Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat.

This document provides policy objectives, goals and strategies for the management of fish habitats supporting Canada's freshwater and marine fisheries. The policy applies to those habitats directly or indirectly supporting those fish stocks or populations that sustain commercial, recreational or Native fishing activities of benefit to Canadians. The document states that fish habitats constitute healthy production systems for the nation's fisheries and, when the habitats are functioning well, Canada's fish stocks will continue to produce economic and social benefits throughout the country. In a broader sense, this policy will contribute directly to the management of human use of the biosphere, so that it may yield the greatest environmentally sustainable economic benefit to mankind.
Under the federal Fisheries Act, "fish habitats" are defined as those parts of the environment on which fish depend, directly or indirectly, in order to carry out their life processes. The Act also defines "fish" to include all the life stages of fish, shellfish, crustaceans, marine animals and marine plants. Accordingly, pursuant to the Act, this policy will apply to all projects and activities, large and small, in or near the water, that could alter, disrupt or destroy fish habitats, by chemical, physical or biological means, thereby potentially undermining the economic, employment and other benefits that flow from Canada's fisheries resources.
The first goal to be attained is the net gain of habitat for Canada's fisheries resources: to increase the natural productive capacity of habitats for the nation's fisheries resources, to benefit present and future generations of Canadians. The no net loss principle is fundamental to the habitat conservation goal. Under this principle, the Department will strive to balance unavoidable habitat losses with habitat replacement on a project-by-project basis so that further reductions to Canada's fisheries resources due to habitat loss or damage may be prevented. The principle applies to proposed works and undertakings and it will not be applied retroactively to approved or completed projects. In addition to its application to physical disruptions, the principle will apply to proposed industrial and municipal liquid waste discharges that could degrade water quality and the productive capacity of fish habitats.
The second goal is fish habitat restoration: to rehabilitate the productive capacity of fish habitats in selected areas where economic or social benefits can be achieved through the fisheries resource. This will complement the preventive approach provided for in the conservation goal and will contribute to the achievement of net gain of habitat for the nation's fisheries resources. The biological components and chemical quality of water will be restored and physically disrupted habitats will be repaired, as described in the implementation strategy on habitat improvement.
The third goal is fish habitat development: to improve and create fish habitats in selected areas where the production of fisheries resources can be increased for the social or economic benefit of Canadians.
To attain the goals above-mentioned, the following implementation strategies are outlined: 1) Protection and compliance; 2) Integrated Resources Planning; 3) Research; 4) Public Consultation; 5) Public Information and Education; 6) Cooperative Action; 7) Improvement; 8) Monitoring.