Regulations Amending the Statutory Instruments Regulations (Miscellaneous Program): SOR/2025-146

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 159, Number 14

Registration
SOR/2025-146 June 20, 2025

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS ACT

P.C. 2025-525 June 20, 2025

Whereas the Governor in Council is of the opinion that it is not reasonably practicable to register the orders referred to in the annexed Regulations due to the number of regulations of that class;

Therefore, Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice, makes the annexed Regulations Amending the Statutory Instruments Regulations (Miscellaneous Program) under paragraph 20(b) of the Statutory Instruments Act ^{footnote a}.

Regulations Amending the Statutory Instruments Regulations (Miscellaneous Program)

Amendment

1 Paragraph 7(j) of the Statutory Instruments Regulations ^{footnote 1} is replaced by the following:

• (j) orders made by a person engaged or employed in the administration or enforcement of the Fisheries Act whereby a close time, fishing quota, type of fishing gear or equipment or limit on the size or weight of fish that has been fixed in respect of an area under regulations made under that Act is varied in respect of that area or any portion of that area;

Coming into Force

2 These Regulations come into force on the day on which they are registered.

REGULATORY IMPACT ANALYSIS STATEMENT

(This statement is not part of the Regulations.)

Issues

As a result of recent amendments to various Regulations made under the Fisheries Act, corresponding technical amendments must be made to paragraph 7(j) of the Statutory Instruments Regulations (SIR) in order to ensure that its wording is consistent with the regulatory framework established under the Fisheries Act.

Objective

The objective of the amendment is to harmonize terms used in the SIR with those used in the Fisheries Act and its regulations.

Description and rationale

The Fishery (General) Regulations, and other regulations made under the Fisheries Act, authorize delegated persons within Fisheries and Oceans Canada or prescribed persons within provincial and territorial governments to issue orders modifying specific provisions under regulations. These orders, commonly referred to as variation orders, allow fishery managers to quickly make adjustments to fishing rules to respond to changing conditions in a fishery.

In the past, variation orders were limited to varying close times, fishing quotas, and limits on the size or weight of fish set in Fisheries Act regulations. The powers to make variation orders were recently expanded to allow variations of fishing gear or equipment.

Given the high number of variation orders issued annually, the SIR exempt them for the registration process. Accordingly, under the SIR, they are also exempted from examination and publication in the Canada Gazette. The exemptions cover variation orders in relation to close times, fishing quotas, and limits on the size or weight of fish, but they do not cover orders relating to fishing gear or equipment.

Paragraph 7(j) of the SIR is being amended to add variation orders modifying provisions relating to fishing gear or equipment in its list of orders under the Fisheries Act that are exempted from registration.

One-for-one rule and small business lens

The one-for-one rule does not apply to this amendment, as there is no change in administrative costs or burden to business.

Contact

Houman Kousha
Manager
Regulatory Affairs
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Email: Houman.Kousha@dfo-mpo.gc.ca