Pacific Region - Acts and Regulations

Key Legislation And Regulations

Fisheries are managed under the authority of the Fisheries Act and the regulations made under the Fisheries Act. Key habitat protection provisions are found in the Act as well as authority for the Department's activities. The Act and regulations are available online here.

Fishery (General) Regulations apply to commercial, recreational and aboriginal communal fishing and related activities across the nation. These regulations cover:

• variation of: close times, fishing quotas and size and weight limits of fish,
• documents and registrations,
• identification of fishing vessels and fishing gear,
• observers,
• assisting persons engaged in the enforcement or administration of the Act
• fishing for experimental, scientific, educational or public display purposes, and
• fishing in waters other than Canadian fisheries waters.

Pacific Fishery Regulations, 1993 contain provisions specific to Pacific Region fisheries. These Regulations apply to commercial fisheries, fishing for Tuna from Canadian vessels on the high seas and the harvesting of marine plants from Canadian fisheries waters outside of the geographical limit of the Province. These Regulations do not apply to recreational fishing, taking fish from an aquaculture site, fishing for marine mammals or fishing from a foreign fishing vessel.

British Columbia Sport Fishing Regulations, 1996 apply to sport fishing in Canadian fisheries waters of the Pacific Ocean and the Province of British Columbia. The Regulations set close times, fishing quotas and size limits for all sport fisheries in B.C. These Regulations do not apply in National Parks. For non-tidal waters (i.e. fresh water), fishers should also refer to Regulations made by the Province of British Columbia under the Wildlife Act.

Yukon Territory Fishery Regulations cover all aspects of fishing in the Yukon Territory including commercial fisheries, sport fisheries and the Inuvialuit Subsistence Fishery. These Regulations do not apply in National Parks.

Aboriginal Communal Fishing Licences Regulations cover the issuance of communal licences to aboriginal organizations. Conditions of licence regulate communcal fishing activities.

Marine Mammal Regulations apply to the management and control of fishing for marine mammals and related activities.

Management of Contaminated Fisheries Regulations authorize the Regional Director-General (RDG) to close any area to fishing for a specific species of fish if the RDG has reason to believe that fish in that area are contaminated.

Pacific Fishery Management Area Regulations describe the surfline and divide the Canadian fisheries waters of the Pacific Ocean into Areas and Subareas. The Areas and Subareas are often referenced when describing fishery openings and closures.

The future direction of fisheries management will be implemented in the context of the new Oceans Act founded on the principles of sustainable development and integrated resource management.