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Sustainable Development Strategy
SDS Departmental Goals: On behalf of the Government of Canada, DFO is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs that support Canada's scientific, ecological, social and economic interests in oceans and fresh waters. As a department committed to sustainable development, DFO works to protect and conserve Canada's aquatic resources, while supporting the development and use of these resources.
Federal SD Goal(s), including GGO goals:
- Sustainable Development and Use of Natural Resources
- Governance for Sustainable Development
- Sustainable Communities
- Climate Change
| Expected Results for 2008-09 | Supporting Performance Measure(s) | Results Achieved for 2008-09 |
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| Aquatic species at risk are protected or on the way to recovery | DFO will receive recommendations from stakeholders and a response proposed to the Minister of Environment will follow | DFO provided listing recommendations to the Minister of the Environment for 10 aquatic species. Final listing decisions were made by Governor in Council to list eight aquatic species, to re-classify one species and to refer one species back to COSEWIC in March 2009. |
| Completion of recovery strategies that are in development by Recovery Teams. | One recovery strategy was finalized and posted on the SARA Public Registry, following the 60 day public comment period. | |
| Marine activities are proactively managed and the health of Canada's oceans is preserved in collaboration with stakeholders | Number of committees established federally and in each LOMA | Integrated management processes have been established in 5 large areas in each of our three oceans. These bring together government regulators, industry, communities and Aboriginal Canadians to develop plans for the sustainable use of our oceans. This work is complemented by the Government's $61.5 million Health of the Oceans agenda which invests in science, marine protection and pollution prevention.
In 2008-09, DFO launched the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area to engage Canadians on our West Coast in the development of an integrated management plan for the Pacific North Coast. |
| Number of sectors represented on committees | Oceans governance mechanisms including representatives from all key sectors and regulators are now in place in all of our regions, in four of our five LOMAs and nationally. | |
| Integrated Management Plans in place for all LOMAs | Significant progress has also been made on the development of integrated management plans for the Beaufort Sea Integrated Management Area and the Placentia Bay/Grand Banks Large Oceans Management Area. Implementation planning is underway for the integrated management plan development for the Eastern Scotia Shelf. | |
| Creation of at least three new MPAs | This planning has also been supported by specific conservation measures including the establishment of Canada's 7th Marine Protected Area (under the Oceans Act) - the Bowie Seamount on Canada's West Coast.
In addition, as part of the Health of the Oceans initiative, DFO has launched consultations throughout the country to engage Canadians in identifying the next candidates for designation as Marine Protected Areas under the Oceans Act. Work was also launched in cooperation with the provinces to design, by 2012, a national system of networks of Marine Protected Areas. |
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| Efficacy in ensuring an effective response to minimize adverse impacts of marine pollution incidents in Canadian waters is enhanced | Development of a National Environmental Response Strategy | The National Environmental Response Strategy remains a work in progress. CCG has begun an internal review of the draft Strategy and is planning to conduct broader discussions with partners to continue the update of the Strategy. Progress was made in a couple of key areas in 2008-09; competency profiles and a training strategy for Environmental Response management were completed. A senior managers training course was also developed. |
| Percentage of ship-source spills where Canadian Coast Guard acted as Federal Monitoring Officer, On-Scene Commander and Resource Agency vs. total number of reported ship-source spills | CCG acted as Federal Monitoring Officer, On-Scene Commander and Resource Agency for 100% of reported ship-source spills. | |
| A new aquaculture governance regime is developed | Number of federal/provincial/territorial implementation agreements signed
* Since this measure was identified, policy direction has changed and the above implementation instruments are no longer valid. |
Following the Budget announcement of $70 million in few funding for the Sustainable Aquaculture Program, a new governance regime has been implemented. The internal framework consists of the Departmental Aquaculture Management and Operations Committees and an ad hoc industry liaison committee. Coordination across provinces and territories with the Government is enhanced by the federal Interdepartmental Committee on Aquaculture and the Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers Task Group. |
| A new fisheries management governance model is developed to meet the needs of an evolving industry, recognizing principles of sustainable development, as well as the precautionary approach and ecosystem approach | Percentage of conservation frameworks that incorporate the precautionary and ecosystem approach | "Conservation frameworks" has been interpreted to mean the sum of the conservation elements in the management framework for individual stocks, which were examined with the Fishery Checklist in 2008: 27.8% (27 of 109 stocks) of major stocks surveyed in 2008 incorporate key elements of the precautionary and ecosystem approaches in their management frameworks. |
| Number of fisheries with self-rationalization programs | Self adjustment and/or rationalization programs have been successfully introduced in all four Atlantic regions to various degrees in lobster, shrimp, crab, herring and various groundfish fisheries. | |
| Completed national co-management policy framework | As a result of the Larocque decision, the Department has adopted an alternative approach to working with industry and is currently developing a policy for collaborative arrangements. | |
| Number of roundtables, task groups and summits that address specific fisheries issues |
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| Number of fisheries with stable sharing arrangements | Data for this performance measure is currently being collected. Results will be updated as soon as the information becomes available. | |
| Number of disputes regarding access and allocation that are settled | This performance measure is currently being modified. A draft concept paper has been developed. It is a proposed access and allocation policy to be used to ensure transparent mechanisms are in place when changes to sharing arrangements are requested. | |
| Number of education programs and communication and inter-governmental initiatives | Sustainable Seafood Outreach Strategy:
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| Number of partnerships and negotiated enforceable management measures; number of major case investigations | Increased emphasis on compliance promotion through education and shared stewardship. Approximately 100,000 Fishery Officer hours were dedicated to this activity (35 percent increase from 2007 and 75 percent increase from 2004). Maintained effort on major case/special investigations to deal with large scale illegal activities and complex investigations (approximately 160,000 Fishery Officer hours). The Conservation and Protection program currently has approximately 55 formal collaborative arrangements with other government departments and other partners and this involvement of third parties is increasing. There has been a steady rise in use of ticketing as an alternative to prosecution for minor offences (1338 tickets in 2008 compared to 740 in 2005). Program has also expanded the use of alternative measures such as restorative justice. |
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| Establishment of administrative sanctioning regime | Administrative sanctions and ticketing were part of the proposed amendments put forward for parliamentary consideration of a renewed Fisheries Act. | |
| Expanded ticketing system | ||
| Strengthened collaboration with Aboriginal groups, contributing to sustainable Aboriginal communities | Evaluation of trainee performance by the service provider | 87 in-class courses were taken by 45 Fish Harvesters with a 91% success rate. |
| Development and implementation of software, regional partnership funds, and contribution agreements with participating First Nations | 14 Contribution Agreements executed to implement the Fisheries Management System software. | |
| Number of Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy contribution agreements | One hundred and thirty nine Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy contribution agreements. | |
| Number of groups with signed contribution agreement | There are approximately 200 groups with signed contribution agreements. | |
| Number of short-term Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management capacity-building contribution agreements | Eight short-term AAROM capacity-building contribution agreements. | |
| Number of multi-year Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management collaborative management agreements | Twenty-three multi-year AAROM collaborative management agreements. | |
| Number of groups who have made the transition from capacity-building to collaborative management | One group has made the transition from capacity building to collaborative management. | |
| Environmental impacts are taken into consideration in DFO's policies, plans and programs through the integration of a Strategic Environmental Assessment approach | Ten percent increase in number of participants who have completed Strategic Environmental Assessment training and awareness sessions | In 2008, there was more than a 20% increase in the number of DFO participants in Strategic Environmental Assessment training and awareness sessions and activities. |
| Improved awareness of environmental compliance responsibilities by employees who have completed the training modules | Development of one additional environmental compliance awareness course module | Additional environmental awareness modules and training resources added to the Office of Environmental Coordination website. Delivery methods for specific training are being assessed. |
| A Canadian Coast Guard that better understands the environmental impact of its business and directs the operation and development of all assets in accordance with a set of industry-leading standards and regulations | Completion of condition surveys of all high-risk assets as per the Vessel Condition Survey Plan and the shore-side Asset Condition Survey Plan | Surveys of our six highest priority vessels were completed. The intent was to continue the vessel-survey program as a standard practice within CCG, with about 20% of the fleet's vessels being surveyed, to some degree, each year. Instead a new approach has been adopted which consists of conducting Vessel Condition Assessments for all vessels during 2009-10, and, based on the results of the assessments, implementing a Vessel Condition Continuous Survey Program in the following year. A program to assess the condition of shore-side assets was initiated in 2007-08 and as part of its ongoing work, CCG continued to conduct surveys and implement mitigation strategies for any risks or issues found unacceptable. |
| Implementation of the system to measure health, safety and environmental performance and a basis to track improvements | A decision was taken to have one Departmental Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Program. As part of the implementation of an inclusive safety management system, Corporate OHS is researching all best practices of all sectors and regions, including the CCG. Discussions began with Departmental OHS to determine what application a CCG pilot system in Pacific Region may have nationally. | |
| EMP objectives and targets assigned for storage tanks and halocarbons
Operating procedures and training programs will be delivered as EMPs are implemented Ongoing participation in the FSCAP program for site assessments, remediation and risk management to address contaminated sites. |
Number of Environmental Management Plan (EMP) objectives and targets assigned | Completed drafting and consultations on the National Storage Tank EMP. Development of additional national EMPs will follow formal approval of Storage Tank EMP. |
| Development and distribution of standard operating procedures to applicable DFO staff | Developed and distributed operating procedures for storage tanks. | |
| Development of training programs related to each EMP | Developed and delivered National storage tank awareness training at multiple locations. | |
| Number of site assessments undertaken each year under the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan | Performed assessment activities at 778 sites. | |
| Number of contaminated sites funded under Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan for remediation or risk management | Remediation and/or risk management activities were performed at 164 sites. | |
| Vehicle gas emissions and maintenance costs are reduced by proper vehicle utilization | Comparing gas emissions output for vehicles | Continued to control and monitor the purchase of vehicles, balancing equipment needs versus environmental sustainability (including programs when available that encourage purchasing vehicles that consume less fuel, alternative fuels, or both). Explored different approaches to purchase hybrid or duel fuel where applicable such as Leadership Vehicle Rebate Initiative; potential funding when available. 180 vehicles were purchased in different regions and 7 vehicles were hybrid at a cost of $256,995. Continued to form part of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy working group to improve vehicle fleet management, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants and to meet legislation and policy objectives. |