Bill C-629 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (invasive carp)

This bill was last introduced in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2015.

Sponsor

Brian Masse  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of Oct. 1, 2014
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Fisheries Act to prohibit the importation of invasive carp that has not been eviscerated. It also prohibits such invasive carp from being sent or conveyed from one province to another, as well as from being sold or possessed. It establishes that a contravention of these prohibitions constitutes an offence punishable by summary conviction or on indictment and sets penalties.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

Fisheries ActRoutine Proceedings

October 1st, 2014 / 3:05 p.m.
See context

NDP

Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-629, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (invasive carp).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduced an act today to amend the Fisheries Act to deal with invasive carp.

Currently, more than 20 federal and provincial policies and regulations are used to keep Asian carp out of the country, but they vary from province to province, and fines are often subjective and issued by judges.

Why would we need to do this? It is because we need to provide protection for our ecosystem, protection for our fishing industry, and protection for our sport fishing industry. Asian carp are intrusive and eat the types of materials that other fish do, which ends up starving our fish population. They are very dangerous, as we have seen in the Mississippi River.

The bill would change the system and would be a pan-Canadian strategy. First, it would make it illegal to import live, invasive carp of all types and would require that any dead carp be eviscerated or technically gutted. Second, it would allow the Canadian Border Service Agency to seize and send carp back to their country of origin immediately. This is important for our men and women on the front lines in Canada so that they are able to defend us with this actual protection.

Last, it would increase fines. They would be $15,000 for individuals and $75,000 for companies guilty of smuggling in Asian carp on the first offence. The fines could rise to as much as $1 million and $4 million respectively for repeat offences.

It is vital that we start protecting our Great Lakes and other Canadian waterways from these invasive species. This bill is a step in that direction.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)