Climate Change at Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Policy Framework

Georges Lambert, Director, Strategic Planning, Policy Sector

Northwest Atlantic Ocean Climate Change and Impacts – Information Exchange

DFO, Maritimes Region – Science and Policy & Economics

Bedford Institute of Oceanography – February 16, 2010

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Content

• Rationale for Action

• Context in Ottawa

• DFO’s Policy Response

• DFO’s Framework on Climate Change

• Your contribution

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• Climate change is impacting DFO’s areas of responsibility: Management of common property resources (e.g., fisheries, aquatic ecosystems), public services (e.g., Coast Guard, marine safety and navigation) and public infrastructure (e.g., Small Craft Harbours) is becoming increasingly complex as a result of climate change impacts

– Shifting ecosystem dynamics– Melting ice– Sea level rise – Freshwater quality and quantity

• Oceans play a major role in the climate system (e.g., vast reservoir of heat and carbon dioxide; potential for mitigating climate change through, inter alia, ocean fertilization and storage of carbon dioxide)

• International pressures are increasing: Topic of discussion, debate and negotiation in most international fisheries and oceans fora (e.g., OECD, FAO, World Oceans Conference) and efforts increasing elsewhere

– United States climate legislation– Provincial climate change adaptation strategies– Federal programming

Climate change will exacerbate departmental risks and potentially create opportunities

Rationale for Action

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Coastal Sensitivity to Sea-level rise (Shaw et al 1998)

Six risks were identified in DFO’s 2005 Climate Change Risk Assessment

1. Ecosystem and Fisheries Degradation and Damage

2. Changes in Biological Resources

3. Species Reorganization and Displacement

4. Increased Demand to Provide Emergency Response

5. Infrastructure Damage

6. Changes in Access and Navigability of Waters

In Fall 2009, Policy Sector conducted a climate change questionnaire, we heard that certain climate

change impacts are expected to implicate DFO in the following ways: • Sea-level rise: flooding, infrastructure damage

• Changes to sea ice and ice cover: navigability, SAR

• Changes in ocean currents: fish stock distribution and abundance

• Increased frequency of extreme weather: Small Craft Harbours, Real Property

Implications for DFO

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• Criticism from Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) on Government of Canada’s adaptation efforts (2006)

• CESD audit on climate change adaptation governance in progress

• DFO is a targeted department

• OGDs have dedicated B-Base climate change adaptation programming that will expire in 2012

• EC, NRCan, INAC, Health

• Progress on national framework for climate change adaptation under development (Environment Canada lead)

In 2006, the CESD found that the Government had not:

1. Put in place key measures to support Canadians in adapting to a changing climate;

2. Clarified how it intends to manage its own adaptation efforts; or,

3. Organized its activities in climate science to make sure that the federal departments and others obtain needed information

The Lay of the Land in Ottawa

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DFO’s Policy Response• September 2008 – climate change was endorsed by the Departmental Management

Committee as one of four policy priorities for the Policy Integration Committee (PIC)

• PIC Sub-Committee on climate change to guide policy efforts

• Policy efforts informed by science and program efforts across DFO and the federal government at large

– Effectiveness is dependent on engagement from program areas– 2005 DFO Climate Change Risk Assessment as foundation

• Efforts include– Climate Change Dialogue Series– Departmental coordination on climate change at the working level – Participating in government-wide climate change policy efforts– Support for senior-level interdepartmental engagement

• Deputy Ministers’ Committee on Climate Change, Energy and the Environment

Policy Sector, with all sectors and regions will develop a climate change policy framework

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Policy Framework: The Three Pillars

2. Climate Change

Adaptation

1. Climate Change

Knowledge and

Under-standing

3. Climate Change

Mitigation

Leadership in developing policy and programs to ensure the sustainable development and

safe use of Canada’s waters, in the context of climate change

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The policy framework will serve numerous purposes

• Ensure consistent and coherent departmental approach to climate change

• Provide policy foundation for decision-making– Clearly define DFO’s roles and responsibilities– Development of departmental adaptation tools and guidelines– Identifying priority areas for action (e.g., re-engineering of fisheries management

plans)

• Increase DFO visibility and prominence on climate change vis-à-vis government-wide initiatives

– Position DFO within federal climate change policy, program development and investments

Contribution from DFO’s Policy Framework

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Your contribution

• Knowledge

• Climate Change Dialogue Series– 4 events – 4 themes: Taking Stock, Adaptation, Mitigation and Knowledge & Understanding– Open to everyone in DFO; Prominent experts; and,– Will contribute to flesh-out DFO’s framework

• Participation to committee work– Climate Change flagged as prominent issue / threat in:

• SWOT input for the Arctic Vision and Annual Environmental Scan

• Enrich the NCR views with regional, sectoral, program and operations perspectives

– Climate Change

Policy Framework

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Thank you

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Link efforts to addressing climate change through DFO instruments.Work with other departments, stakeholders: domestic and international.

ANNEX I

International• UNFCCC• UNCLOS• NAFO• UN Convention on Biological Diversity • UN Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary

Watercourses and International Lakes

Legislation• Oceans Act• Fisheries Act• Species at Risk Act• Canadian Environmental Assessment Act • Canadian Environmental Protection Act • Navigable Waters Protection Act

Non-departmental Policy• National Security Policy

Departmental Policy• Fisheries Renewal• Emerging Fisheries Policy• Pacific Wild Salmon Policy • Atlantic Fisheries Policy Framework • National Aquatic Animal Health Program

Strategies, Frameworks and Initiatives• National Climate Change Adaptation Framework• Canadian Biodiversity Strategy

– Biodiversity Outcomes Framework • Health of the Oceans Initiative• Atlantic and Pacific Integrated Commercial Fisheries Initiative

Interdepartmental Efforts• F/P/T Biodiversity and Climate Change Adaptation Working

Group• F/T/P Biodiversity Working Group

Stakeholder Initiatives• Assembly of First Nations National Fisheries Strategy 2005-2010Collaborative ToolsCollaborative Tools

Horizontal and Complex File

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GCPedia

D R A F T

ANNEX II

Thank youThank you

http://www.gcpedia.gc.ca/wiki/Climate_Change_at_Fisheries_and_Oceans_Canada