On July 26, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced sweeping changes to the national Ministry, with one of the changes being Diane Lebouthillier becoming Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, replacing outgoing Minister Joyce Murray.
Lebouthillier, a member of the Liberal Party, was elected to the House of Commons in the 2015 federal election and represents the Gaspésie-Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine district.
The woman she replaced, Murray, had served as fisheries minister since being appointed by Trudeau in October, 2021. She announced July 25 that she was leaving elected office.
“After much thought and reflection, I have decided not to run again in the next election after my current term,” she said in a statement posted on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter. “My work in politics and time serving my community both federally and provincially as an elected official has been the honor of my life.”
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is responsible for safeguarding the nation’s waters and managing Canada’s fisheries and oceans resources. Among the duties under the agency’s purview are:
- Fishing licenses, permits and funding programs related to fishing, aquaculture and marine mammal harvest.
- Aquatic species in Canadian waters, including fished, farmed and those that are invasive or at risk.
- Marine conservation targets and protected areas, network planning and oceans management.
- Sustainable aquaculture, licenses, regulations, statistics and reporting.
- Navigation and marine conditions, search and rescue, lighthouses and small craft harbors.