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FederalPassed41st Parliament, 2nd Session

Bill S-3 explained in plain English

An Act to amend the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act

Federal Parliament bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.

Short answer

This bill amends the Fisheries Act to improve compliance, enhance international cooperation, and expand enforcement powers through new documentation requirements, forfeiture provisions, and legal mechanisms for international fisheries governance.

At a glance

Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament
Legislature / Parliament
Parliament of Canada
Session
41st Parliament, 2nd Session
Bill number
Bill S-3
Full title
An Act to amend the Coastal Fisheries Protection Act
Current status
Passed
Latest event
Royal assent received
Last updated
Jun 18, 2015

Official Parliament of Canada snapshot for 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. MP vote breakdowns appear when the House of Commons publishes a recorded division export for that bill. Senate and House stage details include official debate/sitting links when LEGISinfo publishes them.

Chamber
Parliament of Canada
Current Stage
Royal assent received
Latest Activity
Jun 18, 2015
Plain-language explanation

AI-generated from official bill text; automatically checked and spot-reviewed.

AI-assisted
Short Version

This bill amends the Fisheries Act to improve compliance, enhance international cooperation, and expand enforcement powers through new documentation requirements, forfeiture provisions, and legal mechanisms for international fisheries governance.

What It Means

This bill amends the Fisheries Act to strengthen compliance measures, enhance international cooperation, and clarify enforcement powers. Key changes include: 1. Documentation Requirements: New subsections (d.1) and (e) to Section 6 require importers to maintain records and implement the Fish Stocks Agreement, improving transparency in fisheries management. 2. Forfeiture Powers: Section 16.01 allows courts to order the seizure of property suspected of being used in illegal fishing activities, expanding enforcement capabilities. 3. International Cooperation: Amendments to Section 6 include provisions for cooperation with international agreements like the Port State Measures Agreement and disclosure to the Canada Border Services Agency, supporting global fisheries governance. 4. Commencement: The Governor in Council will set the effective date of the amendments, allowing for phased implementation. The bill does not specify penalties, fees, or exact implementation timelines beyond the commencement mechanism. Some provisions have low confidence due to unclear text or potential overlap with existing laws.

What This Bill Does
  • Adds new subsections (d.1) and (e) to Section 6 of the Fisheries Act to require importers to maintain records and implement the Fish Stocks Agreement.
  • Introduces Section 16.01 to allow courts to order the forfeiture of property suspected of being used in illegal fishing activities.
  • Amends Section 6 to include provisions for cooperation with international agreements like the Port State Measures Agreement and disclosure to the Canada Border Services Agency.
  • Specifies that the Governor in Council will determine the effective date of the amendments.
Who Is Affected
  • Importers of fish and fish products
  • Fisheries enforcement officers
  • Courts and legal authorities handling fisheries-related cases
  • International partners involved in fisheries agreements
Uncertainties Or Limits
  • Some provisions have low confidence due to unclear text or potential overlap with existing laws.
  • The bill does not specify exact penalties, fees, or implementation timelines beyond the commencement mechanism.
Laws Or Regulations Affected
Fisheries Act
Amended

The Fisheries Act now includes new requirements for import documentation, expanded forfeiture powers, and international cooperation mechanisms to improve fisheries management and enforcement.

Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. Coverage is limited to the official text extracted for this bill version.

Official text

Parliamentary Process

Step 1
First reading
Oct 23, 2013
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Introduction and first reading, Oct 23, 2013
End of stage activity, Oct 23, 2013
Chamber sittings
Introduction and first reading - Oct 23, 2013

We don't have a plain-language summary for Introduction and first reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Nov 20, 2013
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Second reading, Nov 20, 2013
Referral to committee, Nov 20, 2013
End of stage activity, Nov 20, 2013
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Nov 19, 2013

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Sponsor’s speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at second reading - Nov 20, 2013

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Dec 4, 2013
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Committee report presented without amendment, Dec 4, 2013
End of stage activity, Dec 4, 2013
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented without amendment - Dec 4, 2013

We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented without amendment yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Third reading
Dec 9, 2013
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Third reading, Dec 9, 2013
End of stage activity, Dec 9, 2013
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - Dec 5, 2013

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at third reading - Dec 9, 2013

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
First reading
Feb 11, 2014
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

First reading, Feb 11, 2014
End of stage activity, Feb 11, 2014
Chamber sittings
First reading - Feb 11, 2014

We don't have a plain-language summary for First reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 2
Second reading
Sep 18, 2014
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Second reading and referral to committee, Sep 18, 2014
End of stage activity, Sep 18, 2014
Chamber sittings
Debate at second reading - Sep 18, 2014

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at second reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Sponsor’s speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

We don't have a plain-language summary for Response speech yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 3
Consideration in committee
Apr 29, 2015
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Consideration in committee yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Committee report presented with amendments, Apr 29, 2015
End of stage activity, Apr 29, 2015
Chamber sittings
Committee report presented with amendments - Apr 29, 2015

We don't have a plain-language summary for Committee report presented with amendments yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 4
Report stage
May 7, 2015
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Concurrence at report stage, May 7, 2015
End of stage activity, May 7, 2015
Chamber sittings
Debate at report stage - May 7, 2015

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at report stage yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 5
Third reading
May 28, 2015
Completed

We don't have a plain-language summary for Third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Third reading, May 28, 2015
End of stage activity, May 28, 2015
Chamber sittings
Debate at third reading - May 7, 2015

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate at third reading - May 28, 2015

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debate at third reading yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Step 1
Royal assent
Jun 18, 2015
Royal assent, Jun 18, 2015
End of stage activity, Jun 18, 2015
Chamber sittings
Royal assent - Jun 18, 2015

We don't have a plain-language summary for Debates of the Senate yet. The official source linked below is the full record.

Debate and sitting links point to official parliamentary sources when LEGISinfo publishes them. Any plain-language discussion summaries should be generated from those official texts and reviewed before public display.

Vote Summary

No published recorded division

This bill does not have a published recorded division in the current official sources, so representative-by-representative vote counts are not shown.

Sponsor
Claude Carignan
Senator | Conservative Party of Canada | Quebec
Jurisdiction
Federal Parliament

No published representative vote breakdown

The current official sources do not publish a recorded division breakdown for this bill, so there is no representative-by-representative table to show.

Official sources

This plain-English summary is based on official legislative sources and public records. It is intended for civic education and is not legal advice.

How this data is sourced