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Community Outreach and Stewardship

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Stewardship

Stewardship of Canadian Waters means that Canadians - including landowners, private companies, voluntary organizations, Aboriginal communities and individual citizens - make conscious decisions every day to act responsibly in conserving, protecting and enhancing Canada's fish habitats and oceans.

DFO's Oceans and Habitat Sector has established a Stewardship Framework that is aligned and supportive of Canada's Stewardship Agenda. The framework provides the principles and key elements for engaging Canadians in the stewardship of Canada's fish habitat and its oceans.

The key elements are:

Public Awareness and Education
Capacity for Action
Recognition
Evaluation and Reporting

Read our stewardship brochure to find out more about DFO's stewardship activities.

Fish Habitat Stewardship

All Canadians are responsible for protecting fish habitat. The Habitat Management Program (HMP) is encouraging community involvement in the development of management plans and stewardship, and in other cooperative arrangements with industry, non-governmental organizations and other government agencies, to raise the level of awareness, understanding and action around the complex relationship between the resource and its supporting habitats.

In addition, an informed public is essential for action in support of the conservation, restoration and development of fish habitat. To support action at the individual, corporate and community levels, the HMP produces a variety of information resources in cooperation with stakeholders for use by the media and the public, particularly in schools.

What is Fish Habitat Stewardship?

Acting responsibly to conserve fish habitat for present and future generations.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a clear, legislative mandate for the protection of fish habitat. The federal Fisheries Act gives the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans the responsibility to protect fish and fish habitat from destructive activities in marine and inland waters. The Fisheries Act is an important regulatory tool for the sound management of Canada's fisheries resources and supporting habitat. Unfortunately, these regulatory measures alone are not enough to conserve fish habitat. Fisheries and Oceans Canada recognizes the importance of using proactive strategies to protect fish habitat. The Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat(1986) provides a sound framework that highlights these different strategies. Engaging and actively involving Canadians in the protection of fish habitat is an important part of the Policy.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is now developing a detailed national action plan for Fish Habitat Stewardship. The Action Plan will ensure that Fisheries and Oceans Canada is directly involved in stewardship activities across Canada and is applying the proactive strategies outlined in the Policy. The Action Plan will also strive to build partnerships with industry, developers, NGO's, governments and community groups to advocate the benefit of protecting fish habitat so they too can contribute to the net gain of this habitat. Examples of fish habitat stewardship that DFO has already established include:

The Habitat Conservation and Stewardship Program in British Columbia and the Yukon,
Cows and Fish program in Alberta,
Habitat improvement technical workshops for community groups in the Maritimes region
The Hamilton Harbour Stewardship Award recognition program in Ontario Great Lakes Area (OGLA).