Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the federal lead for safeguarding Canadian waters and managing Canada’s fisheries, oceans, and freshwater resources. DFO recently released two interim codes of practice:
- The end-of-pipe fish protection screens for small water intakes in freshwater interim code of practice. This code of practice provides national guidance on the design, installation, and maintenance of small end-of-pipe water intake fish screens to prevent entrainment and impingement of fish.
- Routine maintenance dredging interim code of practice. This code of practice outlines national best practices for routine maintenance dredging.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is currently working with the DFO to ensure that municipalities have the information and support needed to undertake emergency and routine works under the revised Fisheries Act. FCM has also called on the federal government to simplify the process for municipalities to undertake certain routine works that pose a low risk to fish and fish habitat. DFO has informed FCM that three additional interim codes of practice will be released in July: temporary watercourse crossing, removal of beaver dams, and culvert maintenance.
While these are only interim measures, DFO has stated that proponents who meet the interim guidance will not need to apply for a review. RMA will be sharing these codes of practice with members when available.
If your municipality is looking for assistance navigating the revised Fisheries Act, please contact DFO. If you have feedback on the interim codes of practice or suggestions for other types of projects that should be included, please contact Sara Jane O’Neill at sjoneill@fcm.ca.
For enquiries, please contact:
Alex Mochid
Policy Advisor
alex@RMAlberta.com
Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com