Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
Name	Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans
Formation	1867
Jurisdiction	Parliament of Canada
Headquarters	Ottawa

Contents

Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans

The Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans is a legislative body of the Parliament of Canada tasked with matters related to Canada’s marine and freshwater resources, engaging with entities such as the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada), the Canadian Coast Guard, and regional authorities like the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Minister. The committee examines legislation, conducts studies, and provides recommendations to influence policies tied to the Fisheries Act, the Oceans Act, and international instruments including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Members represent multiple parties within the House of Commons of Canada and liaise with provincial and territorial bodies such as the Government of British Columbia, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the Government of Nova Scotia.

Mandate and Jurisdiction

The committee’s mandate flows from the Standing Orders of the House of Commons of Canada and covers federal agencies like the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency when fisheries matters intersect, and crown corporations including the Canadian Coast Guard. Its purview includes statutes such as the Fisheries Act, the Oceans Act, and provisions of the Species at Risk Act as they relate to aquatic species, and it addresses international frameworks like the Convention on Biological Diversity and the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission. Inquiries often touch on programs administered by regional institutions such as the Atlantic Policy Congress affiliates, and on interactions with Indigenous organizations like the Assembly of First Nations and the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami.

Originating during the early sessions of the Parliament of Canada after Confederation, the committee evolved alongside federal legislation including the early revisions to the Fisheries Act and the passage of the Oceans Act (Canada). Over decades its remit expanded in response to crises such as the Cod Moratorium, 1992 and conservation efforts linked to the Sustainable Development Strategy initiatives that engaged entities like the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. The committee’s historical record intersects with significant actors including ministers from the Liberal Party of Canada, the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada, and the Conservative Party of Canada, and it has responded to events like the Exxon Valdez oil spill and engagements with bodies such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization on maritime cooperation.

Membership comprises Members of Parliament drawn from recognized parties in the House of Commons of Canada, appointed by party whips and approved through the Board of Internal Economy. The chair, deputy chairs, and subcommittee chairs often represent multiple regions including British Columbia, Quebec, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and the Yukon. The committee operates with procedural inputs from the Speaker of the House of Commons and administrative support from the Library of Parliament and the Parliamentary Budget Officer when cost estimates are required. It may establish subcommittees modeled after practices in other bodies like the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

Workstreams include studies on stock assessments presented by scientists from institutions such as the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Branch, researchers from the University of British Columbia, and collaborators at the Dalhousie University and the Memorial University of Newfoundland. The committee examines regulatory proposals tied to the Fisheries Act and engages with international cooperation via the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas and regional management organizations such as the North Pacific Fisheries Commission. It undertakes travel to regions impacted by policy — including ports in Halifax, St. John's, Vancouver, and Arctic communities represented by organizations like the Inuit Circumpolar Council — and holds hearings with stakeholders such as the United Fishermen and Allied Workers' Union, the Canadian Seafood Processors Association, and environmental NGOs like Nature Conservancy of Canada.

The committee produces reports that influence amendments to statutes including the Fisheries Act and shape policy instruments linked to the Oceans Act and the Species at Risk Act. Its reports have informed cabinet decisions by ministers from portfolios such as the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and have been cited in proceedings before tribunals like the Canadian International Trade Tribunal when fishery allocations intersect with trade disputes involving parties from the United States and the European Union. Findings have prompted budgetary allocations debated in the Treasury Board of Canada and have shaped agreements with provinces such as Newfoundland and Labrador and international arrangements with entities like the Commission for Environmental Cooperation.

The committee exercises oversight through summons of officials from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada), senior officers of the Canadian Coast Guard, and scientists from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada Science Branch, and it engages stakeholders including Indigenous governments such as the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and industry associations like the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union. It convenes panels with academic experts from institutions such as the University of Toronto and Simon Fraser University and collaborates with international organizations including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development on cross-border issues. Public testimony sessions have included representatives from provincial ministries such as the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and municipal ports governed by authorities like the Halifax Port Authority.

Category:Parliamentary committees of Canada