June 29, 2012 – Controversial changes to Canada’s fisheries laws hit home for public servants Wednesday as the government announced it will reduce staff and centralize habitat offices.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is reducing to 15 the number of habitat offices across the country from its current level of 63.
In Nova Scotia, habitat operations will be centralized in Dartmouth.
Habitat officers oversee environmental assessments. The government expects fewer of these assessments as a result changes made to the Fisheries Act in the 2012 budget. (The act used to require assessments on any project that impacted any fish habitat. Now the law only covers areas where a commercial or recreational fishery is affected.)
As a result, the government will cut 130 habitat officers across the country. Fisheries spokeswoman Erin Filliter wouldn’t say how many positions are being cut in Nova Scotia.
Filliter did say the number of conservation officers across the country would not be reduced, though she did not say how many conservation officers are employed by the department.
She said habitat and conservation officers have similar jobs, with the habitat officers mostly covering inland areas and conservation officers generally covering coastal regions.
Read the full story at the Halifax Chronicle Herald.