Final Fisheries Regulation Amendments: 3 Key Issues Addressed

The long-awaited amendments to federal fisheries regulations codifying key aspects of the Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO) PIIFCAF policies, including prohibitions on "controlling agreements," are finally final. Anticipated since the June 2019 Fisheries Act refresh, the final amendments to the regulations come with some surprises, often differing significantly from the proposed draft amendments the DFO initially released in July 2019. The amended regulations prohibit the transfer of the use and control of the rights and privileges under a licence to fish, with various exceptions including for creditors, inshore family fishing trusts and corporations.

Here's how the final amendments to the Atlantic Fishery Regulations (AFR) and the Maritime Provinces Fishery Regulations (MPFR) deal with three key issues, how they differ from the amendments DFO originally proposed, and what they mean for industry participants.