Bill C-32 aims to provide a more predictable, stable and transparent fisheries and fish habitat management system where fish harvesters, and others with an interest in the fisheries, can share in the management of this important public resource.Last December, the Government of Canada introduced Bill C-45, a bill to modernize the Fisheries Act. With the prorogation of Parliament on September 14, 2007, Bill C-45 died on the Order Paper.
The Government has received significant input on the bill from fish harvesters, their associations, the fish processing sector, aquaculturists, Aboriginal groups, resource industry, environmental groups and many others.
Broad agreement exists in four key areas. In keeping with the Government’s commitment to engage stakeholders, it amended the bill to:–
# Affirm that the fisheries are a common property resource;
#Require the Minister to first take into account conservation in licencing and allocation decisions and then all other important considerations;
# Remove the authority to allocate fish within a Fisheries Management Agreement; #Remove language that cast doubt over the issue of licence "transfers" by removing wording that cast doubt on the practice..
"Canadians will have further opportunity to discuss this legislation when it is sent to the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans after Second Reading in the House of Commons, and the Government will work collaboratively with the Committee and Canadians to make this the best legislation possible," said Minister Hearn.
