Question Period Note: At-Sea Observers Harassment

At-Sea Observers Harassment

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) takes the issue of harassment of at-sea observers very seriously, and will not tolerate such behaviour.

Canada’s National At-Sea Observer Program places designated, private-sector observers aboard fishing vessels to collect valuable fisheries data and monitor compliance with fishing regulations and licence conditions.

As a regulator, the Department has been clear to observer corporations and industry that they must address issues of harassment.

Observers who have experienced harassment are encouraged to report these instances to their employer, to their local Conservation & Protection detachment, and to local police.

At-sea observers who feel they are being harassed are encouraged to report any instances to their employer, as well as their local police.

• Under the Fishery (General) Regulations, the department designates observer companies and individual observers, however the Fisheries Act and Regulations do not cover sexual harassment and assaults and DFO does not have a mandate in this regard.
• DFO takes the issue of harassment of at-sea observers very seriously, and follows up on every reported instance. Any cases of criminal harassment are reported directly to local police for further investigation. DFO does not and will not tolerate harassment of at-sea observers. Every worker has the right to a safe and healthy workplace.
• Over the last two years, DFO has held annual face-to-face meetings to discuss how the At-Sea Observer Program can be improved, for the benefit of the industry and the conservation of the fisheries resources. Most recently, these discussions have included how best to report and handle instances of harassment.
• As a result of these meetings, harassment reporting and response have been prioritized as part of the renewal of DFO’s suite of policies related to the At-Sea Observer program. A policy renewal is expected to be implemented later this year.
• In further support of the program, the Department implemented a National Verification Strategy to internally audit the observer corporations (At-sea and Dockside), identify compliance issues and effect program improvements.
• The Canadian ASOP originated in the 1970’s as part of an obligation of NAFO, and expanded into the Canadian Industry shortly after.
• Originally the ASOP was funded by the Canadian government, with all observers being government employees. This model gradually changed and in 2013, the ASOP became fully funded by industry.
• The ASOP is a condition of licence for many fisheries, with coverage rates ranging from 3-100 per cent. At-Sea Observers deploy to vessels for anywhere from 1 day to 45 days.
• The At-sea observer program data is used by DFO Science to support the provision of in-season science advice, and contributes to understanding mortality levels for non-retained animals (e.g. SARA listed species, moratorium species, sub-legal sized animals). This data is also critical for active management in some fisheries (e.g. in-season advice on spatial or temporal fishery closures).
• DFO provides oversight to the ASOP in the form of policy documents that outline the ASO companies roles and responsibilities; but the companies remain independent private sector companies that deliver a service to the fishing industry; to which they are responsible for their daily operations and employee wellbeing.
• 9 private-sector companies currently have a national designation to deliver the at sea observer program.
• As private-sector companies they have the responsibility to ensure a safe working environment for their employees. DFO supports these companies when and where it has the mandate and legislative authority to do so.
• While DFO is exploring additional policy and regulatory means to further address issues of harassment of at-sea observers [Information was severed in accordance with the Access to Information Act.], we have also initiated work to develop an anti-harassment training and awareness campaign for the sector. We expect to issue and Request For Information in the coming weeks seeking qualified training suppliers who can work with DFO to develop this campaign.

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