Regulatory changes to the Endangered Species Act

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Ontario protects species at risk and their habitats through the Endangered Species Act, 2007 (ESA).

As part of efforts to improve the effectiveness and implementation of the species at risk program, amendments are proposed to several regulations made under the ESA.

Specifically, amendments are proposed in four key areas:

  1. Regulatory amendments regarding habitat protections for Redside Dace
  2. Regulatory amendments regarding select conservation fund species and related administrative changes
  3. Regulatory amendments to add newly listed species to existing conditional exemptions and other administrative changes to conditional exemptions
  4. Regulatory amendments regarding the conditional exemption for early exploration mining

Feedback and input from the public, Indigenous communities, and stakeholders on these proposed changes are invited. This consultation closes at 11:59 p.m. on February 20, 2024. See https://ero.ontario.ca/notice/019-8016 for more information.

Let’s Go for a Swim! Aquatic Species at Risk in Ontario, Prairies and Arctic

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Let’s Go for a Swim! Print and colour some aquatic species at risk in Ontario, Prairies and Arctic, including Grass Pickerel, Spotted Gar, Lake Sturgeon, Redside Dace, Bigmouth Buffalo, and more.

Aquatic Species at Risk Ontario, Prairies, and Arctic
The Ontario and Prairie Region of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) includes Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Ontario, while the Arctic Region includes the Yukon North Slope, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Nunavik, Nunatsiavut, and Hudson and James Bay. This boundary is inclusive of Inuit Nunangat. The purpose of Canada’s Species at Risk Act (SARA) is to conserve, protect and recover Endangered or Threatened species, and to encourage the management of species of Special Concern to prevent them from becoming further at risk. The Act aims to prevent indigenous species from becoming extirpated or extinct and preserve biodiversity within Canada.

Not all aquatic species at risk in Canada are shown in this book. For more information, including critical habitat and distribution data for all aquatic species listed under SARA, check out DFO’s National Aquatic Species at Risk Map.

2023 AFS-OC AGM Synopsis

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A synopsis of the 2023 AFS-OC Annual Meeting and Conference held March 10–12, 2023, at Bayview Wildwood Resort, in Severn Bridge has been posted. See photos, poster presentations and review highlights of the event.

Employment Opportunity – General Manager

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Reporting to the Board of Directors under the general supervision of the Chair, the General Manager provides overall administrative and technical leadership to the operations of the corporation.

The Anishinabek/Ontario Fisheries Resource Centre (A/OFRC) is a not-for-profit corporation established by agreement between the Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation and the Ontario Minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry to further the knowledge and conservation of fisheries resources of interest to member First Nations.

See the job notice for further details and to apply.

New Link – Canadian Aquatic Barrier Database

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A link to Canadian Aquatic Barrier Database (CABD) has been added to the Links page under the Organizations / Associations category.

The CABD is a standardized, curated, central, and open repository for barrier and connectivity data in Canada. It is a tool to support work in a variety of fields and sectors related to freshwater connectivity and aquatic barriers.

Currently, the CABD offers data for three feature types: dams (and associated structures), waterfalls, and fishways.

Instream Barrier Removal Workshop Presentations

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Presentations from the recent AFS-OC Instream Barrier Removal Workshop – November 29, 2023 at the Tiffin Centre for Conservation, Utopia, ON are available for viewing on the Continuing Education page.

Volume XXI, Issue II – The Lateral Line

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HIGHLIGHTS:

President’s Message – Erik Tuononen
2024 AFS-OC AGM & Conference
Student Subunit Update
Changes to Ontario Fish Names – Rob Eakins
Barrier Mitigation Workshop – Brian Morrison
Snorkelling for Fish – Sarah Steele
New Record of Spotted Gar – Nathan Lujan, Mary Burridge, Brenna Wells
Wil Wegman Tribute – Kate Gee, Eva Bobak
Book Review – Swamplands: Tundra Beavers, Quaking Bogs, and the Improbable World of Peat by Edward Struzik
Fish Focus – Brassy Minnow – Siobhan Ewert

Download

154th American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting – September 15-19, 2024

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AFS 2024, Honolulu, Hawaii

Theme “Conserving Fishes and Fishing Traditions through Knowledge Co-Production”