The board prepared a proposal to DFO, requesting them to withdraw from the collection of Personal Fishing Registration (PFR).  In the Fall 2016 they received word from the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada offering his support-in-principle of the proposal. There was agreement to work collaboratively over the next 24 months towards a more detailed negotiation of the proposal’s content and implementation plan. The Minister also instructed DFO to begin the process necessary to amend registration requirements in relevant federal regulations (which included industry consultation).

The regulatory amendments were passed in December 2020. Now that this has been completed, this board will then administer a registration system in the Province of Nova Scotia and the funds collected from that will be used to run the organization.

Yes – this board is new as a result of merging together the Maritimes and Gulf region of Nova Scotia in order to form one board under the Fish Harvesters Registration and Certification Act of Nova Scotia. This group has been working on “professionalization” in the Province of Nova Scotia. The concept of what this group is doing is not new. The move towards having a professionalization program in place has been going on since the early 90’s.