The Threat
The sustainability of wild fish stocks is crucial for our cultures, economies and ecosystems. Healthy wild fish stocks support many other species of wildlife, from bears to eagles to otters and Orcas.
Sadly, one-third of Canada's freshwater fish currently at risk of extinction. Migratory freshwater fish have declined by a staggering 77 per cent. Thirteen species or unique populations have already been lost, and another 62 are considered Endangered such as White Sturgeon and some populations of Pacific salmon.
Something Fishy Going On...
For years, the importance of lakes, rivers, and fish to Canadians has been overshadowed by continuous degradation of their habitats, causing a significant decline in fish populations. The destruction of aquatic habitats has caused a "death by a thousand cuts" in our rivers, lakes, and streams, with thousands of small projects across Canada destroying aquatic habitats and killing fish.
What CWF is Doing
Providing Safe Passage
- Many organizations, communities and individuals are doing important work to study and protect aquatic habitats via stewardship and offering evidence-based policy advice to both governments and industry. The aim is ensure that fish and other wildlife have healthy and safe places to live in our lakes, rivers, wetlands and streams. We are also pushing for much needed improvements to the approval process so that the cumulative effects of small projects are understood, considered and offset.
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Encouraging Lakefront Property Owners to Care for the Health of Their Lake
- Love Your Lake connects shoreline property owners with the information they need to make smart land management choices that improve wildlife habitat, water quality, and the overall health of their lake. The program has been running since 2013. During this time we have successfully assessed 229 lakes and 52,252 shoreline properties.
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Raising Concerns About Gaps in the Fisheries Act
- Freshwater habitat in Canada’s rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal areas is being lost to thousands of small projects that degrade ecosystems and result in migration and dispersal barriers for fish and other aquatic life.
The federal Fisheries Act prohibits direct harm, destruction or alteration of fish habitat, and the death of fish by means other than fishing. It requires that owners of barriers that are harming fish and fish habitat report these harms to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and correct them. The Act gives DFO the power to order any obstruction to fish passage either removed or modified to allow passage. Unfortunately, such requirements are rarely enforced, and these powers are rarely exercised by DFO. This needs to change.
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Offering Turtle and Fishing Hook Resources to Anglers
- CWF has created posters to educate anglers about what to do if a turtle is accidentally hooked. The poster provides some brief tips on what to do and the location of animal rehabilitation centres that will take in turtles to remove the hooks. To date, we have created posters for Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.
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Speak Up for Water & Wildlife
In the Fall, CWF went before the Parliamentary Committee on Fisheries and Oceans and pushed for better implementation of the Fisheries Act during its five-year review. We fought against the cumulative effects caused by thousands of small projects. We also pressed government to instill better enforcement of the Fisheries Act.
Canada’s wildlife can’t speak for themselves, so it’s up to us to speak up for them. We’re asking you to add your voice today. Let the Parliamentary Committee on Fisheries and Oceans know that you care deeply about our waterways and wildlife.
