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A new version of the Fisheries Act threatens to take away Canadians’ right to clean waters and healthy fish, warns environmental justice organization Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. Bill C-45 (the Fisheries Act, 2007) is being rushed through Parliament without proper consultation or deliberation.
The proposed Fisheries Act is a complete overhaul of the old Act. Gone is the rule that says a community will participate in an environmental assessment if fish habitat is to be destroyed. Gone is the rule that ensures at least one-third of every river is always unobstructed. Gone is the rule that says ships can’t sweep coal ashes into our waterways. Gone are the key definitions that prohibited the deposit of deleterious substances into Canadian waters.
The proposed Fisheries Act takes environmental protection away from citizens and independent courts and concentrates power in the Minister’s office. It abandons rule of law in favour of Ministerial discretion, politicking, and lobbying. The Act that once pledged to protect fish now protects corporate interests through grants, loans, and insurance programs. It also offers up a new, softer response to serious environmental crimes by allowing “alternative measures agreements” to replace guilty pleas and criminal records.
Second reading of Bill C-45, the Fisheries Act, 2007 began last Friday.
Contact: Mark Mattson
416.666.8961 or 416.861.1237
More information here