In 2009, Fisheries and Oceans Canada published the Policy on Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas. To support the implementation of this policy, a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) process was initiated to: assess the distribution of fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters from 2005-2014, evaluate the overlap between fishing effort and Significant Benthic Areas (SiBAs), and identify areas of potential conservation concern. Although Research Document 2018/15 (Koen-Alonso et al. 2018), detailing this work, has not been updated since publication, the methodology outlined within it is still used to generate updated fishing effort layers as new data becomes available. This record illustrates cumulative fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters from 2005-2022, and is based on commercial logbook and vessel monitoring system (VMS) data. Fishing effort has been standardized into percentiles, whereby the top 20th percentile of intensity (cell values ≥20) represent cells containing the most intense fishing activities.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Coastal Environmental Baseline Program supports the collection of ecological information on the current state of key coastal ecosystems across Canada. This initiative aims to acquire environmental baseline data (physical, chemical and biological) contributing to the characterization of important coastal areas and to support evidence-based assessments and management decisions for preserving marine ecosystems. From this page, you will find links to the data from projects undertaken from 2018-2022 at six coastal sites across Canada.

Since the 1990s, Global Affairs Canada (GAC) has supported the international dimension of Canada’s Arctic priorities through a series of funds. In 2020, these funds were expanded and became the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative (GALI), designed to bolster Canadian leadership and enhance participation of Arctic and northern Canadians in international forums. The joint evaluation and audit of the Global Arctic Leadership Initiative (2020-21 to 2023-24) examined strengths, gaps and opportunities, particularly in terms of program processes, and assessed whether a management framework was in place to support effective program delivery and the management of funds. The evaluation found that GALI’s activities have become increasingly relevant within an emerging context in which Canada seeks to express its presence in the Arctic. Initial underspending was worsened by the COVID pandemic and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, and the inability of some implementing partners to use budgeted funds. The context of the Arctic posed challenges, including the need to adapt approaches to work with small, Indigenous or non-traditional implementing partners who may not always have a track record with GAC, which required more intensive support from program staff. GALI funding was essential to support Arctic Council initiatives with other government departments, yet opportunities for collaboration on broader Arctic issues remain. The GALI Mission Fund was fundamental in advancing Canadian Arctic priorities through Canadian missions abroad, despite challenges arising from the closure of the Canadian International Arctic Centre (CIAC). The evaluation and audit underscored that while the program has integrated some elements of a distinction-based approach and taken steps to improve engagement with Indigenous partners, program staff do not yet have clear practical guidance from the department in terms of supporting Indigenous engagement. The audit highlighted that appropriate steps were taken to deliver the program in accordance with the Treasury Board submission and terms and conditions. However, its procedures for assessing, implementing, and monitoring projects were not fully documented, posing risks for consistency and knowledge transfer. While the program was delivered in accordance with requirements, the evaluation found that GALI's processes and requirements were not sufficiently adapted to partners' capacities or the context of low-monetary-value projects of short duration. The program’s flexibility helped to alleviate these issues; however, challenges remained in balancing risk management with mitigating the administrative burden for partners. These challenges go beyond GALI and reflect key departmental challenges in transforming processes called for in the 2023 Future of Diplomacy Discussion Paper.

The Ecosystem Status Report series reports on overviews of the status of ecosystems, oceanographic conditions, biological communities, and other integrative evaluations of status of areas, from local to very large spatial scales. Prior to 2003, the standard oceanographic conditions reports were published in the Stock Status Report series.

In 2021, the Canada Coast Guard (CCG) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada updated its administrative boundaries following the creation a new Arctic region. There are now 4 administrative regions in CCG (Western, Arctic, Central and Atlantic). DFO and Coast Guard Arctic Regions developed these regions in partnership with the people they serve; this important decision will lead to stronger programs and services to better meet the unique needs of our Arctic communities. DFO and CCG operations and research cover Canada's land and waters to the international boundaries (EEZ) and are in no way limited to the boundaries drawn in the map.

NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration lead a multi-agency research team including the Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC), students from the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and scientists from the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the United States Coast Guard (USCG) designed experiments to evaluate the capabilities of various technologies such as multispectral and thermal sensors, to characterize oil in ice environments. This information is used to help responders understand the particular strengths of different technologies to characterize oil in broken ice environments. This project involved 2 separate experiments which were conducted on near the shore of the Beaufort Sea in Alaska at the DOE testing facility at Oliktok Point and at the Kuparuk River between May 31st and June 6th and aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Sir Wilfrid Laurier between July 25th - 28th, 2022. The findings of these studies will be used to support spill response and assessment activities in open water ice environments throughout the navigable waters of the US.

In 2021, the Canada Coast Guard (CCG) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) updated its administrative boundaries following the creation a new Arctic region.There are now 7 administrative regions in DFO (Pacific, Arctic, Ontario and Prairie, Quebec, Gulf, Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador). DFO and Coast Guard Arctic Regions developed these regions in partnership with the people they serve; this important decision will lead to stronger programs and services to better meet the unique needs of our Arctic communities.DFO and CCG operations and research cover Canada's land and waters to the international boundaries (EEZ) and are in no way limited to the boundaries drawn in the map.

This series documents the scientific basis for the evaluation of fisheries resources in Canada. As such, it addresses the issues of the day - in the time frames required for management - by providing progress reports on ongoing investigations. The research documents use scientific and technical terms and are published in the official language in which they are provided to the secretariat.