In 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada rendered the Marshall decisions, which affirmed that the 34 Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqey Nations in New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and the Gaspé region of Quebec have a treaty right to fish, hunt, and gather in pursuit of a moderate livelihood. This right stems from the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1760 and 1761. In 2017, the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik was also identified as a Nation implicated by the Marshall decisions.
Nature is a key part of Canada’s national identity. The health of our aquatic environment and the wildlife within it supports our culture, well-being and the economy in Newfoundland and Labrador and across Canada. Yet some of the species that find their home in the waters, rivers, lakes, estuaries, and marshes throughout Newfoundland and Labrador are at risk and need help to survive. We must continue to take action to protect them.
The Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), on behalf of the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, will hold a press conference to announce major funding to protect aquatic species at risk.
In support of the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation, and at the request of the Prince Edward Island (PEI) Abegweit First Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is renaming the small craft harbour at Savage Harbour, PEI.
With the longest coastline in the world, Canada’s coastal communities rely on the fish and seafood industry as an integral contributor to local and regional economies. This is why the Government of Canada and the Province of New Brunswick is pleased to announce funding support to Atlantique Nord Innovation Inc. in Shippagan for a project benefiting seafood processing through the Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF).
Zebra Mussels are an aquatic invasive species that reproduce very quickly, cause negative ecological impacts, deteriorate infrastructure, and negatively impact the economy. Since being introduced into the Laurentian Great Lakes region in the 1980s, Zebra Mussels have spread to southern Ontario, south and central Manitoba, southern Québec and New Brunswick, and are a growing threat.
Chilcotin Region, British Columbia – On July 30, a significant landslide occurred in the lower Chilcotin River, a major tributary to the Fraser River, and severely disrupted the river habitat, blocking upstream migration of adult Chinook and Sockeye salmon, and degrading water quality.
