Federal Aquaculture Act Consultation Submission Letter

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Preserving and protecting over 450 islands and surrounding waters in the Salish Sea 
Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola  Galiano Gambier  Lasqueti  Mayne  North Pender  Salt Spring  Saturna  South Pender  Thetis 
 
 
 
200-1627 Fort Street, Victoria BC  V8R 1H8 
Telephone  (250) 405-5151    Fax  (250) 405-5155 
Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 604.660.2421.  Elsewhere in BC 
1.800.663.7867 
Email  information@islandstrust.bc.ca 
Web  www.islandstrust.bc.ca 
 
 
 
January 14, 2021      File No.: 5020-20 Aquaculture-Shellfish 
 
Via email: AquacultureConsultations.XMAR@dfo-mpo.gc.ca 
 
Aquaculture Management Directorate 
Fisheries and Oceans Canada 
200 Kent St (10th floor) 
Ottawa ON, K1A 0E6 
 
Dear Directorate:   
 
Re:  Federal Aquaculture Act Consultation 
 
On behalf of Islands Trust Council, please accept the following submission in response to Fisheries and 
Oceans Canada’s (DFO’s) request for input on the development of a new Federal Aquaculture Act and DFO’s 
Discussion Paper: A Canadian Aquaculture Act. We have highlighted some priority areas of concern with 
regards to reconciliation, environmental protection and enforcement.  
 
Islands Trust Mandate to Preserve and Protect 
Islands Trust is a special-purpose government and federation of twenty-six locally elected trustees holding a 
regional mandate to “preserve and protect the unique environment and amenities of the Islands Trust Area 
for the benefit of the residents of the Trust Area and of British Columbia generally, in cooperation with 
municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, other persons and organizations and the government 
of British Columbia” (Islands Trust Act). We work to fulfill this mandate primarily through sustainable land 
use planning and regulation, conservation, advocacy and education.  
 
The Islands Trust Area is located within Coast Salish territory and is the homeland to over 28,000 Coast Salish 
Peoples who have called this place home since time immemorial. Located in the islands and waters of the 
Salish Sea between the British Columbia mainland and southern Vancouver Island, the area encompasses 13 
major and more than 450 smaller islands, covering 5,200 square kilometers. The Islands Trust Area is one of 
the most productive marine ecosystems in the world and includes the highest density of species at risk in 
Canada. The ecological significance and sensitivity of the region, and the need for protective measures, were 
internationally recognized in 1973. 
 
Islands Trust’s 13 local trust committees and Bowen Island Municipality have land use zoning authority for 
waters in the Islands Trust Area, and determine, through engagement with First Nations and island 
communities, the suitable location for aquaculture in the region. 
.../2 
 
 

Aquaculture Management Directorate  
January 14, 2021 
Page 2 
 
Preserving and protecting over 450 islands and surrounding waters in the Salish Sea 
Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola  Galiano Gambier  La

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