2nd Session, 41st Legislature

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Bill 23

THE FISHERIES AMENDMENT ACT

(Assented to                                         )

HER MAJESTY, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, enacts as follows:

C.C.S.M. c. F90 amended

1

The Fisheries Act is amended by this Act.

2

Section 1 is amended

(a) in the definition "Director", by adding "Wildlife and" before "Fisheries";

(b) by repealing the definitions "corporation" and "producer"; and

(c) by adding the following definitions:

"licensed fish dealer" means the holder of a fish dealer licence issued under the regulations; (« commerçant de poisson autorisé »)

"processing facility" means a facility in which the processing of fish takes place; (« installation de traitement »)

"purchase" includes to offer to purchase; (« achat »)

"retail establishment" means a commercial establishment that is equipped with operating refrigeration facilities and that is authorized to serve or sell food, and includes a restaurant or food store; (« établissement de vente au détail »)

"sell" includes to offer for sale. (« vente »)

3

The heading for Part I is amended by striking out "FRESHWATER FISH".

4

Sections 3 to 8 are repealed.

5

The following is added as section 8.1:

Fish dealer licence requirement

8.1(1)

Subject to sections 9 and 10, no person shall purchase or sell fish in Manitoba unless he or she holds a fish dealer licence issued in accordance with the regulations.

Application to exports

8.1(2)

Subsection (1) applies even if the fish is to be exported from Manitoba.

6

Sections 9 and 10 are replaced with the following:

Purchase only from licensed fish dealer

9(1)

No person shall purchase fish in Manitoba, except from a licensed fish dealer.

Sale only to licensed fish dealer

9(2)

No person shall sell fish in Manitoba, except to a licensed fish dealer.

Application to exports

9(3)

This section applies even if the fish is to be exported from Manitoba.

Exceptions to licensing and sale requirements

10

Nothing in sections 8.1 and 9 prohibits

(a) the sale of fish by the owner or operator of a retail establishment directly to a consumer at the establishment, if all fish sold at the establishment have been purchased from a licensed fish dealer;

(b) the sale by a fisher of fish that he or she caught directly to a consumer in Manitoba;

(c) the sale by a fisher of coarse fish that he or she caught directly to a fur farmer; or

(d) the purchase or sale of fish by persons who are not licensed fish dealers when authorized by the regulations.

7

The following is added after section 10:

Processing facility licence requirement

10.1(1)

No person shall operate a processing facility unless he or she holds a licence for that facility issued in accordance with the regulations.

Exceptions

10.1(2)

Subsection (1) does not apply

(a) to a processing facility operated by a fisher, if the only fish processed at the facility have been caught by the fisher;

(b) to a processing facility operated by a licensed fish dealer; or

(c) to a processing facility located at a retail establishment.

8

Section 11 is amended

(a) by adding the following after clause (c):

(c.1) restricting or prohibiting the marketing of a specified species of fish, or fish from a specified area of Manitoba;

(b) in clause (f), by striking out "packing," and substituting "processing,";

(c) by adding the following after clause (f):

(f.1) prescribing standards for the design and operation of processing facilities;

(d) by replacing clause (g) with the following:

(g) authorizing persons other than licensed fish dealers to purchase or sell fish in Manitoba, and imposing restrictions or requirements on such persons;

(e) by replacing clause (h) with the following:

(h) respecting fish dealer licences and processing facility licences, including

(i) applications for a licence,

(ii) eligibility requirements for a licence,

(iii) requiring the holder of a licence to provide a bond or other security to ensure that the holder complies with the requirements of this Act,

(iv) the imposition of terms and conditions on a licence,

(v) prescribing the fee payable for a licence,

(vi) establishing the term of a licence,

(vii) the suspension, cancellation and reinstatement of a licence, and

(viii) the records to be kept by the holder of a licence and the provision of those records to the Director;

(f) by adding the following after clause (h):

(i) respecting the operations of licensed fish dealers;

(j) respecting the operation of licensed fish processing facilities;

(k) exempting a person or a class of persons from one or more of the requirements of this Part;

(l) exempting a specified species of fish from the application of this Part;

(m) respecting any matter the minister considers necessary or advisable to ensure that the marketing of fish is carried out in a sustainable manner.

9

Subsection 14.3(10) is amended in the part before clause (a) by striking out "Every person to whom a licence has been issued" and substituting "Every person who is required to hold a licence in order to engage in specified activities".

10

Subsection 17(3) is amended by striking out "this Part" and substituting "this Act".

11

Subsection 25(1) is amended by striking out "the corporation,".

12

Section 26 is amended by striking out "of the corporation".

13

Sections 29 and 30 are repealed.

Manitoba no longer a participant under federal Act

14

The Government of Manitoba hereby withdraws from the participation agreement it entered into under the Freshwater Fish Marketing Act (Canada) and Manitoba is no longer a participating province under that Act.

Transitional — Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation

15(1)

For the one-year period after this Act comes into force, the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation is deemed to be a licensed fish dealer and it is not required to obtain a fish dealer licence in that period.

Transitional — special dealer licence

15(2)

If a person holds a Manitoba special dealer licence issued by the Freshwater Fish Marketing Corporation when this Act comes into force,

(a) the Manitoba special dealer licence is deemed to be a fish dealer licence; and

(b) the person is not required to obtain a fish dealer licence until the person's Manitoba special dealer licence expires.

Transitional — processing facility

15(3)

A person who operates a processing facility when this Act comes into force is not required to obtain a licence for that facility until 90 days after this Act comes into force.

Coming into force

16

This Act comes into force on July 1, 2017.