Question Period Note: Permitting Projects under the Fisheries Act

• My Department is working with other federal departments and agencies to take action so that decisions on major projects and projects of national interest are made within two years.
• We are committed to accelerating decision making and improving regulatory efficiency. My Department will address this by streamlining requirements, providing more timely reviews, and applying risk-based approaches.
• My Department is supporting these efforts while continuing to protect fish and fish habitat, and respecting the constitutionally-protected rights of Indigenous Peoples.

• Fisheries and Oceans Canada administers and ensures compliance with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act and relevant provisions under the Species at Risk Act for development projects taking place in and around fish habitat. The Department is responsible for meeting the duty to consult, and when appropriate, accommodate, in relation to potential impacts on Aboriginal and Treaty rights related to authorizations or permits that may be issued under the Fisheries Act or the Species at Risk Act.
• The Building Canada Act (BCA) was passed in June 2025, and a new Major Projects Office was created in August 2025. Through the BCA, the Government will get projects of national interest built by focusing on a small number of executable projects and shifting the focus of federal reviews from “whether” to build these projects to “how” to best advance them. The Department is working with the Privy Council Office and other federal departments and agencies to support the BCA’s implementation.
• On September 5, 2025, DFO published its Red Tape Review Progress Report, in response to the Government’s 60-day call for all ministers to review regulations in their portfolios and propose actions and measures to eliminate red tape—including removing outdated regulations, reducing duplication with provincial rules, and making it easier to access and deliver services. In the report, the Department committed to taking actions to:
• Complete reviews of all National Interest projects within two years;
• Implement simplified approaches to low-risk and routine projects; and
• Streamline the approach to higher-risk and major projects.
These actions will result in the provision of timely project advice, implementation of risk-based approaches, and an increased level of service to proponents through changes to policies, guidance, digital delivery, and regulations.

If pressed on how DFO will work with the new Major Projects Office
• My Department will work closely with the Major Projects Office to help advance projects of national interest.
• It will contribute expert advice informed by the best available scientific information, fisheries management objectives, cumulative effects, and Indigenous knowledge, when available.