton for the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories.
The fund, initially established with $1.5M, is to be used to fund habitat
restoration and enhancement projects in the Northwest Territories,
to offset
habitat losses associated with the diamond project.
- Participated on the Brokenhead River Restoration Committee in
Manitoba and the Bow River Fish Habitat Protection and Enhancement
Project in Alberta. A fisheries enhancement evaluation for the Brokenhead
River
was conducted and the Committee determined the top five priority
sites would be restored in the coming year. Important reaches within the
Bow
River were identified for enhancement.
- Involved in the review of the Oshawa Second Marsh restoration
project proposed in Ontario. This project will result in a net gain
of 5, 530 square metres of fish habitat that will be created by providing
a more direct migration corridor for salmonids to access headwater
spawning
habitats. The new channel will have added habitat features and a
fishway constructed to facilitate access of other fish species.
Pacific
- About 36,000 m2 of riffle/pool and 20,000 m2 of
slough rearing habitat were restored by installing a culvert at Steinhoe
Creek near
Terrace to restore access for salmon for the first time in over 90 years.
CN Rail
paid for all project costs, an estimated $350,000.
- Within the Kamloops City limits, three levels of government, First
Nations, a Community Stewardship Group and private landowners cooperated
to re-plant and fence over six kilometres of river bank on the North
and South Thompson Rivers.
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