Supplementary information tables

Recommendations made by the 2023-24 Evaluation of the Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy and Aboriginal and Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management programs, and work identified in the corresponding management action plan are expected to improve the collection of performance measurement data and information, including that related to GBA Plus. The programs have begun a process of co-development and co-design with Indigenous partners that should result in renewed indicators that better measure the impact of the programs by gender and diversity.

Also under the Aboriginal Programs and Treaties program, the Reconciliation Agreement program and Treaty-Related Measures program, which support Indigenous communities in implementing reconciliation agreements and/or treaty-related measures with respect to fisheries access and/or management, do not collect GBA Plus data; however, GBA Plus assessments are completed during the development of negotiation mandates.

It should be noted that the Atlantic Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative does track GBA Plus statistics, including figures on the distribution of employment and training opportunities supported by the program (e.g. number of males and females trained and/or employed as fish harvesters, aquaculture workers, commercial fishing enterprise staff, etc.).

In cases where GBA Plus does apply, we always consider it. But it doesn’t always apply to all areas of our business.

A GBA Plus lens is applied to the development and evaluation of impacts of programs and initiatives on gender and diversity, as well as any collection of data - particularly information obtained through engagement or consultation of those with lived experience or who are potentially impacted by an issue or proposal.

C&P does not currently track program impacts but is exploring the potential impact of new regulations through this intersectional analysis and lens for the Pacific Region. In 2025-26, through subcommittee work under our People and Culture Committee, C&P in Pacific Region will begin to monitor and use GBA Plus as a tool to explore impacts of gender and diversity within its culture.

C&P also remains in the process of redesigning its main data and activity tracking system (National Enforcement Tracking System (NETS)) to better measure activity and compliance actions across regions. Updates to C&P’s fishery officer recruitment strategy and cadet training curricula also reflect C&P’s ongoing commitment to being an inclusive, equitable, and diverse workplace, both in attracting and recruiting new talent and in supporting them in training and throughout their career progression.

Economics and Statistics program has minimal direct interaction with stakeholders and the public.

Indirectly, since the program provides economic advice and statistics to other departmental programs, the GBA Plus analyses conducted by these programs would be sufficient to monitor and/or report on impacts by gender and diversity. In general, one of the key challenges in terms of GBA Plus analysis has been the availability of more detailed GBA data at a smaller/more local geographic scale.

The Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) is able to report on GBA Plus indicators for women-owned organizations, Indigenous-owned organizations, geographic diversity of project locations, and high-level education and age intersectionalities.

In order to maximize funding opportunities for BC Indigenous organizations, the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) program formalized a principle for our last application intake: Indigenous participation and the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge. Recipient organizations also have the opportunity to provide details through a year-end report on the demographic make-up of their project team’s efforts towards ensuring a diverse and inclusive work environment.

The Quebec Fisheries Fund (QFF) application form may be updated to include a voluntary self-identification section following discussions with the province. It is hoped that applicants will be able to indicate if they are Indigenous (or represent an Indigenous-owned business, i.e. a business that is 51% or more Indigenous-owned) or if they identify as a woman (or represent a woman-owned business—51% or more of the business must be owned by a woman (or by women)). Changes to the application may also consider questions about income, age cohort, and ethnic, religious, or cultural minority status.

The Atlantic Fisheries Fund (AFF) collects self-identified GBA Plus data for women-owned and/or Indigenous-owned organizations. It also collects geographic data on every applicant to the program to inform in which communities its investments are located. This geographic information is important as it allows the program to demonstrate its positive impact on rural, coastal communities which is also a component of GBA Plus intersectionality. AFF does not collect other GBA Plus data directly as it is not pertinent to the program’s eligibility criteria. The program also receives demographic data tables from Statistics Canada regarding the program’s recipients to augment its GBA Plus data.

At this time, it will require another renewal of the British Columbia Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund (BCSRIF) program (i.e. Phase 3) in order for GBA Plus reporting to be continued beyond March 2026. All aspects of the program, including program principles, application templates, and recipient reporting are reconsidered at each new phase.

Although many Canadians may benefit from the protection of aquatic environments in Canada, especially those that participate in fishing and fishing-related industries, the primary beneficiaries of this program are Indigenous Peoples and proponents seeking to conduct works in or near water.

Indigenous Peoples directly benefit from the capacity within the program to advance reconciliation, including from grants and contributions funding specifically directed to support Indigenous participation in the management of fish and fish habitat.

Proponents conducting projects near water directly benefit from the ongoing capacity of the program to ensure that development projects are reviewed in a timely manner to ensure compliance with the Fisheries Act.

In response to stakeholder engagement, DFO has incorporated measures to address barriers to participation associated with the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program. The process has been adapted to be more responsive and respectful to Indigenous Peoples, and reduce administrative burden.

Fish and Fish Habitat Protection will continue to respond to gender-based and diversity concerns and factor in GBA Plus in all regulatory initiatives specific to DFO and will also review environment assessment decisions as needed.

Transfer payment programs are accessible by all Canadians, regardless of gender or diversity. The entirety of the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program is directed to Indigenous Peoples. Program staff ensure that First Nation, Inuit, and Métis organizations, groups, and communities across the country are aware of funding opportunities, but 0 FTEs are specifically dedicated to working on GBA Plus as such.

Marine Conservation: Conserve 30 per cent of Canada’s oceans by 2030 and champion this goal internationally.

Marine Environmental Quality: Maintain and improve the health of Canada's marine environment by helping to ensure the impacts of human activities are managed sustainably.

Oceans Management Contributions Program funding for eligible recipients through a regional funding model for activities under Marine Environmental Quality and Marine Conservation Targets.

Reconciliation, Partnerships & Agreements: Monitoring frameworks will be developed by the Indigenous partners of the Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiatives, including potentially linking to Quality of Life indicators.

The Oceans Management Contribution program (OMCP) continues to update its program documentation, including reporting templates and tracking tools, in order to capture better data and support data analytics of key information related to GBA Plus impacts and future alignment with Quality of Life indicators. Updates to templates are being done in consultation with the Centre of Expertise to better allow disaggregated data where recipient confidentiality allows. This will require updates to terms and conditions for recipient agreements to better allow recipients to self-identify a greater variety of GBA Plus identity factors.

To support DFO’s commitment to lead the development and implementation of Canada’s Ocean Noise Strategy, the collection of various forms of data (including information on potential direct and indirect benefits of the Strategy) will be supported through the consultation process on the published draft Ocean Noise Strategy and the development of a federal action plan. The data collected through the 60-day consultation period of the draft Strategy will be summarized in a “What We Heard” report, which is anticipated to be published in 2025 along with the final Strategy and federal action plan. These initiatives present opportunities to collect and analyze applicable GBA plus data, such as demographic information, and correlate them with the importances and needs of the individuals, groups, and communities on managing the impact of the noise-related activities.

In support of the Marine Conservation Targets initiative, Marine Planning and Conservation will administer an annual questionnaire to understand if Indigenous Peoples engaged in marine planning and conservation feel that they are being meaningfully engaged. Additionally, socio-economic data is collected through the establishment, management, and monitoring of marine protected areas and areas recognized as other effective area-based conservation measures. These data may be used to inform GBA Plus impact analyses.

In 2025-26, the Indigenous partners of the two DFO-led Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) initiatives will work to develop the monitoring frameworks that guide future annual reporting by the PFP’s conservation trust fund administrator and 5-year periodic reviews by all Parties of the PFP to assess outcomes and financial sustainability.

The Species at Risk program goal is to protect and recover species at risk, including through collaboration on stewardship actions with Indigenous and coastal communities.

Differential impacts to Canadians from a GBA Plus perspective are also assessed during the process to draft listing recommendations and GBA Plus impacts are also tracked when providing funding to Canadians through contribution programs.

DFO will continue to collect GBA Plus relevant information as part of its Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFSAR) and Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP) including recipients’ affiliation (Indigenous groups, educational institution etc.), location, and preferred language.

DFO also collects GBA Plus information from those providing comments during online and in-person listing consultations and through socio-economic analysis processes when developing listing advice for aquatic species at risk. Information collected includes the recipient’s affiliation (Indigenous group, academia, industry, non-governmental organization, etc.) and potential benefits and impacts of possible decisions.

The SBAR program is not currently collecting data from its operational activities for GBA Plus analysis. Integrated Technical Services will consult the GBA Plus Centre of Expertise to increase its understanding and to assess if/how to incorporate data collection and analysis concepts for eventual impact assessment before the end of 2025-26.

Continued initiatives to promote GBA Plus include proactively working with stakeholders to ensure a diverse workforce in the delivery of SBAR and training opportunities to further advance the career progression of our diverse workforce.

The Fleet Maintenance program ensures that CCG’s vessels, air cushioned vehicles, helicopters, and small craft are available and reliable for the delivery of Canadian Coast Guard programs.

GBA Plus has not been applied to the program to date. There is insufficient data to assess outcomes and impacts.

The Fleet Maintenance program is not currently collecting data from its operational activities for GBA Plus analysis. Integrated Technical Services will consult the GBA Plus Centre of Expertise to increase its understanding and to assess if/how to incorporate data collection and analysis concepts for eventual impact assessment before the end of 2025-26.

The program will continue initiatives to promote GBA Plus. This includes proactively working with stakeholders to ensure a diverse workforce in the delivery of Fleet Maintenance and training opportunities to further advance the career progression of our diverse workforce.

Considering the operational nature of CCG programs, there is a lack of data collection and/or reporting on program impacts pertaining to GBA Plus and EEDI.

Fleet Operational Capability is supported by the Fleet and Maritime Services branch.

The impact of the Fleet Procurement program on gender and diversity is measured by the production of engineering and design reports inclusive of assessment of GBA Plus intersecting factors into ship design for each new vessel construction.

The impact of ship design on gender and diversity is measured once the vessel is in operation. CCG programs will report on the impact of the design on GBA Plus intersecting factors, with improvements stated in operational requirements guiding ship design for future vessel constructions.

The Marine Environmental and Hazards Response (MEHR) program applies GBA Plus to ensure equitable and inclusive access to marine environmental response resources, considering diverse needs and impacts. The program aims to enhance preparedness and readiness while addressing systemic inequalities, achieving tailored and effective outcomes for all Canadians.

The Compliance and Enforcement program works in direct continuum with the MEHR program to ensure policies, programs, and initiatives are equitable, considering how diverse groups may experience these differently. It also includes stakeholder engagement with a wide range of stakeholders.

The MEHR program will explore opportunities to align its data collection processes with GBA Plus requirements through its National Data Strategy. Initial efforts will focus on identifying gaps and determining practical steps to integrate gender and diversity considerations into existing frameworks.

Compliance and Enforcement will explore its data to better measure how its activities across regions align with GBA Plus. Compliance and Enforcement will explore opportunities to collect data to identify any disparities or inequities in how compliance and enforcement measures impact different groups.