Inside Regulatory Affairs - December 2022

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is pleased to share with you that the Blue Economy Regulatory Review is officially underway as part of the third round of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Targeted Regulatory Reviews.

During the Blue Economy Strategy engagement, many stakeholders cited regulatory issues as barriers to sustainable growth and innovation within the blue economy. This Review will respond directly to those comments and build off previous consultations, helping us to identify improvements that can be made to our existing regulatory frameworks, as well as informing the development of new frameworks for emerging ocean sectors. The goal of this Review is to ensure that new and existing frameworks support innovation and economic growth, while ensuring Canada’s robust standards for health, safety, security, and environmental protection are maintained.  

Input from ocean industry stakeholders, Indigenous peoples, other levels of government and other organizations or individuals interested in regulatory issues related to the Blue Economy, is being sought through the Blue Economy Regulatory Review project (https://letstalkfederalregulations.ca/blue-economy-regulatory-review/) using the online engagement platform being piloted by Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Let's Talk Federal Regulations. The consultation focuses on five key themes that stem from stakeholder input on the Blue Economy Strategy to date, seeking additional input in these areas to support effective and targeted action. The themes, guiding questions, and instructions for submissions are found on the project page. Comments are sought by March 17, 2023.

Following the completion of this engagement period, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, alongside other government departments, will use your input to develop a Regulatory Roadmap. This Roadmap will lay out concrete plans to advance regulatory modernization in support of prosperity, sustainability and innovation within the blue economy.