Compliance and enforcement policy for habitat and pollution provisions of Fisheries Act: chapter 2

Guiding Principles

The following general principles govern application of the habitat protection and pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act:

• Compliance with the habitat protection and pollution prevention provisions and their accompanying regulations is mandatory.
• Compliance will be encouraged through communication with parties affected by the habitat protection and pollution prevention provisions.
• Enforcement personnel will administer the provisions and regulations in a manner that is fair, predictable, and consistent. Rules, sanctions and processes securely founded in law will be used.
• Enforcement personnel will administer the provisions and accompanying regulations with an emphasis on preventing harm to fish, fish habitat or human use of fish caused by physical alteration of fish habitat or pollution of waters frequented by fish. Priority for action to deal with suspected violations will be guided by:
  • the degree of harm to fish, fish habitat or human use of fish caused by physical alteration of habitat or pollution of waters frequented by fish, or the risk of that harm; and/or
  • whether or not the alleged offence is a repeat occurrence.
• Enforcement personnel will take action consistent with thisCompliance and Enforcement Policy.
• The public will be encouraged to report suspected violations of the habitat protection and pollution prevention provisions of theFisheries Act.