Bill C-237: An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (Atlantic groundfish fisheries)

R.S., c. F- 14 Fisheries Act 1 Section 2.5 of the Fisheries Act is amended by adding the following after paragraph (g): (g.1) the importance of stability and predictability for those who engage in recreational fishing for groundfish; 2 Subsection 42.1(1) of the Act is replaced by the following: Annual report 42.1 (1) The Minister shall, as soon as feasible after the end of each fiscal year, prepare and cause to be laid before each house of Parliament a report on the administration and enforcement of the provisions of this Act. 3 Section 43 of the Act is amended by adding the following after subsection (1): Harmonization across Atlantic recreational groundfish fisheries (1.1) Regulations made under paragraph 43(1)(a) must provide for the harmonization, across Atlantic provinces, of close times in Canadian fisheries waters of the Atlantic Ocean that are used for recreational fishing of groundfish, which close times may only be set, for a species, in relation to the spawning period of that species. 4 The Act is amended by adding the following after section 43: Publication of close times and fishing quotas 43. 01 A close time or fishing quota fixed or varied by a variation order made by an authorized person under paragraph 43(1)(m) or any other regulation made under subsection 43(1) must be published on the Internet site of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans at least two months before the day on which it comes into force. 5 Subsection 61(2) of the Act is amended by striking out “and” at the end of paragraph (e) and by adding the following after that paragraph: (e.1) the number of fish caught by any person each day that they engaged in fishing and the total number of fish caught by that person during an open season; and Monitoring System 6 (1) Within one year after the day on which this Act comes into force, the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans must, in consultation with key stakeholders, develop a monitoring system to record, by species, the number of fish that are caught, as well as the time at which and place where they are caught. Factors to be taken into account (2) In developing the monitoring system, the Minister must (a) take into consideration existing models and best practices across Canada; (b) examine the possibility of covering the administrative costs of the monitoring system by fees and penalties that are required to be paid under the Fisheries Act ; and (c) identify measures to incentivize fishers to meet any reporting obligations established by the monitoring system in a timely manner, such as reducing certain fees that are required to be paid under the Fisheries Act .