Acts and Regulations

Federal

The Canadian Act is the Act that allows for the creation, management and protection of wildlife areas for wildlife research activities, or for conservation or interpretation of wildlife.

Fisheries Act

The Fisheries Act is the Act that empowers Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to conserve and protect fish and fish habitat across Canada.

Marine Mammals Regulations

All marine mammals are subject to the provisions of the Marine Mammal Regulations under the Fisheries Act. The federal Government recently amended the Marine Mammal Regulations to provide greater protection for marine mammals including Canada’s at-risk whales. One of the objectives of this regulation is to avoid disturbance related to watching whales and other marine mammals.

Migratory Birds Convention Act (MBCA)

The Migratory Birds Convention Act provides for the protection of migratory birds through the Migratory Birds Regulations and the Migratory Birds Sanctuary Regulations. The majority of the approximately 450 species of native birds hosted seasonally in Canada are protected under the MBCA. Hunting migratory birds in Quebec is federally regulated by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) through the MBCA.

Oceans Act

The amended Oceans Act provides the Federal Government with tools to conserve and protect Canada’s unique coastal and marine areas, notably Marine Protected Area and the Coastal Restoration Fund.

Species At Risk Act (SARA)

The purposes of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are to prevent wildlife species in Canada from disappearing, to provide for the recovery of wildlife species that are extirpated (no longer exist in the wild in Canada), endangered, or threatened as a result of human activity, and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.

Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulations of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA)

The purpose of the Wild Animal and Plant Protection and Regulation of International and Interprovincial Trade Act (WAPPRIITA) is to protect certain species of animals and plants by regulating their interprovincial and international trade and to protect Canadian ecosystems from the introduction of harmful species.

Provincial

An Act Respecting Threatened or Vulnerable Species

The objective of this Act is to protect biological diversity and to prevent the extinction of wildlife and plant species in Québec. In accordance with the Regulation respecting threatened or vulnerable wildlife species and their habitats, the gouvernement du Québec has listed some species that are found in the EMR.

An Act Respecting the Conservation and Development of Wildlife

The objective of this Act is the conservation of wildlife and its habitat, their development in keeping with the principle of sustainable development, and the recognition of every person’s right to hunt, fish, and trap in accordance with the law.

An Act Respecting Hunting and Fishing Rights in the James Bay and New Québec Territories

The Act Respecting Hunting and Fishing Rights in the James Bay and New Québec Territories notably implements Section 24 of the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. According to this Act, some species are, on the territory of application of the regime, reserved for the exclusive use of JBNQA beneficiaries who may exercise their right to harvest throughout the year. This Act provides for the process of determining and revising guaranteed harvest levels.

Territorial

Nunavut Wildlife Act

The Inuit right to harvest and access to land for harvesting is protected within the act. The act also sets out to protect and permit the designation of endangered or threatened species and the provision of special management areas.