The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), also referred to as Fisheries and Oceans Canada, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for the management and safety of Canada's waters.
The department mandate is largely focused on the conservation and alottment of quotas for salt water fisheries on the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic coasts of Canada. The department works toward conservation and protection of inland freshwater fisheries, such as on the Great Lakes and Lake Winnipeg through cooperative agreements with various provinces, however the federal government is constitutionally mandated for the saltwater fisheries only.
To address the need for conservation, the department has an extensive science branch, with research institutes in various locations across the country. Typically the science branch provides evidence for the need of conservation of various species, which are then regulated by the department. DFO also maintains a large enforcement branch with peace officers (known as Fisheries Officers) used to combat poaching and foreign overfishing within Canada's Exclusive Economic Zone.
The Department is responsible for several organizations, including the Canadian Coast Guard and the Canadian Hydrographic Service.
The current Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is Geoff Regan.
