Regional Fish Habitat Restoration Priorities
Identifying restoration priorities
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) published the Framework to Identify Fish Habitat Restoration Priorities (“The Framework”) in February 2023. The Framework outlines how DFO in collaboration with partners will identify restoration priorities and the factors to consider when selecting priority restoration activities, opportunities and objectives.
DFO Regions alongside the restoration community are now using the approach laid out in the Framework to identify fish and fish habitat restoration goals and actions. These goals and actions are intended to support the Department’s fish and fish habitat responsibilities as outlined in the Fisheries Act and Species at Risk Act, and foster strategic action toward shared restoration goals and address the growing challenges of habitat loss and degradation.
These overviews present a snapshot of what has been done in each DFO Region in habitat restoration priority-setting. By March 2026, each Region will share their completed work in final 10-page reports that will be available online.
The federal, provincial and territorial governments share responsibility for managing Canada’s fish and fish habitat. As such, it is also important that restoration goals and actions align with Fisheries Management Objectives (FMO) whenever possible. FMOs are the stated biological, ecological and socio-economic goals for a fishery. They may not be explicitly titled as FMOs, and may include provincial fisheries plans, Integrated Fisheries Management Plans, Species at Risk Recovery strategies and action plans, and harvesting or fishing plans developed through co-management arrangements established under land claim agreements.
DFO is looking to understand what Indigenous Peoples, provinces and territories, and others in the restoration community are doing to restore fish habitat. This collaboration will help identify opportunities to best apply offsetting and habitat banking measures when works, undertakings or activities are proposed for development in or near water. It will also help determine how to award grants and contributions in a way that targets the most effective restoration efforts.
Information obtained through engagement and an examination of existing best practices will be used to identify restoration goals and actions that align with DFO policy.
DFO supports restoration through:
- Requiring counter balancing (offsetting) of negative impacts to fish and fish habitat from projects in or near water by restoring, creating or enhancing a similar habitat elsewhere to strive for no net loss of biodiversity.
- Habitat banking, a formalized approach to offsetting where a proponent proactively restores or creates fish habitat in exchange for credits to offset for anticipated future impacts requiring Fisheries Act authorization.
- Development of Recovery Strategies, Action Plans and Management Plans for Aquatic Species at Risk.
- Funding such as the Aquatic Ecosystems Restoration Fund, the Indigenous Habitat Participation Program, the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk, the Habitat Stewardship Program for Aquatic Species at Risk and the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk to support species recovery.
- Aquatic invasive species early detection surveillance, response and management, including Grass Carp removal efforts and Sea Lamprey control in the Great Lakes, as well as providing transfer payment funding such as the Aquatic Invasive Species Prevention Fund.
- Participation in integrated planning processes such as watershed planning.
- Remediation and restoration of aquatic sites through the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan.
Restoration goals
DFO in collaboration with partners is developing restoration goals based on:
- the current state of fish habitat restoration activities
- identified important species, areas and ecosystem functions
- feedback received during engagement
Goals should support long-term outcomes for restoration of fish habitat.
The following biological and ecological factors should be considered when identifying restoration priorities:
Conditions for aquatic species at risk
Habitat where restoration is identified as a need in species at risk recovery documents.
Addresses aquatic invasive species
Habitat or species impacted by aquatic invasive species and/or degraded areas which have lost their natural resilience due to invasive species.
Biodiversity
Habitat in biodiversity hot spots or areas that previously supported high biodiversity.
Conditions in regionally important areas
Habitat in or adjacent to an existing or planned protected or conserved area, or unique, rare, sensitive and/or highly productive, or culturally significant area.
Ecosystem functions
Challenges such as connectivity (e.g., barriers to fish passage), climate change resilience (e.g., carbon storage, climate-induced stress mitigation) or natural processes (e.g., hydrodynamics and morphology), and works required to repair, reinstate or rebuild degraded or impaired habitats.
Regionally important species
Species identified as important in a particular region, or a depleted or declining fish stock.
Engagement
Multi-phased engagement is currently ongoing with federal, provincial and municipal governments, Indigenous Peoples, non-government organizations, industry, academics and other interested parties.
For more information related to engagement on Regional Restoration Priorities, please contact your DFO Regional office.
