Presentation Abstract
The creation of strong environmental laws in BC and Canada has improved over the years, however the implementation of these laws is often undermined and their effectiveness to protect ecosystems and communities suffers. The reasons are many but often it’s a question of underfunding of the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms that are necessary to ensure compliance. Other reasons, in particular for regulations that apply to marine and freshwater systems, is the lack of clarity around jurisdictional responsibility and accountability. The confusion around roles, exacerbated by poor communication, results in poor monitoring and response, and laws that are paper dragons only. In this presentation, we will highlight some examples of laws and policies that have been ineffectively implemented in Canada, as well as highlighting some efforts to create more coordinated laws and enforcement regimes (with education components) to address ongoing threats to the Salish Sea. Examples will include Canada’s Species at Risk Act and how a species being listed as endangered is a far cray from actual protection; how managing salmon farms highlights inherent loopholes in preventing pollution and how we’re trying to tackle the regulation and management of abandoned vessels with new programs and regulations, and how they may work better than those in the past with a new approach to monitoring and enforcement that includes community involvement and education.
Session Title
Enforcing Ecological Protections: Challenges and Opportunities
Keywords
Enforcement, Monitoring, Policy, Canada
Conference Track
SSE8: Policy, Management, and Regulations
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE8-519
Start Date
6-4-2018 9:15 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 9:30 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Environmental law--British Columbia; Environmental policy--British Columbia; Law enforcement--British Columbia--Finance
Geographic Coverage
British Columbia
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Monitoring and enforcement of laws and policies in Canada: the bad, the ugly and how we can get to good
The creation of strong environmental laws in BC and Canada has improved over the years, however the implementation of these laws is often undermined and their effectiveness to protect ecosystems and communities suffers. The reasons are many but often it’s a question of underfunding of the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms that are necessary to ensure compliance. Other reasons, in particular for regulations that apply to marine and freshwater systems, is the lack of clarity around jurisdictional responsibility and accountability. The confusion around roles, exacerbated by poor communication, results in poor monitoring and response, and laws that are paper dragons only. In this presentation, we will highlight some examples of laws and policies that have been ineffectively implemented in Canada, as well as highlighting some efforts to create more coordinated laws and enforcement regimes (with education components) to address ongoing threats to the Salish Sea. Examples will include Canada’s Species at Risk Act and how a species being listed as endangered is a far cray from actual protection; how managing salmon farms highlights inherent loopholes in preventing pollution and how we’re trying to tackle the regulation and management of abandoned vessels with new programs and regulations, and how they may work better than those in the past with a new approach to monitoring and enforcement that includes community involvement and education.
