OTTAWA – The Green Party of Canada condemns new Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) regulations that will effectively undermine the federal government’s ability to protect Canadian waters from toxic pollution.
The DFO’s new “Regulations Establishing Conditions for Making Regulations under Subsection 36(5.2) of the Fisheries Act” were enacted on April 23.
These new regulations give the Department unprecedented powers to “permit deposits of deleterious substances” into fish habitats, in situations where the water is already controlled under provincial or other federal authorities.
“These regulatory changes are yet another nail in the coffin for Canada’s fisheries and aquatic ecosystems,” said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada and Member of Parliament for Saanich–Gulf Islands. “By removing this important level of federal oversight, the DFO is opening the door to pollution in our waters and irreparable damage to fish and their habitats.”
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Contact:
Nicholas Gall
Communications Coordinator
Green Party of Canada
(613) 614 4916
nicholas.gall@greenparty.ca