Would it surprise you that historically that has not been the view of the Government of Canada, or within the policy framework of the Government of Canada?
Let me just read from what is still in place. “The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Policy for the Management of Fish Habitat”, 1986, says:
The policy applies to those habitats directly or indirectly supporting those fish stocks or populations that sustain commercial, recreational or Native fishing activities of benefit to Canadians.
It goes on:
In accordance with this philosophy, the policy will not necessarily be applied to all places where fish are found in Canada, but it will be applied as required in support of fisheries resource conservation.
I want your comment on that, but let me add that a supporting policy document a dozen or so years later, in 1998, said this about section 35 of the act, about how that's to be interpreted:
Section 35 is not about the protection of fish habitat for the benefit of fish, but of fisheries.
It goes on to talk about those fisheries: recreational, commercial, and aboriginal.
What do you think of this?