Canadian Aquatic Resources Section

Canadian Aquatic Resources Section
Name	Canadian Aquatic Resources Section
Abbreviation	CARS
Formation	20th century
Type	Scientific organization
Location	Canada
Region served	Canada
Membership	Scientists, managers, stakeholders
Leader title	Chair

Canadian Aquatic Resources Section

The Canadian Aquatic Resources Section is a national specialist body addressing freshwater and marine resource assessment, stewardship, and policy implementation across Canada, linking scientific research with provincial, territorial, and federal decision-making. It engages with institutions and agencies to inform management of fisheries, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal zones, and coordinates among stakeholders to support sustainable use and biodiversity conservation. The Section fosters applied science, monitoring, and capacity building through collaborations with universities, Crown corporations, and Indigenous organizations.

History

The Section traces roots to mid-20th century collaborations among institutions such as the Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Parks Canada, the National Research Council (Canada), and provincial ministries including British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry. Early milestones involved joint programs with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority, and research partnerships with universities like the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, and the Université Laval. Significant developments paralleled national initiatives such as the establishment of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act frameworks and international agreements including the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and the Convention on Biological Diversity, prompting expansion into habitat assessment, stock reconstruction, and contaminant monitoring. Over decades, the Section incorporated expertise from organizations including the Royal Ontario Museum, the Vancouver Aquarium, and the Freshwater Institute to address emergent issues like invasive species exemplified by cases involving the zebra mussel and regulatory responses influenced by the Species at Risk Act.

Mission and Objectives

The Section’s mission emphasizes evidence-based stewardship of Canada’s aquatic systems, aligning with mandates from Department of Indigenous Services (Canada) interactions, provincial statutes, and obligations under treaties such as the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. Core objectives include supporting sustainable fisheries management practices informed by stock assessment models used by agencies like ICES and implementing monitoring protocols comparable to those of the United States Geological Survey in transboundary waters. Objectives also prioritize capacity building with institutions including the University of Manitoba, technology transfer similar to innovations from the Pacific Salmon Commission, and integrating Indigenous knowledge from organizations such as the Assembly of First Nations into resource planning consistent with rulings like Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia.

Organizational Structure

The Section functions through technical committees, regional working groups, and a central coordinating secretariat that liaises with bodies including the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat, the Canadian Coast Guard, and provincial laboratories such as the British Columbia Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). Governance includes an elected chair, regional representatives drawn from provinces and territories including Yukon, Nunavut, and Northwest Territories, and thematic leads in fisheries, hydrology, ecology, and socioeconomics who engage with institutions like the Royal Society of Canada. Advisory panels incorporate representatives from Indigenous organizations such as the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, industry stakeholders including the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance, and non-governmental groups like the David Suzuki Foundation.

Research and Programs

Programs encompass population dynamics research, habitat modelling, contaminant surveillance, and restoration trials conducted with partners such as the Canadian Rivers Institute, the Hakai Institute, and the Toronto Zoo’s conservation programs. Research themes include fisheries stock assessment using methods promoted by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, aquatic genomics collaborations with the Michael Smith Laboratories, and climate-change impacts assessed alongside initiatives from the Canadian Climate Institute and the Arctic Council research networks. Long-term monitoring programs emulate frameworks from the Long-Term Ecological Research Network and coordinate with monitoring efforts in the Great Lakes and the Gulf of St. Lawrence.

Conservation and Management Efforts

Conservation actions target recovery of species listed under the Species at Risk Act, habitat protection initiatives in partnership with Nature Conservancy of Canada, and restoration of degraded wetlands in coordination with the North American Wetlands Conservation Council. Management efforts incorporate adaptive harvest strategies used by the Pacific Salmon Commission and enforcement collaborations with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Border Services Agency to address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing linked to international bodies like the Food and Agriculture Organization. The Section also contributes to policy instruments influenced by the Fisheries Act and engages in marine spatial planning consistent with directives from the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Key partnerships include federal agencies such as Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Canadian Coast Guard, academic centers like the University of Victoria, international bodies including ICES and the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission, and Indigenous organizations such as the Makah Tribe (in transboundary contexts) and the Métis National Council. Collaborative projects have linked with NGOs like the WWF-Canada, research consortia such as the Atlantic Fisheries Fund, and industry partners represented by the Canadian Aquaculture Industry Alliance and provincial fishery associations. Funding and logistical support have come from agencies like the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Public Outreach and Education

Outreach includes public seminars held in venues such as the Canadian Museum of Nature and community workshops co-delivered with Indigenous knowledge holders from organizations like Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. Educational initiatives target schools through curricula aligned with provincial ministries, citizen science programs modeled after projects by the David Suzuki Foundation and the Riverkeepers movement, and digital resources developed conjointly with institutions such as the Canadian Encyclopedia and the Royal Ontario Museum. The Section supports training for resource managers via exchanges with the United Nations Environment Programme capacity-building modules and scholarship programs funded by agencies like Canada Foundation for Innovation.

Category:Environmental organizations based in Canada