Update, 29 July 2014: The Regulations Establishing Conditions for Making Regulations Under Subsection 36(5.2) of the Fisheries Act were brought into force and published in April, 2014.
Since 2012, the Canadian government has systematically gutted its laws protecting fish. First, it amended the federal Fisheries Act, dramatically weakening protection of fish and fish habitat.
Then, it lifted the moratorium on fish farms in BC, opening the door to a massive expansion of aquaculture.
Now, it wants to pass regulations that would allow the Environment and Fisheries Ministers to permit fish farms and industry to pollute our waters, harming fish with impunity.
These regulations would let the Ministers:
- Give blanket authorization to fish farms to dump drugs, pesticides and other pollutants into wild fish habitat;
- Allow other industries to dump pesticides in fisheries waters; and
- Shirk their regulatory oversight of pollutants, offloading responsibility onto provincial governments or relying on non-binding guidelines and policy documents, instead of laws, to protect fish.
You can read the full text of the regulations and the Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement here.
We submitted comments to the government during the public comment period. While that public comment period has closed, Cabinet will always hear your voice if you make it loud enough, and if you add it to the chorus of other voices opposed to weakening laws that protect fish.
Add your voice to ours and tell the Canadian government to protect our wild fish and not pass these risky regulations. You can write your own letter, or use the comment template we’ve provided below and we’ll send it for you.
If you would like to send your own letter, please address it to:
Peter Ferguson
Manager
Legislation and Regulatory Affairs
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Mail Station 14S020
200 Kent Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E6
Fax: 613-993-5204
Email: ER-RH@dfo-mpo.gc.ca