Fisheries and Oceans Canada Departmental Performance Report for the period ending March 31, 2008

Awards and Recognition Internal to DFO

104 recipients from across Canada received DFO's Prix d'Excellence for their exceptional contributions to achieving DFO objectives during 2007.

The Deputy Minister awarded 8 Deputy Minister Commendations in 2007 to DFO employees in recognition of their significant acts of devotion to duty or bravery that contributed to the betterment and well-being of society.

Approximately 369 employees received Distinction Awards for their outstanding achievements and contributions in furthering the objectives of the Department or the public service.

The Canadian Coast Guard honoured 7 employees in 2007 with the Governor General's Canadian Coast Guard Exemplary Service Medal or a Bar to the Medal.

DFO honoured 1 employee in 2007 with the Peace Officer Exemplary Service Medal.

Over 715 DFO employees were recognized for their long service with the federal government: 203 for 15 years of service, 393 for 25 years of service and 119 for 35 years of service.

More than 422 employees were recognized by their supervisor with an Immediate Award.

Awards and Recognition from Outside Organizations

CCG Rescue Specialist Coordinators — Outstanding Search and Rescue Achievement Award

On October 20, 2007, the NSS Outstanding Search and Rescue Achievement Award went to the Canadian Coast Guard Rescue Specialist Coordinators Working Group. The award was presented in Victoria, B.C., to Dave Griffiths, Mark Gagnon, Sarah Hughes, Stephen Harrie, Claude Demers, Terry Crofton and Bob Ayres. The Canadian Coast Guard Rescue Specialist Coordinators Working Group's unwavering commitment to service delivery resulted in the implementation of the Canadian Coast Guard Rescue Specialist Program. Credit must be given to the Group for their choice to partner with St. John's Ambulance to develop training tailored specifically to the maritime search and rescue environment. Within the Rescue Specialist Program, medical care has progressed from basic First Aid to enhanced skill sets such as casualty management. Rescue Specialists now have the ability to perform advanced levels of emergency medical care in addition to their mariner duties and standard search and rescue skills training.

Bert Ionson — Communications Distinction Award for Media Spokesperson of the Year 2007

On November 13, 2007, Mr. Ionson was presented with a special gift in recognition of his long-term dedication and excellence as a DFO spokesperson. He has acted as Pacific Region's spokesperson on a salmon-related issue for several years. He consistently conveyed the Department's messages on salmon in clear, simple and accurate language to media, and always made himself available to respond to media calls. His work had a significant and positive impact on Pacific Region's relations and public awareness activities.

Dr. Ken Denman — Wooster Award

In October 2007, Dr. Ken Denman, research scientist at the Institute of Ocean Sciences (IOS) in Pacific Region, was awarded the Wooster Award for 2007. He has built a biological oceanographic program at IOS over many years with a focus on how oceanographic and environmental factors affect plankton, which supports fish populations. He is an internationally respected scientist who helped establish links between physical and biological processes in the upper ocean. He was recently lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Cyril Bannister and Glen Marshall — Real Property Institute of Canada, Group Award - Best Practices

Cyril Bannister and Glen Marshall, both from the Newfoundland and Labrador Region, received the Group Award - Best Practices from the Real Property Institute of Canada (RPIC) for their project An Alternative Approach to Energy Requirements at Staffed Remote Lightstations. The project provides an example of a sustainable best practice in the application of alternative energy technologies at remote DFO properties. The award was presented at the National RPIC Meeting in Ottawa on November 15, 2007.

Diana Trager — The Public Service Award of Excellence for Innovation

Ms. Diana Trager received a Public Service Award of Excellence for her accomplishments as the Regional Resource Manager for the Groundfish Management Unit in the Pacific Region. Her commitment to excellence led to the development of a new international standard in fisheries management. She was recognized under the Innovation Category for her exceptional work on the Groundfish Integrated Pilot Program.

DFO/CCG Recognized for Excellence in Service to the People of Ontario

Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS) won for its Levels of Service initiative, which establishes service targets, aims to balance client priorities and expectations, and matches these with sufficient resources. Ontario Great Lakes Area Habitat won for its work and partnership in the Toronto Waterfront Aquatic Habitat Restoration Strategy. The Canadian Coast Guard was honoured for continuing improvements and work on the safety system aboard the small-vessel fleet.

John Butler — Knight of the Order of Maritime Merit by the Government of the Republic of France

John Butler, Assistant Commissioner of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre (NWAFC) in Newfoundland and Labrador Region, was named a Knight of the Order of Maritime Merit by the Government of the Republic of France. He received this honour in recognition of his ongoing cooperation with Saint-Pierre et Miquelon on matters of marine safety and ocean pollution.

Carl Snow and Chris Fitzgerald — Prime Minister's Certificate

Carl Snow, MCTS Officer, and Chris Fitzgerald, SAR Co-ordinator, both of the Canadian Coast Guard Base in Newfoundland and Labrador Region, were presented by the Right Honourable Stephen Harper with the Prime Minister's Certificate on December 1, 2008.

The award recognizes the professional response of the captain and crew of the vessel Nautical Legacy, as well as those individuals directly involved with the successful rescue.

Dr. Savithri Narayanan — Fellow of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society

Dr. Savithri (Savi) Narayanan, Dominion Hydrographer and Director-General of Ocean Science and the Canadian Hydrographic Service, was made a Fellow of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society. This honour recognizes her exceptional long service and outstanding contributions to the scientific, professional, educational, forecasting or broadcasting fields in atmospheric or ocean sciences in Canada and international ocean science programs.

Dave Austin — The Bryan Scallion Regional Habitat Protection Award 2007

DFO Gulf Region has awarded the first Bryan Scallion Regional Habitat Protection Award to Dave Austin, a Fishery Officer in the Gulf Nova Scotia area. The presentation ceremony took place on September 21, 2007, at the Gulf Fisheries Centre in Moncton, New Brunswick. This award will be presented annually to a DFO Gulf Region Fishery Officer who demonstrates exceptional conduct in active or proactive enforcement of habitat protection. The award was created in 2006 in memory of Fishery Officer Bryan Scallion, who died unexpectedly in 2003.

2007 Recreational Fisheries Awards

In May 2007, the Recreational Fisheries Awards ceremony took place on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa. The Recreational Fisheries Awards, in place since 1989, honour individuals and organizations for their contribution to the conservation, restoration and enhancement of Canada's recreational fisheries and their habitat. The Honourable Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, presented this year's recipients with their awards, recognizing their hard work and dedication in promoting conservation and sustainable recreational fishing.

Dr. John Cooley — The C.D. "Buzz" Besadny Award for Fostering Great Lakes Partnerships - Great Lakes Fishery Commission

Retired Regional Director of Science, Central and Arctic Region, Dr. John Cooley, received the C.D. "Buzz" Besadny Award for his career-long contributions to Great Lakes science and management, for his work in building bi-national partnerships and for his support for the Partnership in Ecosystem Management Program.

Dr. Bill Crawford — Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society - Prize in Applied Oceanography

Dr. Bill Crawford, Research Scientist, Ocean Sciences Division, Institute of Ocean Sciences, in Sidney, B.C., was awarded the Prize in Applied Oceanography. This prize recognizes his important contributions, through a synthesis of basic and applied research, to improving tide tables and our knowledge of Pacific coastal and open ocean circulation and dispersal processes. Of the numerous applications of his work, his thoughtful contributions to discussions of the fate of potential oil spills in the Queen Charlotte Basin and his leadership in the preparation of the annual state of the Pacific report have been particularly valuable.

Dr. Bill Crawford — Vice-President of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society

Dr. Bill Crawford, Research Scientist, Ocean Sciences Division, Institute of Ocean Sciences, in Sidney, B.C., was awarded the position of Vice-President of Canadian Meteorological Oceanographic Society (CMOS). CMOS advances meteorology and oceanography in Canada and acts as a meeting point for a community of more than 1100 members and subscribers, including students, corporations, institutions, the private sector and government.

Dr. Yvan Simard and Mr. Yves Samson — Federal Partnerships in Technology Transfer Award

A DFO team from Maurice Lamontagne Institute received the Federal Partnerships in Technology Transfer (FPTT) Award for success in technology transfer from a federal laboratory to the private sector. A research and development collaboration between research scientists Yvan Simard and Yves Samson of the Maurice Lamontagne Institute in Mont-Joli, Quebec, the academic sector (Université du Québec at Rimouski) and industry (Multi-Électronique, Inc. of Rimouski) resulted in the successful commercial launch of AURAL (Autonomous Underwater Recorder for Acoustic Listening). AURAL is an autonomous system for recording high-fidelity acoustic data to collect sounds in the ocean for long intervals on frequency bands selected by the user. The product launched in 2005, and in the first two years, sales exceeded the initial investment tenfold.

Bedford Institute of Oceanography — Federal Partnerships in Technology Transfer Award

Also receiving the FPTT Award was a joint team from the Canadian Hydrographic Service (CHS), a division of DFO Science, and the Earth Sciences Sector of Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). Gerard Costello and Michael Lamplugh of CHS, working in collaboration with NRCan at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, in Dartmouth, developed, transferred and commercialized multibeam seafloor imaging applications. The software has numerous applications, notably in the fishing industry, where multibeam imaging is a powerful tool for conservation and seafloor management.

DFO Science Contributors to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change — Nobel Peace Prize Award

The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize was recently awarded to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and former U.S. Vice-President Al Gore. DFO scientists Allyn Clarke and Igor Yashayaev, from the Maritimes Region, along with Ken Denman, Jim Christian, Humfrey Melling, Howard Freeland and Robie Macdonald, from Pacific Region, contributed to the assessment of the scientific aspects of the climate system and climate change. In addition, DFO scientists Jim Reist and Ken Minns, from Central and Arctic Region, contributed to Working Group II's assessment of the vulnerabilities of socio-economic and natural systems to climate change, negative and positive consequences of climate change, and options for adapting to it. The IPCC acknowledges that the award is a testament to the dedication and commitment of thousands of experts and participants who have produced its rigorous and comprehensive assessments of climate change research.

 

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