Is the federal government sending water protection up the river?

Are northern Alberta’s oil sands compromising the environmental protection of the whole country? That’s what environmental groups are asking after the federal government proposed changes that would alter the way Canada’s lakes, streams, rivers, and oceans are protected from industrial development.

On April 24 the federal Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada Keith Ashfield an­nounced that the government intends to update the Fisheries Act, which has legislation that currently forbids “any work or undertaking that results in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat.” The proposed changes would change “fish habitat” to the more specific “commercial, recreational, or Aboriginal fisheries.”

The act oversees all bodies of water in Canada, including the lakes, rivers, and streams in Lac La Biche County.

In a statement, Ashfield said the current Fisheries Act makes no distinction between “vital waterways, lakes and rivers that support Canada’s fisheries and small bodies of water that may not even be home to fish,” and said that the changes will make the laws easier to enforce.

“We have been clear that the current rules governing the protection of fish habitat are indiscriminate and unfocused and do not reflect the priorities of Canadians,” Ashfield said. “We are committed to making sure our rules protect the fisheries that Canadians value and the habitat that supports them … while minimizing restrictions on everyday activities that have little to no impact on Canada’s fisheries.”

A STREAM OF OPPOSITION

While the changes have found support from Ducks Unlimited Canada and the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters, criticism for the revisions is pouring from all corners. Environmental groups, the federal NDP party, and even retired Fisheries ministers have all said the changes are unnecessary and would be harmful for Canada’s environment.

Simon Dyer, Policy Director for the Canadian think-tank Pembina Institute, said the revisions to the Fisheries Act would weaken environmental protections for rivers, lakes, and streams across the country. Since everything in the environment is connected – small streams flow into rivers, which pour into lakes, and so on – Dyer said that every body of water needs to be protected, not just the lakes and rivers that are established fisheries.

“It represents a very significant rollback of environmental protections that Alberta and Canada rely on,” Dyer told the Post. “The Fisheries Act is some of Canada’s strongest environmental legislation, and the outlined revisions basically would mean that the vast majority of fish-bearing bodies of water would not get protected.”

JUST PART OF SWEEPING CHANGES

Dyer said that the changes to the Fisheries Act are just one part of sweeping changes the Harper government is trying to make to Canada’s environmental framework. Bill C-38, introduced by the government late last month as “An act to implement certain provision of the budget,” also includes proposed changes to the Canadian Environ­ment­al Assessment Act (CEAA), shortens the list of protected species in Canada, and would give cabinet the ability to override decisions made by the National Energy Board – which is currently part of approvals for Enbridge Inc.’s Northern Gateway Pipeline.

Dyer said the changes all point towards a government working to­wards streamlining big energy projects like the Northern Gateway – the proposed pipeline that would transport Alberta oil sands crude to the west coast and onto China and other markets. But he cautions that by weakening environmental safeguards, Canada runs the risk of further souring their international reputation as rampant polluters who would sacrifice the environment for oil sands revenue.

“If you look internationally, there’s no evidence to suggest that Canada’s regulations are higher than any other country – in fact, it’s the opposite,” Dyer said. “By removing environmental regulations, it’s damaging to the industry in the long term: it communicates to other countries that we’re not serious about regulating our energy production.”

CHANGES NOT FINALIZED

Bill C-38 is still before the House, and needs to pass further readings before it is implemented.