Fish Habitat Management Background / Context

Fish need productive habitat to maintain their populations. Development is a natural evolution of human societies and economies and frequently impinges on the capacity of habitats to produce fish. Combining the two in a sustainable manner is a challenge faced by government, industry, development interests, scientists, and recreation and conservation interests. Large amounts of effort and resources are expended to this end, with little focus in the marketplace.

In Canada alone, more than $300 billion over 10 years, in emerging major natural resource development projects (http://www.mpmo-bggp.gc.ca/context-contexte-eng.php) require regulatory approvals, with fish habitat approvals being an important piece of the regulatory puzzle. This value does not include all of the ongoing fish habitat approvals required for individual road, housing, infrastructure, port, etc. projects. Worldwide the dollar value is far greater.

On the other side of the equation, in Canada the fisheries dependent on fish habitat have been estimated to contribute in the range of $ 2.5 billion per year (2005 recreational fisheries Total Direct Expenditures), $5 billion per year (2005 recreational fisheries related Major Purchases and Investments) (Table A.10 - DFO 2005 Survey of Recreational Fishing in Canada 2005)

The Auditor General for Canada indicates that in 2005: 

• the total value of commercial fish landed in Canada was $2.1 billion; 52,805 people were employed in fishing and 29,342 in fish processing; and

• more than 3.2 million adult anglers participated in recreational fishing, which contributed $7.5 billion to the Canadian economy. (Office of the Auditor General for Canada - 2009 Spring Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development).

The U.S. National Fish Habitat Action Plan indicates that "in many waters around the country, fish and the habitats on which they depend are in decline. This is of huge concern to the 44 million anglers who pursue fish recreationally and countless others who depend on them for subsistence and commerce. The contribution of recreational and commercial fisheries alone surpassed $116 billion in 2003."

The proposed National Fish Habitat Conservation Act indicates that, in the U.S., fisheries provide the following contributions to the economy:

• Recreation for 44,000,000 anglers;
• >1,000,000 jobs and approximately $125,000,000,000 in economic impact each year relating to recreational fishing; and
• Approximately 500,000 jobs and an additional $35,000,000,000 in economic impact each year relating to commercial fishing.

In addition, the proposed National Fish Habitat Conservation Act indicates that at least 40% of all threatened and endangered species in the U.S. are directly dependent on aquatic habitats, and certain fish species are considered to be ecological indicators of aquatic habitat quality. It is noted that loss and degradation of aquatic habitat, riparian habitat, water quality, and water volume caused by activities such as alteration of watercourses, stream blockages, water withdrawals and diversions, erosion, pollution, sedimentation, and destruction or modification of wetlands have caused significant declines in fish populations throughout the U.S., especially declines in native fish populations; and resulted in economic losses to the U.S.

These realities create a "nexus" of considerable economic, development, regulatory and public policy activity.

For service providers, suppliers, proponents, regulators, scientists, policy makers and stakeholders, the exchange of information is fragmented. Information is often delivered from an agenda driven perspective.

FishHabitatNexus.com provides an internet crossroads for consolidated objective information on fish habitat management related to:

• Regulatory requirements and processes;

• Options for complying with regulatory requirements; and

• Service providers who can provide solutions for both proponents and regulators.