Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the federal lead for safeguarding Canadian waters and managing Canada’s fisheries, oceans and freshwater resources.
The DFO enforces the following key legislation:
- Oceans Act: implements plans for the integrated management of activities affecting estuaries and coastal and marine waters. The Agency is also responsible for coast guard services and for marine science services.
- Fisheries Act: manages and controls commercial, Aboriginal and recreational fisheries, as well as aquaculture operations. Note, most inland fisheries are managed by the provinces.
- Species at Risk Act: While this legislation is primarily overseen by Environment and Climate Change (ECCC), DFO is responsible for aquatic species at risk.
- Coastal Fisheries Protection Act: regulates access by foreign fishing vessels to Canadian ports and Canadian fisheries waters. The Agency issues licenses authorizing foreign fishing vessels to enter Canadian fisheries waters to engage in specified fisheries-related activities.
- Canada Shipping Act, 2001: Led by Transport Canada (TC), the act sets out the Canadian Coast Guard’s responsibility for search and rescue and lighthouses, including lights, signal buoys and beacons.
- Fishing and Recreational Harbours Act: oversees the use, management and maintenance of harbors listed in Schedule I of the Act, and has the power to undertake projects and to lease scheduled harbors to any person.
The DFO regulates the following programs:
Program conditions
Conditions may apply to determine if data needs to be submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, please refer to the DFO regulations: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fisheries-peches/index-eng.htm
For information about the data element rationales for each Program, visit:
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/prog/sw-gu/data/dfo-mpo-eng.html#s1.
For Data Element Matching Criteria Tables complete with HS Tariff Classification cross-reference please refer to
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).
