Action on the water!

1. Action on the water! Who deals with all this?

2. Lead agency for the oceans --- Fisheries and Oceans Canada • Working in the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans, and across Canada, to --- • (1) research our living resources • (2) protect our environment • (3) manage our fisheries • (4) maintain maritime safety • (5) foster maritime trade • and ocean development.

3. (1) Researching our living resources Headlines reflect the challenges

4. Research DFO leads in fisheries science -- Tracing migrations Forecasting abundance Innovating in aquaculture Precautionary approach --- BUT ---

5. Research Major challenges remain -- Un-forecasted declines of cod and salmon *** Atlantic shellfish boom - and bust? *** Environmental changes still a puzzle *** Fish counting still imprecise ***

6. Research DFO has a strong research team --- 10 major centres 18 research vessels 1,700 research staff

7. (2) Protecting our environment

8. Environment • Canada possesses: • world’s longest coastline • most fresh water of any country • more lakes than the rest of the world combined • DFO administers: • the Fisheries Act • the Oceans Act • Marine Protected Areas

9. Environment We face an ocean of work --- Land and ocean-based pollution increasing Arctic ice thinning Ocean environment changing in ways unknown Oil, gas, and mineral explorations cause conflicts

10. (3) Managing our fisheries ... … in restless waters.

11. Fisheries - Canada’s oldest industry - 26,000 boats - more than 100,000 people - $1.4 billion landings - 1999 seafood exports -- $3.7 billion Aquaculture - $434 million Recreational fishery - $8 billion Commercial industry helps support over 1,000 communities

12. Fisheries DFO bases management on science ... Enforces conservation ... Guards the 200-mile limit ... Consults with industry ... Allocates the catch ... Working with First Nations… --- BUT ---

13. Fisheries Fish stocks are vulnerable -- Technology outrunning biology Ecological changes Strong competition for limited resources Conflicts complicate management Communications, information often weak Advisory committees sometimes stalemated

14. (4) Maintaining maritime safety ... … against growing challenges

15. Safety With all that water… Who guides the mariners? The Canadian Hydrographic Service Seabed mapping Paper and electronic charts Tide and Current Tables Sailing Directions

16. Safety The Canadian Coast Guard • Icebreaking • Aids to navigation • Vessel traffic control • Radio communication • Distress monitoring

17. Fostering Maritime Trade and Ocean Development

18. Fostering trade and development • Providing hundreds of • Small Craft Harbours • Helping promote fish trade • Handling complex intergovernmental affairs: • pushing for high-seas fisheries protection • promoting fisheries co-operation

19. DFO works on the front lines: About 11,000 staff spread across 6 regions • Major research centres in the East include: • Gulf Fisheries Centre, Moncton • Northwest Atlantic Fisheries • Centre, St. John’s • Bedford Institute of • Oceanography, Halifax • St. Andrews Biological Station • Maurice Lamontagne Institute, • Mont-Joli

20. Welcome to DFO’s Gulf Region Moncton Headquarters

21. The dark green area is administered by the Gulf Region Office Gulf of St. Lawrence Bay of Fundy Atlantic Ocean

22. Although the smallest in size, the Gulf oversees several fisheries of economic importance to the Atlantic Region

23. DFO Gulf Region - Approx. 450 employees - Main Offices : Moncton (HQ) Tracadie-Sheila (Eastern N.B.) Charlottetown (P.E.I.) Antigonish (Gulf Nova Scotia) - 23 field offices

24. Highlights Gulf Region facts… • Shallow water that is rich in nutrients • Largest freshwater input of any inland sea • Warmest waters north of Cape Cod • Most southerly sea ice in northern hemisphere • Constitutes one of the Canada’s most productive marine areas

25. Highlights Gulf Region facts… • Represents less than 1 % of Canada’s exclusive maritime zone • Accounts for approximately 20 % of the total catch of • Canadian fisheries • Over 35 species exploited commercially • Valuable lobster, snow crab, cod, herring, salmon, mussels, • scallop and oyster fisheries • Valuable aquaculture: 63% of Canadian shellfish production • Important recreational fisheries

26. Highlights Gulf Region facts… • Direct relationship with three provinces, three regions and 14 First Nations Communities • A bilingual region; 40% francophone 60% anglophone

27. Highlights The fishing industry is the main employer for most Gulf coastal communities # of harbours 173 # of fishing enterprises 3,610 # licences 28,596 # of fishers 12,234 # of aquaculture sites 1,753 # of plants 145 # of plant workers 9,000 Value of exports $550 M

28. Canada’s Oceans Strategy (COS) • Federal statement of oceans policy based on the Oceans Act (1997) • Promotes ecosystem-based management approach • Based on three core principles: • Sustainable Development • Integrated Management • Precautionary Approach

29. Implementing COS by: • Integrated Management (IM) • Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) • Marine Environmental Quality (MEQ)

30. GULF OF ST LAWRENCEINTEGRATED MANAGEMENT Large Ocean Management Area Identifying ecosystem highlights, significant habitats, threats and conflicts Public Integrated Management and Coastal Management Area workshops

31. Basin Head Area of Interest Status Conserve and enhance the Basin Head ecosystem including the unique form of Irish moss. Expected designation as MPA: 2004

32. Marine Environmental Quality • Indicators required to monitor Integrated Management Plans (IM) Strategy: • Develop tools • Improve knowledge of pollution in sGSL • Collaborations on coastal & estuarine health research

33. Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat • Regulatory • Freshwater and Oceans Planning • Habitat Enhancement • Community Outreach & Stewardship • Scientific Support • Information Management • Program Management

34. Recreational Fisheries • Some rivers of the Gulf Region are among the most important Atlantic salmon rivers in the Maritime Provinces and in the world! • The Miramichi River = approx. 15% of all Atlantic salmon returns in North America.

35. Aquaculture • In the Gulf Region, aquaculture products exceed $30 million each year. • Main species are blue mussels and oysters. • Bay by Bay Management Approach

36. Invasive Marine Organisms • Second only to habitat destruction as a cause of global extinction. • Likely modes of transport: • ballast water, • hull fouling of ships, • trade of live fish, • aquatic vegetation in packaging marine products.

37. Invasive Species • In the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence there are over 30 aquatic invaders • Five Species are expanding: • green crab Carcinus maenas; • clubbed tunicate Styela clava; • oyster thief alga Codium fragile: and • MSX parasite • diatom Pseudo-nitzschia fraudulenta (Domoic acid)

38. Strategy: Prevention and Control • Understanding the distribution of invaders, modes of transport, rates of spread, and their ecology • Studying environmental tolerances, life cycle, predator-prey and competitive relationships with native species, and environmental impacts on native species and habitats. • Inter-agency coordination • Public Education

39. Commercial vesselsGuidelines for ballast water management • Great Lakes since 1989 • All coasts since 2000 • Applies to all vessels entering EEZ • Mandatory reporting to TC • Voluntary management (e.g., ballast water exchange)

40. Marine Oil & Gas Exploration • Regulated by Federal/Provincial Boards • Lease holders are required to undertake an Environmental Assessment (EA) • Developers complain that the regulatory process is too cumbersome

41. Seafood Plant Effluents • 848,000 tonnes landed = 90,000 tonnes product • 148 plants, 201 processing methods •  very large volume of solid/liquid wastes • Effluent Working Groups established with 3 goals: • Improve communications • Establish Best Management Practises guidelines • Pilot Projects on pollution prevention • BMP guidelines now ready; pilots in preparation

42. Environmental Codes of Practice • Aquaculture : Molluscan shellfish • Forestry: best management practices (BMPs) for forest road construction and tree harvesting • Transportation: technical guidelines and fish passage criteria for the construction of stream crossings (Culverts and Bridges) • Wetland Management: international conservation organizations (such as Ducks Unlimited) • Agriculture: agricultural associations improving environmental practices on farms

43. Southern Gulf Research Network • Academia, government, industry, communities • Share information on cooperative research programs • Improves collaboration and understanding

44. Areas of Interest • Oceans Integrated Management • Fish Habitat/Sport Fisheries/Community Based Management • Molluscan Aquaculture Management • Invasive Species Prevention and Control • Ballast Water Management • Marine Oil & Gas Exploration • Fish Plant Effluent • Environmental Codes of Practice

45. For Additional Information Contact Catherine Vardy Science Liaison Officer / Agent de liaison scientifique Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada Gulf Region / Région du Golfe P.O. Box 5030 / C.P. 5030 Moncton, N.B.  E1C 9B6 Tel/tél : (506) 851-3179  Fax/téléc : (506) 851-2387 E-mail / courriel : vardyc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca Or any DFO Office in your Area