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Stewardship Brochure
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.