The following information has been provided to support Indigenous Peoples, proponents, stakeholders and other partners in better understanding the regulatory and program changes.

Authorizations Regulations

The amended Authorizations Concerning Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Regulations (the Regulations) are in force on October 15, 2026.

The Regulations set out the regulatory requirements to apply for an authorization under the Fisheries Act for works, undertakings or activities that may result in harmful impacts to fish and fish habitat. Amendments to the Regulations are focused on better aligning application information requirements with project risks. Key changes include:

• Simplified information requirements for all applications for authorization
• Streamlined project review when a DFO Technical Standard is followed
• Enabling the Minister to determine offsetting requirements following a project risk assessment
• Exempting municipal and Indigenous governments from financial guarantee requirements
• Strengthened requirements for early engagement of Indigenous groups by project proponents, aligned with regulatory requirements under the Impact Assessment Act

Technical standards

DFO’s first interim technical standard for Installation or Replacement of Watercourse Crossings is available as of October 15, 2026. A technical standard is a new tool which establishes fish-friendly design techniques and incorporates avoidance and mitigation measures to reduce the risk to fish and fish habitat. When proponents follow a technical standard in their application for authorization, the process will be streamlined with less information required.

The watercourse crossing technical standard is available for use, but is considered interim. We encourage you to provide input and feedback on how it can be improved before it is finalized. You can provide comments to DFO by via the FFHPP inbox until January 29, 2027.  Indigenous groups can contact the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program (IHPP) if they are interested in applying for IHPP funding to support their review of the standard.

Additional interim DFO technical standards will be released over the coming months, and will also be open for comments and feedback. DFO will continue to develop and release new tools, guidance and instruments to streamline regulatory processes including additional mitigation procedures, codes of practice and equivalent industry practices. We will continue to notify you and seek your input.

Website and guidance

The Projects Near Water website has been updated to provide a more user-friendly experience that will lead you easily through the information, guidance and other resources that you may be looking for. We have also updated the applicant’s guide to support proponents in understanding what information is required when they apply for a Fisheries Act authorization.

Project Submission Tool

The Project Submission Tool (PST) has been expanded and can now be used to submit an application for a Fisheries Act authorization for your project in or near water. The PST initially launched in December 2025 to enable online notifications when using codes of practice, and it can also be used to notify DFO when following the Maintenance and Repair of Ontario Municipal Drains Regulation.

By using the PST:

• Applicants can notify or apply to DFO directly from their computer, tablet, or phone​
• Information can be saved and completed later​
• Applicants can benefit from a user-friendly interface with improved accessibility​
• Only relevant information needs to be submitted

The PST can be accessed on the Projects Near Water website.

• Interim standard: fish capture and relocation
• Interim standard: planning for land-based erosion and sediment control
• Interim standard: water intake end-of-pipe fish screens

Although these are interim documents, proponents are encouraged to start using them by referencing  them in requests for review and applications for authorization.

Input from Indigenous Peoples has been and will continue to be sought with funding through the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program.

Additional feedback on the Standards is welcome. Please send any comments or questions to the Fish and Fish Habitat Protection Program inbox. Comments received by March 31, 2026 will be considered for incorporation into a final version.

The Offsetting Policy provides direction on undertaking effective measures to offset death of fish and the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, consistent with the fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act. FAQs and a summary of key changes between the 2025 and the 2019 versions of the Offsetting Policy are also available, as well as our 3-page tip sheet Project planning: What is offsetting and how to prepare an offsetting plan. We will be issuing further guidance to support the Offsetting Policy later in 2025, specifically the guidelines for establishing and managing fish habitat banks, guidelines for the development of an offsetting plan, and policy guidance related to the program’s Risk Management Framework and when avoidance, mitigation and offsetting measures are applied.

The Cumulative Effects Position Statement is designed to provide further clarity on the department’s approach to the application of the relevant fish and fish habitat protection provisions of the Fisheries Act during the project authorization decision-making process. It supports decision makers as they consider the cumulative effects of a project, in combination with all other relevant stressors on fish and fish habitat. FAQs on the Position Statement are also available.

This overview:

• provides information about FFHPP’s risk management approach
• serves as a foundation for future engagement on policies, guidance and tools related to how DFO manages risks to fish and fish habitat
• communicates the status of the FFHPP’s Risk Management Framework in the context of the implementation of the Fisheries Act (2019), the Species at Risk Act, the Aquatic Invasive Species Regulations and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

This overview document will also be posted on DFO’s Projects Near Water website.

NOTE that questions or comments must be submitted before February 20, 2024.

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.

Blue markers represent the location of Grass Carp captured in 2023

On June 20th DFO captured one while they were conducting early detection surveillance in the Grand River, near Dunnville. Once analyzed, it was determined the fish was a sterile male that weighed 8.29kg (approx. 18lbs).

On July 3rd a commercial fisher caught, reported and transferred a Grass Carp to the Lake Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) Unit. The fish was then given to DFO, and it was determined to be a fertile female. Upon learning the fish was fertile, MNRF and DFO crews searched the nearby waters for five days and found no additional Grass Carp.

The third capture occurred on August 16th and was captured by a fisherman near Fort Erie, who then reported the fish to the ISAP via the Invading Species Hotline. The fish had been circling near the surface of the water and the angler, recognizing the fish as a Grass Carp, was able to net the fish before reporting it. ISAP then coordinated with DFO and the angler to ensure the fish ended up with DFO biologists the same day. Once analyzed, it was determined to be sterile.

Grass Carp caught August 16, 2023

The interim code is available now for use this season. However, an analysis and review of feedback received will be required before this interim Code of Practice, and the interim Standard and Codes of Practice released August 10, 2023, are published as final. Accordingly, comments and feedback are welcome until November 30, 2023.

Please send any comments or questions to DFO.FFHPP-PPPH.MPO@dfo-mpo.gc.ca.