Question Period Note: Federal Aquaculture Act

Federal Aquaculture Act

Our Government is moving forward in developing Canada’s first-ever Aquaculture Act.

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.

We are committed to ongoing partnership and dialogue with Indigenous peoples, provinces and territories, and stakeholders; this 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.

• The Minister’s mandate letter included a commitment to continue 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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