Mandate

The MCC is an officially recognized body that provides the conservation community with a means to participate as a “stakeholder” in formal consultations with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).  We develop policy positions in Pacific fisheries and marine conservation to provide input to decision-making processes—i.e. an advisory role.

The MCC also advises DFO on the need for consultation processes on specific marine issues and on the design and implementation required to ensure effective representation.

The MCC  strives to accurately represent the interests of the marine conservation community. However, we recognize that there is a diversity of groups working on marine conservation issues in BC and respect the fact that not all interests can be represented by one overarching group. While the primary role of the MCC  is to be an advocate for marine conservation, it does not replace the work being carried out by individual MCC  member organizations, or outside groups.

Furthermore, the MCC in no way supersedes or eliminates the need for other forms of consultation between the conservation community and DFO, but it does provide an important opportunity for the conservation sector to have a seat at consultation tables—an opportunity already available to sectors such as the commercial and recreational fisheries.

Scope

The MCC concentrates on themes covered in the Fisheries Act and the Oceans Act, such as:

• Sustainable fisheries management
• hatcheries
• Wild Salmon Policy
• COSEWIC and SARA
• Science Advisory processes

The MCC is focused on fisheries-related issues and currently participates in DFO consultations on Integrated Harvest Management Plans for fisheries on the North and South coasts.  Other policy issues include fisheries plans for salmon, pelagic and groundfish species (such as rockfish, herring, etc), marine mammals, Wild Salmon Policy, habitat, SARA and COSEWIC processes.