The protection of fish habitat in rivers and streams

Petition: 505

Issue(s):  Biological diversity; Compliance and enforcement; Federal-provincial relations; Human/environmental health; Water

Petitioner(s): A Canadian resident

Petitioner location(s): Nanoose Bay, British Columbia

Date received: 3 May 2024

Status: Completed—Response(s) to petition received

Summary: The petition highlights concerns about the lack of specificity in conservation regulations, particularly those regarding the conservation of fish and fish habitat in rivers and streams. The petition explains that riparian areas are transition zones between terrestrial and aquatic environments and that they maintain the water quality of rivers, streams, and lakes. It states that the Englishman River watershed on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, is home to multiple aquatic species, including all 5 species of Pacific salmon. The petition claims that most of the watershed is now privately owned by logging companies, highlighting an absence of provisions within British Columbia’s Private Managed Forest Land Act for establishing no-harvest riparian zones along rivers. The petition suggests that logging practices and the lack of a riparian zone have led to the erosion of riverbanks thereby affecting spawning salmon in migration.

The petition asks whether Fisheries and Oceans Canada can provide clearer regulations for fish and fish habitat within the Fisheries Act. The petition calls for drafting and enforcing regulations to safeguard fish in all Canadian fish-bearing streams. Additionally, the petition requests the definition of “ecologically significant areas” as referenced in section 35(2) of the Fisheries Act and the inclusion of “stormwater sediment” as a deleterious substance in sections 34(2)c and 36(3) of the Fisheries Act. Finally, the petition requests the establishment of national standards for riparian no-harvest zones that prohibit logging or development.

Federal departments/organizations responsible for reply: Environment and Climate Change Canada; Fisheries and Oceans Canada