Archived – B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program

December 10, 2010

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The B.C. Aquaculture Regulatory Program (BCARP) is a new program within Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that has been developed to manage, administer and regulate activities of cultivation of fish (aquaculture) in B.C. and govern the aquaculture industry on the West Coast, including finfish, shellfish and freshwater operations. 

The federal program will be administered by DFO staff located in various communities on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver.  New fishery officers, with a specific mandate of ensuring compliance with the regulation of the aquaculture industry in B.C., will also be in place.

Three organizational components will be responsible for the majority of the BCARP:  Aquaculture Resource Management; Regulatory Operations; and Conservation and Protection.

Aquaculture Resource Management

DFO staff based in Vancouver and on Vancouver Island will be responsible for:

• Developing operational policies and Integrated Management of Aquaculture Plans (IMAPs),
• Reviewing licences and management plans,
• Liaising with stakeholders, other governments and First Nations, and
• Reporting publicly on the performance of the aquaculture industry.

Regulatory Operations

DFO staff on Vancouver Island will be tasked with:

• Conducting compliance evaluations for fish health and environmental protection,
• Reviewing and analyzing environmental and compliance data, and
• Evaluating the effectiveness of environmental protection.

Conservation and Protection

A Conservation and Protection unit has been created whose primary role is to enforce compliance with the new Pacific Aquaculture Regulations.  DFO fishery officers will:

• Conduct site patrols and inspections, and
• Undertake investigations and enforcement actions.

News Release:

• Government of Canada and Province of British Columbia Sign Agreement on Aquaculture Management

BG-PR-10-002e