Fish habitat is everyone's business, Canada's fish habitat management programme

The conservation and protection of fish habitat in support of Canada's coastal and inland fisheries is the mandate of Canada's Fish Habitat Management Programme. The programme's objective of a net gain of the productive capacity of habitat is achieved by a variety of actions that protect fish habitat but allow works and undertakings in and around water. Some of the core activities include a review of works and proposals for adherence to the requirements of the Fisheries Act, the issuance of letters of mitigation advice, and authorisation and enforcement activities for compliance with legislation and policies. The programme is enhanced through working with partners in community outreach activities, the generation of mitigation guidelines and fact sheets, as well as compliance monitoring and assessment. This paper presents an overview of the Canadian Fish Habitat Management Programme and focuses on how an expanded programme is being managed within the Province of Ontario. Habitat managers’ tools used to protect the resource are detailed. In 1997, an expanded programme for habitat management was initiated. Subsequently, there has been greater emphasis on advice to clients, agency partnerships and public education. Focussing on redesign and relocation of projects and mitigation of harmful effects has likely resulted in the reduction of the number of authorisations for habitat destruction in this period, despite an overall increase in project referrals for review. Once the Habitat Management Programme is fully implemented across Canada, it will be possible, through monitoring and review, to assess whether there is a greater achievement of no net loss of the productive capacity of habitat and potentially a net gain. This programme of habitat protection and conservation could serve as a model for other jurisdictions.