Mr. Chair, as the lead federal department responsible for aquaculture management, Fisheries and Oceans Canada works with the provinces and other federal departments, and together we ensure that the aquaculture industry develops in an environmentally responsible way while remaining economically competitive in the national and international markets.
The management regime has adapted and grown with the industry. All aquaculture operations are subject to rigorous environmental monitoring under a number of federal and provincial acts. They have to meet high standards of environment sustainability. There is no single aquaculture act but, rather, a mix of legal tools for protecting the marine environment, which includes the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act; the federal Fisheries Act, which provides fish, fish habitat and water quality protection; the federal fish health protection regulations, which provide effective disease control; and the federal Species at Risk Act, or SARA, which protects endangered species.
Canada has measures in place to ensure a sustainable, efficient and effective aquaculture sector, and this government will continue to work with partners to foster even further growth.