Selection criteria

The following represents general areas and activities for project funding that will evolve based on input from Canadians. We will prioritize regional activities with the greatest benefit to specific aquatic ecosystem threats and that address the root causes of impacts on marine and coastal areas.

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Project assessment

All projects will be evaluated based on their:

• ecosystem values, which are defined by the benefits of a project to biological and ecological services
• technical or program specifics, which identify if your project meets the basic requirements of the program
• strategic value, which identify if your project addresses program priorities
• inclusion of Indigenous partners (i.e., as part of the development, design, and implementation)

The AERF is expanding on the CRF priority areas and activities where necessary to address human impacts on all aquatic environments. The following AERF priorities have been selected based on DFO’s regional expertise, and informed by Indigenous Peoples’ input through virtual engagement sessions held in June 2022 and by Canadians more broadly through an online National survey over the summer of 2022.

Priority areas for AERF include:

• areas with important habitats for regional priority species (e.g., Atlantic/Pacific salmon, Arctic Char, American eel, Capelin, Cod)
• areas of historic development (e.g., Placentia Bay, Bay of Islands, lower Fraser and estuary)
• areas impacted due to climate change or naturally degraded, including changes to instream flows, forest fires, landslides and their impacts on aquatic areas, areas vulnerable to sea-level rise
• spawning, overwintering and thermal refuge habitats, particularly for anadromous species
• estuaries and coastal areas that support key ecosystems components such as eelgrass beds, kelp forests, salt marshes

Priority activities for AERF include restoration projects that:

• contribute to the conservation and protection of commercially, recreationally and traditionally valued species (e.g., Wild Atlantic / Pacific salmon, American eel) and habitats (e.g., riverine fish habitat, estuaries, wetlands, salt marshes, eelgrass beds, riparian zones, spawning habitats);
• address multiple threats/stressors and rehabilitate areas affected by cumulative impacts of various anthropogenic activities (e.g., restoration of aquatic connectivity through barrier removal or mitigation)
• align with and/or support development of watershed or regionally-specific restoration plans that contribute to the rehabilitation of important aquatic habitats with high ecological value and,
• address and mitigate the impacts of climate change on regional fisheries resources and aquatic habitats (e.g., living shorelines, carbon sequestration, mitigation of sea-level rise etc.)

The program will also be supporting activities having socio-economic benefits, such as:

• skills development including management and training for aquatic restoration techniques, as well as education and outreach
• activities that promotes the establishment of sustainable partnerships and improve stakeholders' understanding and knowledge of regulatory requirements for projects and best practices in delivery of fish habitat restoration

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Related links

• Protecting oceans
• Projects near water
• Oceans Protection Plan
• Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund standards and targets