Risk Assessment Highlights Need for Urgent Action to Prevent Establishment of Asian Carps

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The Great Lakes Fishery Commission today received a much-anticipated report assessing the risk of Bighead and Silver Carps to the Great Lakes. The risk assessment concluded that these two species of Asian carps pose a substantial risk to the Great Lakes if they become established. While the arrival of Asian carps into the Great Lakes is looming, the establishment and the resulting ecosystem damage is not a foregone conclusion if governments take additional action. Read more

Ontario Chapter Open Letter to Minister of Fisheries and Oceans

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The Ontario Chapter of the American Fisheries Society (AFS-OC) has sent an Open Letter to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans to convey concerns regarding the proposed approach to revise the Fisheries Act and other environmental legislation in Bill C-38. In addition, views regarding decisions to close the Experimental Lakes Area (ELA) and the elimination of the National Round Table on Environment and Economy (NRTEE) were expressed. Copies of the letter have also been sent to Fisheries Critics for the New Democratic Party (Fin Donnelly), Liberal Party (Lawrence MacAulay), and Green Party (Janice Harvey). Read more

Economic Development at All Cost?

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The Canadian Aquatic Resources Section (CARS) has sent an second letter to Minister Ashfield expressing concerns over changes to the Federal Fisheries Act and associated policies including the closure of the Experimental Lakes Area. Read more

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Fisheries Act Changes Pending

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The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, announced that the Harper government will introduce changes to protect the productivity of recreational, commercial and Aboriginal fisheries. This means focusing protection rules on real and significant threats to these fisheries and the habitat that supports them while setting clear standards and guidelines for routine projects. It also means strengthening partnerships with provinces and conservation groups as well as creating better tools to ensure compliance and enforce the rules where necessary. Read more

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

2010 Survey Shows Recreational Fishing a Contributor to the Canadian Economy

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The Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Gateway, today announced the results of the 2010 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada which shows the importance of recreational fishing to Canadians, communities and the tourism sector. The 2010 survey is the eighth in a series produced every five years since 1975. The survey provides the definitive assessment of recreational fishing in Canada. Read more

Lampreys of the World

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An annotated and illustrated catalogue of lamprey species known to date – FAO Species Catalogue for Fishery Purposes No. 5 by Claude B. Renaud of the Canadian Museum of Nature Ottawa, Canada. This catalogue provides an account for each of the 39 species. Each species account gives information on the taxonomy including synonyms, common names, diagnostic features of ammocoetes and adults (with drawings of the adult body and oral disc), habitat and biology, geographic distribution (with map), interest to fisheries and references. Read more

Volume XII, Issue II – The Lateral Line

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HIGHLIGHTS:

President’s Message – Dean Fitzgerald
2012 AFS-OC AGM Summary – Brian Morrison
The View from Up Here – Bill Gardner
Student Subunit News – Lee Gutowsky

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Concerns Expressed Over Potential Federal Fisheries Act Changes

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Several groups including Canadian Aquatic Resources Section (CARS) of the American Fisheries Society have written the Fisheries Minister expressing concerns over potential Fisheries Act changes. Read more

Fishes of Toronto

Fishes of Toronto

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Fishes of Toronto – A Guide to Their Remarkable World is part of the Biodiversity Series developed by the City of Toronto in honour of the Year of Biodiversity 2010. A number of the non-human residents of Toronto will be profiled in the Series. It is hoped that despite the severe biodiversity loss due to massive urbanization, pollution, invasive species, habitat loss and climate change, the Biodiversity Series will help to re-connect people with the natural world, and raise awareness of the seriousness that biodiversity loss represents and how it affects them directly. Read more

Ontario

Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services Report

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This 700-page report from the Commission on the Reform of Ontario’s Public Services spans 362 recommendations and urges some major changes to the way Ontario delivers public services. Chapter 13 deals with Environment and Natural Resources and outlines the Need for Transformation. Most responsibility for protecting the province’s environmental and natural heritage falls to two ministries: the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR).

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