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Fish Habitat Management Policies and Legislation Standard Operating Policies Practitioners Guide to the Risk Management Framework for DFO Habitat Management Staff
1.0 Preface
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PDF VersionThis document provides broad guidance to Habitat Management practitioners (Practitioners) within the Habitat Management Program (HMP) of Fisheries and Oceans Canada on applying a risk management approach to decision-making under the habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act.
The Risk Management Framework is a structured approach to decisionmaking using a common set of tools. Some of these tools are new, such as the Pathways of Effects, and will require further refinement as they are tested and evaluated by Practitioners. Other elements, such as regional habitat classification schemes which identify fish and fish habitat sensitivities, have been in existence for some time in different regions of Canada. Regional examples are referred to throughout the document to encourage information-sharing and the application of successful approaches across regions.
The application of a risk-based approach supports a strategic shift in management efforts so more energy can be directed towards such things as monitoring and integrated resource planning. It is essential that habitat protection is linked closely with meeting fisheries management objectives in the areas where development is proposed. This will require close collaboration with provincial, territorial and aboriginal fisheries managers to ensure these objectives are met. It also identifies the need to establish such objectives where they do not currently exist.
The information contained in this document was collected and presented during extensive consultations with Practitioners and external stakeholders across Canada throughout 2004 and 2005. As the tools that make up the Risk Management Framework evolve, continued consultation and open communication will be crucial to ensuring the effectiveness of the framework. We invite your feedback: please refer any comments on this and other guides to your regional representative on the national Habitat Protection and Sustainable Development Sub-Committee.
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