Marine environmental quality: a Canadian history and options for the future
Abstract In Canada, the Minister of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has the federal authority to develop a national approach on marine environmental quality (MEQ). The minister is given this authority by federal legislation entitled the Oceans Act . The department recently published an integrated management framework document under the Oceans Act that situates MEQ within the context of ecosystem-based management. That approach is described here, with suggestions for future options. The history of federal interdepartmental co-operation in developing MEQ concepts is chronicled.