OTTAWA, Ont. – May 3,
2013 – Canada’s Environment Minister, the
Honourable Peter Kent, and Canada’s Fisheries
and Oceans Minister, the Honourable Keith
Ashfield, met with members of the Hunting
and Angling Advisory Panel (HAAP) over the
past two days.
“This second meeting
of the Hunting and Angling Advisory Panel
allowed for the exchange of knowledge and
expertise on ongoing national and regional
issues related to conservation,” said Minister
Kent. “The Government of Canada recognizes
the importance of basing future conservation
practices on input from Canadians who have
a long-standing tradition of conservation.
We are proud to work collaboratively with
these organizations committed to the protection,
and promotion, of Canada’s environment.”
“We recognize the importance
of consulting with Canadians who have a
long-standing tradition of conservation,”
said Minister Ashfield. “We look forward
to working with them, through our Fisheries
Conservation Partnerships Program, to help
conserve fisheries by investing $10 million
in partnerships that will improve fisheries
habitat and productivity.”
During these meetings
with Environment Canada and Fisheries and
Oceans, the Panel had positive discussions
pertaining to changes to the Migratory Bird
Regulations, the Canadian Wildlife Habitat
Conservation Stamp, and the Fisheries Conservation
Partnership Program.
The HAAP serves to advise
the Government of Canada on a range of federal
policies, programs and activities related
to conservation, hunting, trapping and angling.
Its contributions help to ensure that the
government's decisions are based on inclusive
and broad-based advice directly from participants
in these communities.
Members from hunting,
trapping, angling and conservation organizations
were appointed to this Panel in May 2012,
following an announcement by Prime Minister
Stephen Harper.
The inaugural meeting
was hosted by Minister Kent in October of
2012. The Panel is expected to meet twice
annually.
The Panel is composed
of a wide cross-section of both national
and provincial organizations.
+ More
Harper Government Delivers
on Clean Air Commitments for Canadians
TORONTO, Ont. - May
24, 2013- Canadians will soon benefit from
improved air quality, Environment Minister
Peter Kent and Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq
announced today, as a result of the new
Canadian Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS).
"We are implementing
a new system to improve outdoor air quality
for all Canadians, in collaboration with
the provinces and territories," said
Minister Kent. "These new air quality
standards are proof of our commitment to
environmental protection, today and for
generations to come."
The new standards lower
short-term limits and introduce new limits
for long-term exposure for particulate matter
and ground-level ozone, which are two major
components of smog. The CAAQS set objectives,
based on health considerations, for outdoor
air concentrations for these pollutants.
They were developed collaboratively by Environment
Canada, Health Canada, the provinces and
territories, stakeholders from industry,
and health, environmental and aboriginal
organizations. The CAAQS are more stringent
and more comprehensive than the current
Canada-wide Standards for fine particulate
matter and ground-level ozone.
"The quality of
the air we breathe can have a direct impact
on our health," said Minister Aglukkaq.
"These new air quality standards are
an important part of Health Canada's mandate
to protect the health of Canadians."
These new air quality
standards are the first concrete step towards
implementing Canada's new Air Quality Management
System (AQMS), which has been agreed to
by provincial, territorial and federal environment
ministers at the Canadian Council of Ministers
of the Environment. It allows all levels
of governments to work collaboratively and
efficiently to respond to the different
air quality challenges across the country.
