Summary#

This bill orders the federal fisheries minister to create a national framework to conserve fish stocks and manage pinnipeds (seals, sea lions, walruses). It sets content the framework must cover, requires consultations, and sets reporting deadlines to Parliament. It does not fund specific programs or set new penalties.

• Requires a framework within 1 year of the Act coming into force, plus yearly effectiveness reports (Reports to Parliament (1); Annual Report (1)).
• Calls for measures such as yearly pinniped censuses and “year‑round control” when populations exceed “acceptable levels” (Content (2)(b), (e)).
• Directs the framework to regulate pinniped population levels using historic baselines and benchmarks from other northern countries (Content (2)(c)).
• Encourages anti‑predator tools near fishing areas and spawning sites (Content (2)(d)).
• Seeks to address trade barriers and promote making and selling seal products, especially in rural, coastal, and Indigenous communities (Content (2)(f), (g)).
• Requires consultations with provinces, Indigenous governing bodies, and other stakeholders (Federal Framework Development (1)).

What it means for you#

• Households
  • No direct changes to daily life or taxes stated in the bill. Future rules could affect seafood supply and prices if fish stocks change, but impacts are not specified. Data unavailable.
• Workers (fishers, aquaculture, and processors)
  • You may see new policies on pinniped deterrents near gear and sites if the framework adopts measures the bill lists (Content (2)(d)).
  • Year‑round pinniped control could change local fishing conditions when populations exceed set levels (Content (2)(e)).
  • Annual pinniped counts may lead to more data collection in your area (Content (2)(b)).
• Indigenous communities
  • The minister must consult Indigenous governing bodies when developing the framework (Federal Framework Development (1)).
  • Programs to support making and selling pinniped products may target Indigenous communities (Content (2)(g)).
• Businesses (gear makers, deterrent technology, seal product supply chain)
  • Possible new demand for anti‑predator devices if promoted by the framework (Content (2)(d)).
  • The framework aims to reduce trade barriers and promote seal products, which could support processing and retail, subject to external market rules (Content (2)(f), (g)).
• Provincial/territorial and local governments
  • Provincial ministries for fisheries, environment, and trade will be consulted (Federal Framework Development (1)).
  • You may be asked to cooperate on population surveys, control measures, and market development programs if the framework includes them (Content (2)(b), (e), (g)).
• Environmental and animal welfare groups
  • The framework will address “harms caused by pinniped overpopulation” and allow population “control,” which could include controversial measures; the bill does not define methods (Preamble; Content (2)(a), (e)).

Expenses#

Estimated net cost: Data unavailable.

• No fiscal note identified. Data unavailable.
• No explicit appropriations, new taxes, or fees in the bill text. The bill creates duties to plan, consult, and report (Federal Framework Development (1); Reports to Parliament (1); Annual Report (1)).
• The framework must “provide for yearly pinniped censuses,” consider year‑round control when thresholds are exceeded, and establish programs to promote pinniped products, which may require future funding; amounts are not stated (Content (2)(b), (e), (g)).
• Administrative costs for consultations and report publication are implied but not quantified (Reports to Parliament (1)–(2); Annual Report (1)–(2)).

Proponents' View#

• Protect fish stocks and marine ecosystems by addressing pinniped predation and gear damage, which the preamble describes as significant (Preamble; Content (2)(a)).
• Use better data through required yearly censuses to guide decisions and adjust measures over time (Content (2)(b)).
• Set population targets using historic levels and northern‑country benchmarks to keep fish at commercially viable levels (Content (2)(c)).
• Reduce losses for fishers and aquaculture operators by encouraging anti‑predator tools and year‑round control where populations exceed acceptable levels (Content (2)(d), (e)).
• Support rural, coastal, and Indigenous economies by tackling trade barriers and promoting the making and selling of seal products (Content (2)(f), (g)).
• Ensure cooperation and buy‑in by consulting provinces, Indigenous governing bodies, and stakeholders, and by reporting yearly to Parliament (Federal Framework Development (1); Annual Report (1)).

Opponents' View#

• Scientific risk: “Acceptable levels” are tied to historic populations and comparisons to other countries, which may not fit local ecosystems or current climate conditions; the bill does not define methods to set or update these levels (Content (2)(c)).
• Animal welfare and conservation concerns: Promoting “year‑round control” implies lethal or disruptive measures; the bill does not specify safeguards, methods, or monitoring (Content (2)(e)).
• Implementation gaps: The bill mandates censuses and control measures in the framework but provides no funding or timelines beyond the initial framework and annual reports (Reports to Parliament (1); Content (2)(b), (e)). Costs and capacity needs are unknown. Data unavailable.
• Trade limits: The framework must “address trade barriers,” but the bill cannot change foreign laws or international bans; market gains are uncertain (Content (2)(f)).
• Legal and governance risk: The bill directs federal regulation of wildlife populations without detailing how this aligns with existing statutes or Indigenous rights; dispute risks are unclear. Data unavailable.