Question Period Note: Federal Aquaculture Act Mandate Commitment

• The Government is moving forward in developing Canada’s first-ever Aquaculture Act, as stated in my mandate letter.
• The proposed Act would provide more clarity and certainty for the sector, while respecting existing jurisdictions. It would also foster a nationally consistent legislative framework, taking into account regional differences, and enable the sustainable management of aquaculture.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s latest round of online engagement on the Act closed in February 2021. Targeted, virtual engagement sessions were held with key partners throughout the fall and winter.
• We are committed to ongoing partnership and dialogue with Indigenous peoples, which will be essential to the successful development and implementation of the Act.

If pressed:
• We will keep Canadians, and our stakeholders, informed as work on the Act progresses. Tabling in Parliament will follow the completion of engagement, Cabinet consideration and drafting of legislation.

• Your mandate letter includes a commitment to begin work to introduce Canada’s first-ever Aquaculture Act.
• This builds upon the December 2018 announcement from the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers who provided their support for federal aquaculture legislation of “limited scope that respects federal, provincial, and territorial jurisdictions, and provides greater clarity to the sector.”
• The Department led two rounds of preliminary engagement to identify priority issues for an Aquaculture Act in 2017-18, and in 2019, 23 engagement sessions as well as online consultation took place.
• Officials had previously proposed to build on this work with an additional round of targeted in-person engagement in the spring of 2020, however in light of COVID-19 this engagement was delayed until August 2020.
• The latest round of engagement was launched on August 17, 2020, anchored by a discussion paper and a “What We Heard” report summarizing engagement to date. In addition, the Department organized targeted, virtual engagement sessions with key partners in the fall and winter of 2020, including provinces/territories, stakeholders, and environmental non-governmental organizations.
• Indigenous engagement is at early stages and the Department has held preliminary virtual sessions with Indigenous partners across the country. The Department is also working with the First Nations Fisheries Council to co-develop an approach and tools to engage First Nations communities in British Columbia, and co-lead policy discussions to inform the development of the Aquaculture Act so it can reflect First Nations views and interests. Similar work is under way with the Assembly of First Nations to develop an approach for the rest of Canada.

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