False promises of environmental protection? An historical analysis of the Fisheries Act and ecosystem destruction in the Jordan River Watershed, Vancouver Island, BC

Since the Fisheries Act was enacted in 1868, a year after Confederation, it has been regarded as one of Canada’s oldest and most important environmental laws. Despite the powerful environmental protections provided by the Fisheries Act, various environmental impact studies conducted throughout the Jordan River watershed show high concentrations of copper, hydrocarbon, and wood waste leaching into the river. In 2014, due to high-level of heavy metal contamination, BC’s ministry of environment designated sites along the river as high risk. This ongoing degradation of fish populations and habitat, in the face of the Fisheries Act whose mandate has been to safeguard from this outcome, raises larger important questions about the extent to which current Federal Fisheries laws can achieve these ends. This research examines the ecological disruption operationalized through the Fisheries Act, a principle piece of Canadian environmental legislation.

Faculty Supervisor:

Douglas Harris

Student:

Partner:

Reciprocity Research Incorporated

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

The University of British Columbia

Program: