 |
Consultation in Progress
ENGO-DFO National Fish Habitat Coordinating Committee
Canadian environmental non-government organizations (ENGOs) are tasked with giving a voice to Canada’s land, water, air and living species. As part of this objective, they make efforts to ensure Canada’s regulatory agencies are acting to enforce environmental regulations and to address gaps in current regulatory regimes. It is within this context that many ENGOs are interested in the mandate and responsibilities of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO).
On October 11th and 12th 2006, representatives from several Canadian ENGOs through a request to the Canadian Environmental Network (RCEN) had a seminal meeting with representatives from the Habitat Management Program (HMP) of the DFO to share information, voice concerns and foster a stronger, more open working relationship.
In closing the October 2006 meeting, Director General Richard Wex noted, “This relationship is important for us to be better aware and to better understand the perspectives that you [ENGOs] bring to the table so that we can have better informed policy decisions, and so that you [ENGOs] can better understand the nature of our program, and understand the art of the possible.”
In January 2007, the Executive Director of the RCEN and the Director General of the DFO Habitat Management Directorate signed a Terms of Reference to direct their co-operative efforts to coordinate activities that allow ENGOs belonging to the RCEN to gather input from and share information with other interested ENGOs from across Canada and report to DFO’s Habitat Management Program.
The Terms of Reference established the joint DFO-ENGO National Fish Habitat Coordinating Committee (NFHCC) to manage the initiative, and committed the parties to jointly support an annual work plan and budget approved by the Executive Director of the RCEN and the Director General of the DFO Habitat Management Directorate.
The purpose of the NFHCC is to provide a forum at the national level for the DFO Habitat Management Program and the ENGO community to share information and perspectives as well as to facilitate progress on common priorities related to the protection of fish habitat.
Current Selected ENGO Delegates:
NFHCC Terms of Reference
Workplans
Annual Reports
NFHCC Meetings
Workshop Proceedings and Reports
PowerPoint Presentations
DFO Publications
Other Resources
For more information, contact Daniel Casselman, RCEN National Caucus Coordinator, tel.: (613) 728-9810 ext. 236 or visit the DFO website.
|
