Friday, May 13, 2016

Renewed commitment to Science focus for DFO announcement

The Federal Fisheries Department is
about to embark on a 197 million
dollar investment into Science of
Oceans and Fisheries studies
Scientists with the Department of Fisheries will be celebrating a renewed commitment to their craft this week from their employer, as Hunter Tootoo the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard announced a plan to hire more scientists for the federal department tasked to protect our Oceans.

“Investing in science also means investing in Canadians by hiring more scientists, which will boost our economy and grow our middle class. This is a smart and meaningful investment, which will allow us to make better, science-based decisions to sustain our fisheries and protect our aquatic environment"

The increased focus on hiring will be part of a 197 million dollar investment into the department will allow the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to make more informed decisions about the nations oceans, waterways and fisheries.

Among some of the target areas for the funding:

More research into ecosystems and improved stock assessment on commercial species and species at risk, including Pacific Salmon, the information to be used towards sustainable fisheries management

More research into the effects of ecosystem stressors like underwater noise pollution and micro-plastics on the aquatic ecosystem.

Additional ecosystem research and improve stock assessments on fish and shellfish that are most important for commercial, subsistence, and recreational fisheries in our three oceans.

Further research on sustainable aquaculture, including the impact on wild species.

The Federal target is to bring 135 more research scientists, biologists, oceanographers and technicians aboard through a recruitment campaign, the largest single recruitment plan designed to restore the process of ocean science.

Job postings will soon be appearing on the Jobs.gc.ca website offering up a range of positions for those with the scientific background to deliver the research into the DFO program.

You can review the launch of the new initiatives from a re-broadcast of the announcement event through the DFO YouTube archive.


The increase towards scientific study on Oceans and waterways comes as the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency reviews a number of large scale industrial projects, the renewed focus on science by DFO will help to reduce the workload on existing employees and assist in the delivery of a full review when it comes to those industrial projects.

Some background on the Minister's announcement can be found below:

Government of Canada Announces New Career Opportunities and Investments in Ocean and Freshwater Science

New Science Investments at Fisheries and Oceans Canada


You can find more items of interest related to the North Coast Fishery and Industry from our archive page here.

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