Jobs
This bill aims to establish programs and projects, mainly in rural areas, coastal communities and Indigenous communities, to promote the making and selling of pinniped products, which could create jobs in those communities.
C-251
Conservation of Fish Stocks and Management of Pinnipeds Act
Details
- Full Title
- An Act respecting the development of a federal framework on the conservation of fish stocks and management of pinnipeds
- First Reading
- February 9, 2022, Parliament 44, Session 1
- Type
- Private Member’s Bill
- Full Content
- https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-251
Summary
Bill C-251, also known as the Conservation of Fish Stocks and Management of Pinnipeds Act, aims to address the impact of pinniped populations (seals, sea lions, and walruses) on fish stocks and marine ecosystems in Canada. The bill requires the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to develop a federal framework for the conservation of fish stocks and the management of pinnipeds. This framework will be developed in consultation with provincial governments, Indigenous governing bodies, and other stakeholders.
The proposed framework will include measures to promote the conservation and protection of marine ecosystems by addressing the harms caused by pinniped overpopulation. It mandates yearly pinniped censuses and seeks to regulate the management and control of pinniped populations to establish acceptable levels. These levels will be determined based on historical data and levels of similar species in other northern hemisphere countries where fish biomasses are maintained at commercially viable levels.
Furthermore, the framework encourages the use of anti-predator mechanisms around fishing facilities and spawning areas. It also promotes year-round control of pinnipeds when population levels exceed acceptable limits. The bill also seeks to address trade barriers on seal products to boost sales by local businesses. It also aims to create programs and projects, especially in rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities, to promote the production and sale of pinniped products.
The Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is required to prepare a report outlining the federal framework within one year of the Act coming into force and table it in Parliament. The report will also be published on the Department of Fisheries and Oceans website. Additionally, the Minister must prepare an annual report on the effectiveness of the federal framework, including conclusions and recommendations, and table it in Parliament each year.
Issues
Economy
Environment
Environmental Protection
The bill aims to promote the conservation and protection of marine ecosystems by managing pinniped populations and mitigating the detrimental effect these marine mammals are having on the environment.