Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s 2025-26 Departmental plan

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Indicators, results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Results we plan to achieve

DFO will continue to support sustainable, prosperous fisheries. For example. Canada has international and domestic commitments to implement the precautionary approach into its fisheries decision-making framework. In ongoing support of these commitments, starting in 2025-26, DFO will receive renewed funding of $33.5 million over 5 years to continue to implement the Fish Stocks Provisions (s. 6.1-6.3) of the modernized Fisheries Act and will add a new, larger batch of fish stocks to the current list of 30 under the Provisions.

These provisions focus on working with industry and Indigenous groups to manage prescribed major fish stocks at levels necessary to promote environmental and economic sustainability, including the development of rebuilding plans for depleted fish stocks. For example, DFO will work to collaboratively develop a West Coast Vancouver Island Chinook Salmon Rebuilding Plan with West Coast Vancouver Island First Nations, with publication scheduled for 2025-26. DFO also remains committed to implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Framework (SFF), which provides the basis for ensuring that Canadian fisheries support conservation and sustainable use of resources. In 2025, DFO will develop and publish the 2025-26 SFF workplan, which will outline priorities, targets, and timelines regarding the sustainable management of Canada’s marine resources, and will subsequently publish the results achieved.

The Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative (PSSI) guides the efforts of the Department through a strategic and coordinated long-term response to stem the steep decline of many Pacific salmon populations, working collaboratively with British Columbia and Yukon First Nations, harvesters, and external partners. In 2025-26, the final year of the initial 5-year investment, the Department through PSSI will:

• implement the Pacific Salmon Commercial Licence Retirement Program
• continue to coordinate habitat restoration actions with partners
• modernize hatchery programming to support stocks at risk

DFO remains committed to maintaining and restoring Atlantic salmon through management and conservation decisions that reflect the strong connections people have with salmon. In March 2025, the Government of Canada announced Canada’s first-ever conservation strategy to restore and rebuild wild Atlantic salmon populations and their habitats. Development of the strategy was informed by engagements with First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Indigenous organizations, provincial governments, and stakeholders. Four strategic outcomes have been identified to guide the future of Atlantic salmon activities for the next twelve years: supporting healthy, climate-resilient salmon populations; ensuring alignment with Indigenous rights; fostering a vibrant and knowledgeable salmon community; and transparent, well-informed management practices.

In an effort to address regulatory and operational challenges and explore innovative approaches to seize emerging opportunities within the blue economy, the Department will continue the advancement of work within the Blue Economy Regulatory Roadmap. Work in this area will focus on initiatives in areas such as sustainable fishing gear and practices and ocean technology.

In 2025-26, DFO will continue its work on addressing abandoned, lost, or otherwise discarded fishing gear (“ghost gear”), which poses a significant threat to endangered whales and other marine mammals, aquatic species, and marine ecosystems. Information gathered from five years of program activities, including public engagements and internal task groups, will be used to inform the development of gear management regulations and a Canadian Ghost Gear Action Plan. The action plan will be completed by 2027 and will outline regulatory tools, policies, and gear management practices to address ghost gear into the future.

Results we plan to achieve

In 2025, DFO will work with Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, PacifiCan, First Nations, workers, coastal communities, and the Province of British Columbia to finalize the Salmon Aquaculture Transition Plan for British Columbia and will begin regulatory work to implement a ban on open-net pen salmon aquaculture in coastal British Columbia waters by 2029.

Results we plan to achieve

DFO will continue the increasingly urgent work of repairing and maintaining small craft harbours.

The marine environment degrades harbour infrastructure, a process that can be accelerated by the impacts of climate change. In 2025-26, the Department will continue to support improvements in small craft harbours and ensure those investments result in climate-resilient infrastructure that serves the needs of the fishing industry and local residents. DFO will continue to invest the $463.3 million over three years that was received through Budget 2024 to increase repairs and maintenance of small craft harbours, including those damaged by Hurricane Fiona. DFO will continue to ensure that future modifications to small craft harbour assets take into consideration the impacts of climate change by building assets higher and stronger, using more resilient materials, and incorporating innovative and nature-based solutions. For example, the Canadian Extreme Water Level Adaptation Tool is used to provide sea-level rise projections for the coming century that then influence small craft harbour repairs, modifications, and designs.

In addition to maintaining and improving existing harbours, DFO will also invest in the construction of a small craft harbour in Arctic Bay, Nunavut. This five-year project (2025-26 to 2029-30) will build essential infrastructure such as a breakwater, fixed wharf, and float wharves. This investment will provide new opportunities for employment and economic activity, particularly benefiting Northerners working in commercial fisheries, tourism, construction, and marine engineering sectors.

Results we plan to achieve

DFO will update fishery officer training and equipment to better meet evolving priorities in an increasingly complex and challenging domestic fisheries landscape. This includes updating specialized skills to promote compliance in areas of strategic importance to Canada, such as habitat protection for species at risk, species/catch traceability, and protecting whales and other marine mammals. DFO will also update training and equipment to enhance fishery officer safety and security in conducting enforcement operations in high-risk areas and activities.

Canada will continue to work with international partners to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing – recognizing that this global issue can directly impact Canada by endangering fish stocks that are important to our own fisheries and by increasing competition within the same global fish and seafood markets. For example, DFO will continue to serve as chair of the IUU Fishing Action Alliance, a partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom to deliver robust enforcement and surveillance operations in both the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic. The Department will also continue to play a lead role in safeguarding Canadian fish stocks and upholding international rules on the high seas through multilateral enforcement operations such as the annual Operation North Pacific Guard mission.

As part of Canada’s engagement at Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs), DFO will continue to work to advance Canadian priorities to support the Canadian fishing industry, sustainable ocean management, healthy aquatic ecosystems, and efforts to curb IUU fishing. In 2025-26, the Department will:

• support the adoption of strengthened measures related to bycatch species, particularly sharks, including advocating for measures to improve provisions to strengthen the ban on shark finning, improving safe handling and release requirements, and implementing stronger mitigation techniques
• continue to make progress on the adoption of strengthened marine pollution measures at RFMOs, including prohibitions on the abandonment and discard of fishing gear and other pollutants, and encourage their effective disposal
• contribute to ongoing work to refine protections for vulnerable marine ecosystems in the northwest Atlantic and revise international guidelines for the conservation of Atlantic salmon habitat
• support work to ensure that RFMOs, of which Canada is a member, are evaluating the impacts of climate change on fisheries and considering this information in their management decisions

In 2025-26, DFO will also continue its work under the Shared Ocean Fund, investing in projects that enhance governance, enforcement, and partnerships, and by continuing to facilitate the use of our Dark Vessel Detection platform.

Results we plan to achieve

DFO will continue to conduct research to address emerging questions and deliver quality science to support effective decision-making concerning our oceans and aquatic ecosystems. In 2025-26, DFO will continue to improve its understanding of seal and sea lion populations and their potential impacts on fish stocks, including through its funding to Indigenous groups, industry, and academia to learn more about the role seals and sea lions play in our aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, research will continue into the vulnerability of snow crab and American lobster to climate change in the Gulf of St. Lawrence as well as work to integrate environmental indicators into future stock assessments.

DFO will prioritize science and research to study the impacts of climate change on fisheries, ecosystems, and coastal infrastructure. This research will provide both decision makers and Canadians with information that can help them to plan and adapt to a changing climate.

Results we plan to achieve

In 2025-26, the Department will continue to advance the objectives of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in line with commitments identified in Canada’s United Nations Declaration Action Plan (2023-2028). Key measures led by DFO relate strongly to supporting self-determination, self-government, the recognition of treaties, participation in decision-making, and the strengthening of Indigenous institutions, as well as other areas of rights. Highlights for 2025-26 include:

• supporting capacity-building initiatives that strengthen Indigenous participation in fishery and aquatic resource management
• supporting collaborative fisheries governance, advancing Indigenous-led marine conservation, and advancing shared conservation goals
• advancing approaches for the negotiation and finalization of fisheries and conservation-related agreements that are better aligned with the UN Declaration and the principles of self-determination
• further developing tools and approaches to support greater departmental consistency with the principles of the UN Declaration, including policy guidance and educational materials

DFO remains firmly committed to a renewed relationship with Indigenous Peoples based on the recognition of rights, respect, collaboration, and partnership. The recognition and implementation of Aboriginal and treaty rights, including the right to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood, is an ongoing and incremental process. In 2025-26, DFO will work in partnership with the 35 Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, and Peskotomuhkati Indigenous communities in the Maritimes and the Gaspé region of Québec to implement a renewed approach to continue to support their right to fish in pursuit of a moderate livelihood. This renewed approach includes increased funding under the Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative’s Community-based Access Acquisition component to support communities in acquiring additional commercial fishing licences, vessels, and gear through transactions on the open market. In addition, the Treaty Related Measures program will be extended to continue to support First Nations’ internal and collaborative fisheries management and governance capacity and to continue to support ongoing discussions at negotiation tables related to establishing or renewing longer-term collaborative fisheries management arrangements or agreements. This renewed approach will support increased Indigenous participation in the fisheries and in decision-making processes and will bring more predictability, stability, safety, and sustainability to fisheries activities for the benefit of all Canadians.

With respect to Pacific salmon and other fisheries, reconciliation and collaborative governance are essential to the effort to restore populations and create sustainable fisheries. An example of the Department’s work in this area is the Incremental Reconciliation Agreement for Fisheries Resources recently announced by the Government of Canada and the Ahousaht, Ehattesaht/Chinekint, Hesquiaht, Mowachaht/Muchalaht, and Tla-o-qui-aht Nations. This two-year incremental fisheries reconciliation agreement provides the framework for an effective and collaborative approach to governance, management, and planning of the five Nations' fisheries resources, and commits to collaboratively draft a new mandate that will enable negotiations toward a long-term agreement. It provides funding to the five Nations for implementation, capacity building, and to acquire commercial fishing access while continuing ongoing operational funding to Ha’oom Fisheries Society, which supports catch monitoring and oversight of the Nations’ fisheries.

Working with Indigenous Peoples as they continue to build their capacity to monitor fisheries is key to providing dependable, timely, and accessible information for sustainable fisheries management. The new Indigenous Fisheries Monitoring Fund, which is open to applications until December 31, 2028, will support the participation of Indigenous Peoples, communities, and groups in implementing the Fisheries Monitoring Policy, as well as their continued capacity building to develop, lead, and participate in fisheries monitoring and catch reporting activities for federally-managed fish stocks.

The Department will continue to implement the Action Plan for the Renewal and Expansion of DFO’s Indigenous Programs through ongoing co-development, co-design, and co-delivery with Indigenous organizations and communities. The Action Plan outlines the Department’s multi-year strategy to respond to the recommendations of the Indigenous Program Review to strengthen DFO’s commercial and collaborative Indigenous programs and bring them into greater alignment with Indigenous definitions of success. This long-term action plan has evolved over the years, with improvements that have and will continue to be made to strengthen program administration, support capacity development, and increase collaboration with Indigenous partners.

DFO will continue to champion the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge and participation of Indigenous representatives at meetings of the Central Arctic Ocean Fisheries Agreement and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization, including in the development of a conservation and management measure respecting exploratory fishing in the central Arctic Ocean. DFO will launch a publicly available web-based portal to highlight research and monitoring pertaining to Canada’s aquatic ecosystems that bridge multiple knowledge systems to amplify collaborative research, foster awareness of diverse approaches to research, and strengthen partnerships. In addition, the recently launched Indigenous Fishery Monitoring Fund will support projects that enable the sharing of best practices, fishery monitoring data, and, as appropriate, Indigenous knowledge to inform better decision-making for sustainable fisheries.

As part of efforts to improve local food security, the Department is working with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and Inuit organizations to develop policies for the processing and sale of traditional foods in the Arctic. As a part of this initiative, we will work closely with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Inuit Treaty Organizations to understand local food systems and current regulations while helping build the capacity of Inuit organizations to take an active role in this process. The goals of this initiative are to identify and remove barriers to accessing country foods, create joint solutions that meet the needs of federal and Inuit partners, and ultimately ensure communities have access to nutritious, locally sourced foods to alleviate food insecurity.

Finally, in 2025-26, DFO will perform an evaluation of the Indigenous commercial fisheries programs.

The Department will continue to use gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) to understand who is impacted by the issues or opportunities being addressed by the Department’s initiatives, identify how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted, and anticipate and mitigate any barriers to accessing or benefitting from this initiative. In 2025-26, the Department will complete an evaluation of all programming under the Ecosystems and Oceans Contribution Framework with a specific focus on GBA Plus.

More information on DFO’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

DFO will continue to protect endangered whales, including the North Atlantic right whale, the St. Lawrence Estuary beluga, and British Columbia’s Southern Resident Killer Whale through surveillance, adaptive fisheries management (including through a regime of fishing area closures) and entanglement prevention. Building on an investment of more than $20 million under the Nature Legacy to test whalesafe fishing gear (which helps prevent or reduce the impact of marine mammal entanglements), DFO is developing a five-year WhaleSafe Strategy for fishing gear, which will guide the testing and deployment of these fishing gears in Canadian fisheries. The draft Strategy, which is being finalized through feedback received from engagements with Indigenous partners, fish harvesters, non-government organizations, and academic experts, will guide the development and use of on-demand gear (like fishing traps that rest on the sea floor but do not need a fixed vertical line) and low-breaking-strength gear in fisheries across Canada to prevent and reduce harm from entanglements. Finalization of the Strategy is planned for early 2025.

DFO also plans to evaluate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence (AI) in fishing bycatch monitoring. AI holds the potential to transform fisheries management by enabling real-time data analysis, enhancing the accuracy and speed of monitoring. It has the potential to automate monitoring tasks, making these systems more cost-effective and accessible for smaller operators. Ultimately, the integration of AI into fisheries management could significantly contribute to the long-term sustainability of marine ecosystems.

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Indicators, results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Results we plan to achieve

DFO will continue to deliver under the new phase of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP), which committed $2 billion over nine years starting in 2022, and builds on $1.5 billion committed in 2016. This investment expands and continues initiatives that have helped to make Canada’s oceans safer, healthier, and cleaner through collaboration with federal partners and Indigenous and coastal communities.

In 2025-26, under the OPP Renewal initiative, DFO will fund projects through the Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Fund (AERF), which helps restore aquatic ecosystems and mitigate human impacts on Canadian coastal and marine environments. For example, DFO will provide funding to the Ditidaht First Nation to restore Doobah Creek watershed on the west coast of Vancouver Island. Community initiatives and an informed, natural-based restoration approach will address lost and degraded critical salmon spawning and rearing habitats.

Funds through the AERF will also be used to support the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland, in collaboration with the Mi’kmaq Alsumk Mowimsikik Koqoey Association. This investment will work toward establishing healthy coastal habitats for important species in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. Specifically, the restoration of eelgrass beds will recreate nursery and refuge habitats for numerous fish and benthic (sea floor) species, contributing to the conservation of marine biodiversity and facilitating the recovery of marine species such as Atlantic cod and American eel. Restored eelgrass will help regulate contaminant concentrations and sequester carbon, while also helping to mitigate the effects of ocean acidification, coastal erosion, and eutrophication (over-enrichment of nutrients, leading to overgrowth of algae and plankton).

In 2025-26, the Department will also continue to build on its previous work as it aims to conserve 30 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2030, as well as the championing of ocean protection in international fora, to help to protect biodiversity for generations to come. This will include collaborative work on establishing new marine protected areas (MPAs) and marine other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) while it continues to effectively manage and monitor all existing MPAs and marine OECMs to ensure these areas are meeting their conservation objectives. For example, DFO will work to establish the proposed Fundian Channel-Browns Bank and Southampton Island MPAs, along with sites in the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut. In addition, since the signing of the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative in June 2024, the Department will continue to work closely with other federal departments, the Government of British Columbia, and First Nations to establish new protected and conserved marine areas in the Northern Shelf Bioregion.

Canada will also continue to advocate the protection of vital biodiversity of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction. DFO will continue to advance the implementation of the 30 per cent target internationally, including through Canada’s 2023 Nature Strategy and through existing global and regional mechanisms^Footnote31.

Canada actively contributes to, and implements work stemming from, the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy (Ocean Panel), which aims to build momentum towards a sustainable ocean use in which effective protection, sustainable production, and equitable prosperity go hand-in-hand. Since the formation of the Ocean Panel, Canada has advanced our priorities for a sustainable ocean economy and raised the profile of ocean issues by working with Ocean Panel members.

DFO will also support the implementation of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), once it has entered into force. In addition, DFO will work to encourage the signature and ratification of the BBNJ Agreement through various mechanisms, such as the Chile-led BBNJ First Movers initiative, which aims to lay the groundwork for adoption of the first generation of high seas MPAs.

The implementation of the Letter of Intent for Cooperation on the Pikialasorsuaq, signed by the then Minister of DFO and the Minister of Agriculture, Self-Sufficiency, Energy and Environment of the Government of Greenland in 2023 will serve to better integrate Indigenous knowledge into planning and policy decisions through Inuit-led, transboundary cooperation on marine matters in the shared waters of the Governments of Canada and Denmark, in respect of Greenland. The Pikialasorsuaq is a dynamic area of open sea that remains ice-free throughout the winter and is considered to be one the most biologically productive regions north of the Arctic Circle. In 2025, terms of reference for a Joint Steering Committee will be developed, which will facilitate Inuit-led, transboundary marine cooperation in this region.

The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory and Permitting Efficiency for Clean Growth Projects, announced in 2024, is designed to ensure clean growth projects are built faster by providing whole-of-government direction to federal officials to accelerate decision-making. In 2025-26, DFO will:

• produce an annual report on trends in requests for missing information, timelines for decision-making, and actions taken to improve efficiency
• undertake a review and update of our internal- and external-facing guidance with respect to how DFO assesses the impacts of works, undertakings, or activities on fish and fish habitat
• drive culture change in the Department to reflect the urgent action required to accelerate clean growth while protecting the environment and biodiversity, and meeting the objectives of legislation, including the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act

In 2025-26, DFO will continue efforts to enhance marine environmental quality by working with other federal partners to address gaps in the coordination and management of ocean noise, which poses a threat to marine life, including endangered species like the Southern Resident Killer Whale. This work will be guided by the final Canadian Ocean Noise Strategy and a federal action plan, both of which are expected to be released in 2025-26.

DFO will continue to play a leadership role in protecting aquatic species at risk in Canada to maintain biodiversity and habitat resiliency for generations to come. DFO will work to ensure that the protections provided under the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are available to the species that need it most and will continue to prioritize eliminating the backlog of species awaiting a decision on whether they should be listed under SARA, or whether they need recovery planning and progress reporting. To support the implementation of recovery and management actions for species at risk, DFO will continue to support stewardship actions under its grants and contributions programs, such as the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR), with the goal to move forward on habitat restoration and the reduction of the impacts of agricultural and private wastewater runoff. In particular, DFO will continue to support activities that reduce entanglement risks in fisheries for the leatherback sea turtle, in line with the recovery actions set out in the species’ action plan.

Under CNFASAR, DFO will also provide funding in Alberta to evaluate, mitigate impacts on, and enhance the recovery of Alberta's native trout species. Core partners and stakeholders will collaborate to complete comprehensive recovery actions to mitigate major threats of sedimentation, habitat fragmentation, angling, the removal of non-native species, and recovery stocking.

DFO will continue to lead federal efforts for the management of aquatic invasive species across Canada, including through the Sea Lamprey Control Program and Asian Carp Program in the Great Lakes. The sea lamprey is a parasitic fish that preys on most species of large Great Lakes fish, which are unable to survive an attack. The introduction of invasive Asian carps into the Great Lakes also poses a threat of altering habitat, competing for food and habitat, and carrying diseases or parasites that could spread to Great Lakes fishes. In 2025-26, DFO will work with partners to supplement its own early detection surveillance with both environmental DNA collection and traditional surveillance using fishing nets. DFO will also develop a framework to advance the regulatory process for potential amendments to the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations that are needed to improve the efficiency and environmental protections of authorized control activities for aquatic invasive species that use pesticides.

In British Columbia, DFO intends to finalize a European Green Crab (EGC) Response Plan, which will guide the planning and implementation of response actions. It will also set out consistent approaches for engagements with Indigenous partners and other stakeholders, for newly discovered EGC in areas where the species is not yet established. An EGC Management Framework is also under development and will provide consistent guidance for the development of area-specific EGC management plans throughout British Columbia.

DFO will actively work with provinces, territories, the Canada Border Services Agency, other federal partners, and stakeholders to manage the spread of Quagga and Zebra mussels into and within Canada. This will notably include implementing inspections at the Emerson-Pembina international border crossing in Manitoba for the fourth consecutive year, focused on ensuring that watercrafts entering Canada are free of Zebra and Quagga mussels and other aquatic invasive species, and the deployment of watercraft decontamination units at specific key locations and events, such as interprovincial borders and fishing derbies.

In addition, DFO will continue to collaborate with provinces, territories, and other key federal departments under the National Aquatic Invasive Species Committee, which will work on the development of national decontamination standards, as mandated by the Canadian Council for Aquaculture and Fisheries Ministers.

Results we plan to achieve

DFO continues to be a supporter of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade). DFO will continue working with the Canadian ocean community and other partners to advance efforts to stimulate ocean science and knowledge generation through projects that contribute to advancing solution-oriented ocean science.

In keeping with the Open Science objectives, DFO develops and publishes a range of reports that provide science findings on the state of the ocean, one of which, “Canada’s Oceans Now: Arctic Ecosystems, 2023,” will be released in English, French, Inuktitut, and Inuinnaqtun in 2025 and another, “Canada’s Oceans Now: 2024,” will be developed over the course of 2025 and will provide a high-level update on the latest status and trend information from all three of Canada’s oceans, the Arctic, Pacific, and Atlantic.

In 2025-26, DFO will continue its research and monitoring activities on priority at-risk whale populations to support Government of Canada whale protection measures, including the use of near real-time acoustic whale detection technologies to detect the presence of North Atlantic right whales in Canadian waters.

DFO scientists collaborate with external partners to collect data on species and the environment to inform the design and management of marine protected areas. Through this research, the Department is piloting innovative, minimally-invasive approaches to sampling and analysis in protected areas. One example is the examination of environmental DNA (eDNA), which is genetic material shed by organisms into their environment. The analysis of eDNA is an effective, non-invasive, and cost-effective way to detect and track different species, support species monitoring and surveillance programs, and perform overall biodiversity assessments. Another example is the use of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), which are controlled or programmed by remote operators. AUVs can quickly and easily collect data in areas that are otherwise costly and difficult to access, allowing for broader data coverage.

Results we plan to achieve

DFO recognizes and respects the special relationship Indigenous Peoples have to the lands and waters of their traditional territories. This includes recognition of the important connection between Indigenous-led conservation, Indigenous cultural identity, and self-determination. DFO prioritizes Indigenous involvement in oceans management and the protection of fish and fish habitat. For example, DFO will continue to work with Indigenous partners to better integrate Indigenous Traditional Knowledge into planning and policy decisions through the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program. This program provides funding to Indigenous Peoples to support their participation in engagement and consultation during the development of policy, program, and regulatory initiatives and to support capacity building and collaborative initiatives for the conservation and protection of fish and fish habitat.

Canada’s Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiative, announced in December 2022, is helping to advance Indigenous self-determination and leadership in conservation. PFP provides sustainable, long-term financing for large-scale Indigenous-led conservation initiatives while respecting and supporting Indigenous interests, governments, and treaty responsibilities for planning and managing lands and oceans in their territories. In 2025-26, DFO will continue to support Indigenous leadership in marine conservation, through the Sinaa Qikiqtani Project Finance for Permanence (Q-PFP) and the Great Bear Sea PFP. As part of the implementation of these initiatives, and through meaningful consultation, collaboration, and partnership with Inuit and First Nations groups, DFO will work with the Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Great Bear Sea partners to advance marine Indigenous and Inuit Protected and Conserved Areas in support of Canada’s commitments to reconciliation and marine conservation.

The Salish Sea Initiative (SSI) was established in 2019 to support First Nations along the Trans Mountain Pipeline marine shipping corridor in monitoring and assessing the impacts of human activity in the Salish Sea. Under the SSI, the administrative and governance structure for the recently-announced $50 million Indigenous Coastal Waters Stewardship Fund was co-developed by First Nations and DFO. The fund will establish a long-term source of funding to support continued monitoring, evaluation, and reporting on the cumulative effects of human activities on marine ecosystems in the respective territories of eligible First Nations.

DFO also launched the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR) Grant Funding Program, mentioned earlier, which supports the participation of Indigenous Peoples in consultation and engagement activities related to aquatic species at risk listing and recovery document preparation. This grant program will provide flexible and transparent funding to decrease barriers that preclude Indigenous Peoples from participating in SARA processes and enhance opportunities for the inclusion of Indigenous perspectives and Indigenous knowledge.

Species at risk in aquatic environments sometimes occur in the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples. These communities regularly confront the consequences of species becoming at risk, especially for numerous species of cultural, food, and socio-economic importance (e.g. salmonids, sturgeons, eulachon, American eel, and others). Indigenous Peoples often have indispensable traditional knowledge and have a commitment to long-term sustainability that DFO values in partnerships. The collection of demographic information regarding participants in Indigenous environmental monitoring activities could also assist in providing data to support future GBA Plus reviews. However, reporting burdens and confidentiality issues can arise when asking Indigenous communities or band-owned enterprises for employee information. Going forward, relevant DFO staff will work with experts on the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act to develop methods to collect and better protect sensitive data to support further analyses.

Also, to better understand if Indigenous Peoples engaged in marine planning and conservation feel that the engagement is meaningful, the Marine Conservation Targets initiative will be re-administering a questionnaire.

More information on DFO’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Funding innovative projects by partners, stakeholders, and other organizations is one of the ways in which the Department uses innovation to achieve and improve results for Canadians. For example, under the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk, DFO is funding a project that leverages drone and artificial intelligence technology to simplify and facilitate marine mammal observation in real time. Improving detection of aquatic species at risk is essential to their recovery and to Canada’s conservation efforts.

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Indicators, results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Results we plan to achieve

DFO and the CCG will continue to modernize their marine navigation programs to meet international standards that will come into force by 2026. The transition to digital, real-time, and integrated marine navigation services will provide streamlined services to mariners to reduce the chance of collisions and groundings, minimize impacts to marine mammals, and reduce transport-related carbon emissions. The Department’s Digital Transformation initiative will support e-navigation^Footnote42 and the growing needs of the blue economy.

In addition to continuing to expand the products and services offered through our e-navigation portal and commencing the digitalization of the Notice to Mariners (NOTMAR) system, the CCG will continue to work on the development of web-based marine navigation programs that meet international standards for our products and services (including national warnings, marine radio services, and marine traffic information).

The CCG also continues to engage its federal partners and work with the marine industry to further the implementation of e-navigation in Canada. Initiatives include collaborating with federal and industry partners to bring near real-time weather information to mariners in the Atlantic region, partnering with the Canadian Ice Service and industry to deliver Ice Route information along the Saguenay River, and working with British Columbia Coast Pilots to trial additional and enhanced means of marking sensitive Southern Resident Killer Whale zones.

The Department will continue to deliver under the new phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, helping make Canada’s oceans safer, healthier, and cleaner. For example, in collaboration with federal partners and Indigenous and coastal communities, DFO will support the strengthening of marine traffic management to ensure the safe movement and navigation of vessels, improve on-water safety, and limit risks to our marine ecosystems.

Results we plan to achieve

Expansions in commercial shipping, the impacts of climate change, and increased maritime activity in the Arctic have underscored the importance of safe navigation in the region. In 2025-26, the CCG will continue to provide essential services in the Arctic, including icebreaking, aids to navigation, and support for activities ranging from scientific research to the summer re-supply of communities.

Expansions in commercial shipping, diminished ice presence due to the impacts of climate change, and increased maritime activity, such as fishing, commercial traffic, and cruise ships in the Arctic, have underscored the importance of safe navigation in the region. Furthermore, Canada’s northern population continues to grow, further increasing the demand for Arctic marine commerce. Between 2013 and 2023, the total distance sailed by vessels increased by 111 per cent and the number of unique ships in the Arctic polar area increased by 37 per cent. In view of these factors, the CCG is positioning itself to support Canada’s Arctic and the expected increase in commercial vessel traffic.

The CCG supports the Transport Canada-led Northern Low-Impact Shipping Corridors initiative that seeks to identify culturally and environmentally sensitive marine areas and develop safe-shipping routes that minimize potential impacts of vessel traffic across Canada’s North. Phase II engagements with Northern partners are set to continue in 2025-26 to identify concerns with current shipping routes and propose route adjustments. This initiative is essential to the enhancement of CCG service delivery and to the management of shipping activities in the Arctic.

Finally, this work will be guided by the CCG’s recently-released Arctic Strategy. The Strategy outlines the CCG’s vision for the Arctic region over the next decade and was developed in collaboration with Inuit, First Nations, and Métis peoples. As noted in the Strategy, the CCG will enhance our year-round presence in the Arctic with innovative programs, a modernized fleet, an equitable and representative workforce, and policies that are made in the North, by the North, and for the North. For example, the CCG will expand on a pilot program to enhance relationships and communication with new community engagement coordinators.

Results we plan to achieve

In support of our commitments to reconciliation, DFO and the CCG will continue to be guided by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and its 2023-2028 Action Plan. All core responsibilities across the Department will continue to seek opportunities for co-development, co-design, and co-delivery with Indigenous partners to improve programs and will continue to implement the DFO-CCG Reconciliation Strategy.

The CCG is establishing formal collaborative governance tables with Indigenous governments and organizations in the North on a distinctions basis. Over the next five years, Inuit marine engagement capacity funding will support collaborative governance with Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and the Inuit Treaty Organizations, including the establishment of regional tables in 2025-26 with each Inuit Treaty Organization. The CCG will co-host the second and third meetings of its new Joint Forum with Katlodeeche First Nation, an ongoing platform for engagement and collaboration on local CCG operations in the Hay River and Great Slave Lake area of the Northwest Territories, and will collaborate with Indigenous coastal communities on Hudson Bay and James Bay through the Canadian Coast Guard-Hudson Bay communities marine emergency response working group, which enables the CCG to connect with communities and organizations on search and rescue, aids to navigation, exercises, and other programs and operations in the North.

The Community Hydrography program is a five-year (2022 to 2027) OPP initiative that supports Indigenous and coastal communities’ collection and use of bathymetric (water depth) data and information for their own community purposes. In 2025-26, this program will continue to help these communities collect and use data to help improve marine safety, community planning, identification of undersea hazards and sensitive marine environments, as well as fishing and harvesting.

More information on DFO’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

In 2025-26, the CCG will continue its work on the transition from diesel generation to renewable/hybrid power systems at off-grid, remote radio communication sites. The project, which is funded through the Greening Government Fund, aims to make remote infrastructure more resilient and flexible to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Description
• Quality of life impacts
• Indicators, results and targets
• Plans to achieve results
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Related government priorities
• Program inventory

Results we plan to achieve

The CCG will continue to deliver under the new phase of the Oceans Protection Plan (OPP). In 2025-26, the CCG’s operations and response-related goals for the OPP include the following:

• expanding Canada’s marine emergency prevention, preparedness, and response approaches to handle various types of marine pollution beyond oil spills
• building on the new Compliance and Enforcement directorate announced in 2023, the CCG will continue to mitigate the risks posed by wrecked, abandoned, and hazardous vessels
• enhancing the tools, equipment, and infrastructure required for effective incident management pursuant to the Incident Command System standards, to ensure effective coordination during incident response
• increasing the number of trained and resourced responders to a marine search and rescue incident by, for example, growing the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary and continuing to provide training and exercising opportunities to Indigenous partners under the Indigenous Search and Rescue Training and Exercising Program
• offering new opportunities for Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities to partner in decision-making and play a more meaningful role in the marine safety system, including search and rescue missions, environmental monitoring, emergency spill response, and mitigation of hazardous vessels (i.e., vessel removals)
• building community response capacity in collaboration with Indigenous and coastal communities with the Coastal Marine Response Teams Initiative
• continuing to develop and implement frameworks and response plans that integrate multiple jurisdictions, partners, and scientific data that reflect Indigenous Knowledge in order to efficiently respond to marine pollution threats in a coordinated way

The CCG is intending to publish a long-term strategy in 2025 that will help ensure we keep delivering our important services to Canadians (including on-water safety, security, sovereignty, science, and environmental protection) to 2050 and beyond. The strategy will be informed by a public discussion paper released in 2024 that sought feedback on four strategic pillars: services, people, assets, and governance.

Results we plan to achieve

The CCG fleet provides essential maritime services to Canadians. However, the CCG’s aging vessels are becoming more costly to maintain and are more frequently taken out of operation for unscheduled repairs, placing further strain on the remaining fleet. We are in the process of renewing our fleet, with work progressing steadily under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The new fleet will be comprised of multi-mission vessels designed for maximum operational flexibility and equipped with the newest marine technology. The following are some examples of this work:

• The CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk, an Offshore Oceanographic Science Vessel named after a respected Inuk Elder, is expected to be delivered in 2025. As CCG’s largest dedicated science vessel, it will support research on critical topics such as climate change and the sustainable management of our oceans for decades to come.
• Two Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships, which will be able to support international fisheries surveillance, offshore search and rescue, icebreaking, scientific research, humanitarian assistance missions, and aids to navigation. The CCGS Donjek is expected to be delivered in 2026, followed by the CCGS Sermilik in 2027.
• Two modern polar icebreakers that can break ice in the high Arctic and deliver ocean science year round, whose contracts were awarded to two Canadian shipyards for delivery in the early 2030s.

CCG’s Bay Class vessel project has already seen 19 new vessels delivered to enhance search and rescue capacity. In 2025-26, the final vessel is expected to be delivered under this initiative. These modern vessels are larger, have greater endurance, and will be more versatile to meet the evolving needs of the Department.

Investments under the National Shipbuilding Strategy are complemented by the Fleet Sustainability Initiative to ensure that CCG’s personnel and infrastructure are prepared to efficiently operate the new fleet. This initiative guides the long-term planning in critical areas such as recruitment, training, lifecycle management, and the modernization of wharves.

While awaiting the delivery of new vessels, we will continue our work on extending the useful life of the existing fleet to ensure that older active vessels are safe, reliable, and able to continue providing essential services to Canadians.

Results we plan to achieve

As part of the renewed Oceans Protection Plan, the CCG will continue work with Indigenous Peoples to increase co-development, co-management, and co-implementation of initiatives designed to protect coastal waters and inland waterways through initiatives such as the following:

• CCG’s Search and Rescue Program will continue working with Indigenous partners and the CCG Auxiliary to support the development and growth of community-based marine emergency response capacity. This will be accomplished through the on-going implementation of our Indigenous Community Response Training Program (Western region) and the Indigenous Search and Rescue Training and Exercising Program.
• The renewed Indigenous Community Boat Volunteer Program will continue to support the participation of Indigenous communities or organizations in the marine safety response system by providing funding to buy or retrofit the boats and related safety equipment required to participate in the CCG Auxiliary. Indigenous communities are often the first to respond to marine incidents in remote areas and are an instrumental partner in our search and rescue system.
• The Coastal Marine Response Network and Integrated Marine Response Planning will continue to empower, support, and build Indigenous coastal communities' capacity to plan for and respond to the threat of marine pollution.

The Canadian Coast Guard College educates the marine professionals needed to deliver CCG programs in support of marine safety, security, and environmental protection. The College applies a GBA Plus lens to course creation and delivery and continually strives to ensure training materials are developed to represent diversity and gender equality. As part of its recruitment strategy, the College will continue to implement initiatives to aid in the recruitment of under-represented groups into the CCG, including the Indigenous Participation and Training Initiative.

In the coming year, the College will implement recommendations from the Continuum of Support for Indigenous Learners, including the following:

• engaging with potential candidates through interactive content and online events for inclusive and equitable recruitment
• collaborating with community educators to ensure availability of required courses and implementing early intervention programs starting with middle schools to guide course selection and provide support
• forming joint collaborative bodies with mandated representatives from Indigenous organizations and territorial education boards
• including the Manitoba Métis Federation Career Fair and the National Indspire event in the CCG College recruitment plan
• continuing to hold annual Indigenous Summer Camp at the CCG College where local Indigenous students learn about the programs offered at the College

In 2025-26, the CCG College will assess course content and delivery methods with consideration for the application and implementation of Indigenous pedagogical theory in order to create culturally responsive teaching practices and foundations for academic success for Indigenous learners.

The College will continue its partnership with the Techsploration group in an effort to increase female recruitment by introducing female students to trade industries. The College will also review learning accommodations to help learners with disabilities access the College curriculum and achieve their academic potential. This will include considerations for changes to physical environment, instructional materials, instructional strategies, and assessment methodologies.

The CCG recently worked with Canadian Equality Consulting to conduct a GBA Plus assessment of the design and future build of CCG vessels. The GBA Plus assessment yielded over 60 recommended actions that will be addressed in the coming years. Some recommendations, such as those related to private spaces, are currently being prioritized. For example, the CCG is working on a cabin allotment policy to provide clarity around the allocation of cabins and accommodation. Formalizing the allocation process will ensure transparency and consistency across existing and future CCG vessels and support a more inclusive ship-board workplace.

More information on DFO’s contributions to Canada’s Federal Implementation Plan on the 2030 Agenda and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy can be found in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

In line with the Government of Canada’s commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the CCG will continue its efforts to decarbonize and transition to an increasingly green, low-carbon fleet. In 2025-26, work will continue on the fleet’s first-ever diesel-electric hybrid vessel with a battery energy storage system, which is designed to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels.

The CCG’s fleetwide transition to low-carbon biodiesel and renewable diesel blends continues. As fleet operators gain more experience with the fuels, which are becoming more readily available, the CCG is registering tangible greenhouse gas emission reductions as part of delivering on Canada’s net-zero climate change commitments.

• Description
• Plans to achieve results
• Planned resources to achieve results
• Planning for contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses

In 2025-26, DFO will continue to leverage the capabilities of its SAP financial system by introducing a new software module for enterprise asset management. This will enable the transformation of the real property maintenance management system and allow the Department to more efficiently manage and track work orders and building components for our portfolio of properties. DFO will also transform and update its capital management program to enhance processes, automate manual tasks, and implement tools with the goal to reduce administrative burdens, leveraging Microsoft 365 to streamline data collection and management, automate repetitive tasks, and create interactive dashboards to streamline decision-making.

DFO’s Digital Strategy will continue to guide the Department’s investments in cybersecurity safeguards and artificial intelligence (AI) in support of the development of efficient, modern, and safe services to programs and Canadians. In 2025-26, the continued implementation of Phase 2 of the Department’s Enterprise Data Hub (EDH), a shared technology platform that allows users to connect with, discover, share, and use DFO’s digital assets, will further support efficiencies through the use of artificial intelligence within the Department. Specifically, work under this initiative will:

• equip users to find and assess data through modern, automated tools
• improve data governance to support effective use of AI tools
• identify recommendations for the sustainable use of AI

The Department will continue investing in the accelerated delivery of the Canadian Fisheries Information System to modernize the licensing and quota, catch and effort, and reporting and analytics services used to manage commercial fisheries, as well as shifting from paper-based logbooks to electronic logbooks. This will address known and persistent gaps in processes and systems related to fisheries management, including those identified by the 2023 Auditor General’s Performance Audit on the Monitoring of Marine Fisheries Catch, and enable efficient, effective, and timely decision-making for sustainable commercial fisheries.

The Department’s Reconciliation Strategy is a roadmap for advancing reconciliation in partnership with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. It is an evergreen document that is designed to enable the cultural transformation within the Department necessary to support initiatives such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) Action Plan 2023-2028, and to ensure intentional inclusion of Indigenous perspectives in policy development and departmental processes and activities. In 2025-26, efforts will focus on improving clarity on how all employees contribute to enhancing relations with, involvement of, and outcomes for Indigenous Peoples through the provision of new tools, guidance, and training for employees and active efforts to demonstrate leadership to promote reconciliation at all levels.

In 2025-26, DFO will make significant progress on the implementation of the Inuit Employment Plan (2023-2033), which was developed in collaboration with Pilimmaksaivik and other departments with a presence in Nunavut. This plan lays out the steps to increase Inuit participation in DFO and CCG. It focuses on strategies to attract and retain Inuit candidates, as well as identifying the barriers we face and how we intend to address them to create a workplace that meets the needs of Nunavut Inuit.

DFO’s Office of Environmental Coordination (OEC) works to improve engagement with First Nations communities in the context of contaminated sites management, not only by reducing risks to Indigenous communities from historical site contamination, but also by focusing on capacity building and fostering meaningful relationships. In 2024-25, the OEC piloted the Environmental Training Program for First Nations communities. In 2025-26, the Department will build on the success of the pilot by expanding the program to interested communities in all regions. This comprehensive training program includes environmental sampling and a staffing recruitment element, recognizing the socio-economic importance of First Nations knowledge, as well as providing networking opportunities.

DFO-CCG will continue to take meaningful strides in creating a more representative, diverse, and inclusive workforce, including the active development and implementation of strategies to continue increasing our representation of employees who identify as belonging to one or more employment equity (EE) groups. More specifically, recruitment processes open only to EE group members, engagement with EE employee networks and support groups that will foster strong partnerships, and focused EE student hiring strategies will result in increased representation.

Through the implementation of our Accessibility Action Plan, the Department aims to provide barrier-free services to all Canadians. We will continue to educate our workforce on accessibility and will conduct systematic assessments of our departmental activities to identify barriers to persons with disabilities, including examination of our hiring practices, such as the methods we use to assess candidates, as well as potential biases. Mitigating or eliminating the barriers that we find through these assessments will be the focus of our next Accessibility Action Plan (2025-2028), to be developed in collaboration with persons with disabilities and published by December 2025.

The Department will continue to support the Greening Government Strategy, which aims to enhance its climate-resilient operations by 2025 and transition the Government of Canada to net-zero emissions by 2050, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon, including on waste, water, and biodiversity.

For example, in 2025-26, the CCG will publish an Operational Fleet Decarbonization Plan, which will outline the various strategies and activities underway in support of the fleet’s net-zero ambitions. This plan will be the foundation for all decarbonization roadmap objectives and strategies across the CCG. In parallel, CCG will release its Operational Energy Strategy with the aim to capitalize on innovation and zero-emission technologies, which will help inform the design of future vessels and ultimately improve operational efficiency.

The Department will also continue to implement a multi-phased plan to expand the number of charging stations installed at our custodial sites in 2025-26. Installing the supporting infrastructure for electric vehicles will allow DFO’s on-road fleet to decarbonize and see benefits through reduced emissions and fuel and maintenance savings.

The Department will continue its commitment to ensure compliance with the Official Languages Act and respect of its obligations and equal rights in the use of both official languages. This will be done by supporting employees and supervisors in learning and maintaining proficiency in their second official language, ensuring their language of work rights are respected, delivering quality bilingual services to Canadians, and considering the needs of linguistic minority communities and the promotion of the advancement of English and French.

The Department will guide this work and measure progress towards achieving its objectives through the Official Languages Action Plan 2024-2027 as well as ongoing collaboration with the Treasury Board Secretariat’s Official Languages Centre of Excellence, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.

Government of Canada departments are to meet a target of awarding at least 5% of the total value of contracts to Indigenous businesses each year. This commitment is to be fully implemented by the end of 2024-25.

In August 2021, the Government of Canada introduced the requirement that federal departments award at least 5% of the total value of their contracts to Indigenous businesses annually.

DFO, as part of Phase 3 of the Government’s implementation plan, is scheduled to meet the minimum 5% target by the end of 2024-25. The following is a summary of the steps DFO has taken or is currently taking to ensure this target is met and maintained in the future.

Internal Policy and Tools:

• DFO has updated internal procurement policies to reduce barriers for Indigenous businesses participation. DFO has implemented a conditional set-aside approach for competitive procurements in line with the Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business (PSIB). Procurements remain open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous businesses; however, if two or more compliant bids are received from Indigenous businesses, only those bids will be considered.
• DFO is reviewing and expanding its policy direction and strengthening accountability to better fulfill its obligations under PSIB.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Regularly scheduled training sessions for procurement officers and business owners to increase awareness and understanding of Indigenous procurement opportunities.
• New tools and resources have been introduced to assist procurement officers in identifying and engaging Indigenous suppliers.
• DFO participates in events like Industry Days and national conferences to develop knowledge of Indigenous business capacity.
• DFO staff involved in the procurement process must complete the mandatory Indigenous Considerations in Procurement (COR 409) course from the Canada School of Public Service.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• DFO has developed a monitoring and reporting system to track progress towards the 5% target, which includes regular updates on Indigenous procurement achievements and areas for improvement. Additionally, regular oversight meetings with senior management ensure that Indigenous procurement remains a top priority, facilitating strategic discussions, resource allocation, and performance target setting.

Table 21: Percentage of contracts planned and awarded to Indigenous businesses

Table 21 presents the current, actual results with forecasted and planned results for the total percentage of contracts the department awarded to Indigenous businesses.

• Spending
• Funding
• Future-oriented condensed statement of operations
• Human resources

The $769 million increase in expenditures from 2022-23 to 2023-24 is primarily related to spending on the Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects and operations as well as Indigenous programs.

The $948 million increase from the 2023-24 expenditures to the 2024-25 planned spending is primarily related to incremental funding related to:

• renewing the Canadian Coast Guard fleet
• the Great Bear Sea Initiative

The change in trend is attributable to planned changes in funding profiles as projects approach or arrive at their completion.

The $558 million increase in planned spending from 2024-25 to 2025-26 is primarily related to:

• planned changes in funding for Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects

The ($430) million decrease in planned spending from 2025-26 to 2026-27 is primarily related to:

• planned changes to Indigenous programs to reflect the ongoing nature of negotiations and planned completion of associated agreements
• planned changes in funding for the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative

The ($648) million decrease in planned spending from 2026-27 to 2027-28 is primarily related to:

• planned changes in funding for the Small Craft Harbour Program
• planned changes in funding for Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects
• planned changes in funding related to the Oceans Protection Plan

For certain services, CCG collects service fees to ensure that, where appropriate, the entire cost of delivering the service is not borne by taxpayers. Fees for icebreaking, marine navigation, and dredging support the safe navigation of Canadian waters.

The Net Cost of Operations in 2025-26 is projected to be $3,995.9 million, a decrease of $1.3 million compared to $3,997.2 million in 2024-25. This decrease is mainly attributed to an overall increase in authorities available for spending (excluding Capital votes) of $7.1 million ($3,442.5 million in 2025-26 compared to $3,435.4 million in 2024 -25) and a net decrease of $8.4 million in the total estimates for items not affecting authorities, such as amortization expense and changes in accrued liabilities not charged to authorities.

Total revenues are projected to remain stable at $40 million.

Authorities available for spending in 2025-26 do not include items such as Supplementary Estimates and carry forwards.

The 176 FTE increase between 2022-23 and 2023-24 is primarily attributed to additional funding related to modernizing the Fisheries Act.

The FTE variance between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is not material.

The 133 FTE decrease between 2024-25 and 2025-26 is primarily attributed to a planned reduction in funding related to the Refocusing Government Spending initiative and the Trans Mountain Expansion project, and to funding to advance reconciliation on Indigenous rights and fisheries issues.

The 1,644 FTE decrease between 2025-26 and 2026-27 is related to a planned reduction in funding related to the Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, modernizing the Fisheries Act, Marine Conservation Targets, continued efforts to protect species at risk, as well as funding to protect and promote the health of Canada's priority at-risk whale populations.

The 306 FTE decrease between 2026-27 and 2027-28 is primarily attributed to a planned reduction in funding related to Small Craft Harbours, Canadian Coast Guard fleet projects, hydrography surveying and charting, Ocean's Protection Plan, funding to fight aquatic invasive species, and the Circular Economy for Plastic program.

Appropriate minister(s):

The Honourable Joanne Thompson, P.C., M.P.

Institutional head:

Annette Gibbons, Deputy Minister

Ministerial portfolio:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Enabling instruments:

• Oceans Act
• Fisheries Act
• Species at Risk Act
• Coastal Fisheries Protection Act
• Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act
• Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (Transport Canada-led)
• Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act (Transport Canada-led)

Year of incorporation / commencement:

1979

Mailing address:

Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Communications
200 Kent Street
13th Floor, Station 13E228
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E6

Telephone:

613-993-0999

TTY:

1-800-465-7735

Fax:

613-990-1866

Email:

info@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Website(s):

http://dfo-mpo.gc.ca/

appropriation (crédit)

Any authority of Parliament to pay money out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.

budgetary expenditures (dépenses budgétaires)

Operating and capital expenditures; transfer payments to other levels of government, departments or individuals; and payments to Crown corporations.

core responsibility (responsabilité essentielle)

An enduring function or role performed by a department. The intentions of the department with respect to a core responsibility are reflected in one or more related departmental results that the department seeks to contribute to or influence.

Departmental Plan (plan ministériel)

A report on the plans and expected performance of an appropriated department over a 3-year period. Departmental Plans are usually tabled in Parliament each spring.

departmental result (résultat ministériel)

A consequence or outcome that a department seeks to achieve. A departmental result is often outside departments’ immediate control, but it should be influenced by program-level outcomes.

departmental result indicator (indicateur de résultat ministériel)

A quantitative measure of progress on a departmental result.

departmental results framework (cadre ministériel des résultats)

A framework that connects the department’s core responsibilities to its departmental results and departmental result indicators.

Departmental Results Report (rapport sur les résultats ministériels)

A report on a department’s actual accomplishments against the plans, priorities and expected results set out in the corresponding Departmental Plan.

full-time equivalent (équivalent temps plein)

A measure of the extent to which an employee represents a full person-year charge against a departmental budget. For a particular position, the full-time equivalent figure is the ratio of number of hours the person actually works divided by the standard number of hours set out in the person’s collective agreement.

gender-based analysis plus (GBA Plus) (analyse comparative entre les sexes plus [ACS Plus])

Is an analytical tool used to support the development of responsive and inclusive policies, programs, and other initiatives. GBA Plus is a process for understanding who is impacted by the issue or opportunity being addressed by the initiative; identifying how the initiative could be tailored to meet diverse needs of the people most impacted; and anticipating and mitigating any barriers to accessing or benefitting from the initiative. GBA Plus is an intersectional analysis that goes beyond biological (sex) and socio-cultural (gender) differences to consider other factors, such as age, disability, education, ethnicity, economic status, geography (including rurality), language, race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Using GBA Plus involves taking a gender- and diversity-sensitive approach to our work. Considering all intersecting identity factors as part of GBA Plus, not only sex and gender, is a Government of Canada commitment.

government priorities (priorités gouvernementales)

For the purpose of the 2025-26 Departmental Plan, government priorities are the high-level themes outlining the government’s agenda in the most recent Speech from the Throne.

horizontal initiative (initiative horizontale)

An initiative where two or more federal departments are given funding to pursue a shared outcome, often linked to a government priority.

Indigenous business (entreprise autochtone)

For the purpose of the Directive on the Management of Procurement Appendix E: Mandatory Procedures for Contracts Awarded to Indigenous Businesses and the Government of Canada’s commitment that a mandatory minimum target of 5% of the total value of contracts is awarded to Indigenous businesses, a department that meets the definition and requirements as defined by the Indigenous Business Directory.

non-budgetary expenditures (dépenses non budgétaires)

Non-budgetary authorities that comprise assets and liabilities transactions for loans, investments and advances, or specified purpose accounts, that have been established under specific statutes or under non-statutory authorities in the Estimates and elsewhere. Non-budgetary transactions are those expenditures and receipts related to the government's financial claims on, and obligations to, outside parties. These consist of transactions in loans, investments and advances; in cash and accounts receivable; in public money received or collected for specified purposes; and in all other assets and liabilities. Other assets and liabilities, not specifically defined in G to P authority codes are to be recorded to an R authority code, which is the residual authority code for all other assets and liabilities.

performance (rendement)

What a department did with its resources to achieve its results, how well those results compare to what the department intended to achieve, and how well lessons learned have been identified.

performance indicator (indicateur de rendement)

A qualitative or quantitative means of measuring an output or outcome, with the intention of gauging the performance of a department, program, policy or initiative respecting expected results.

plan (plan)

The articulation of strategic choices, which provides information on how a department intends to achieve its priorities and associated results. Generally, a plan will explain the logic behind the strategies chosen and tend to focus on actions that lead to the expected result.

planned spending (dépenses prévues)

For Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports, planned spending refers to those amounts presented in Main Estimates.

A department is expected to be aware of the authorities that it has sought and received. The determination of planned spending is a departmental responsibility, and departments must be able to defend the expenditure and accrual numbers presented in their Departmental Plans and Departmental Results Reports.

program (programme)

Individual or groups of services, activities or combinations thereof that are managed together within the department and focus on a specific set of outputs, outcomes or service levels.

program inventory (répertoire des programmes)

Identifies all the department’s programs and describes how resources are organized to contribute to the department’s core responsibilities and results.

result (résultat)

A consequence attributed, in part, to a department, policy, program or initiative. Results are not within the control of a single department, policy, program or initiative; instead, they are within the area of the department’s influence.

statutory expenditures (dépenses législatives)

Expenditures that Parliament has approved through legislation other than appropriation acts. The legislation sets out the purpose of the expenditures and the terms and conditions under which they may be made.

target (cible)

A measurable performance or success level that a department, program or initiative plans to achieve within a specified time period. Targets can be either quantitative or qualitative.

voted expenditures (dépenses votées)

Expenditures that Parliament approves annually through an appropriation act. The vote wording becomes the governing conditions under which these expenditures may be made.