Marine environmental quality: a Canadian history and options for the future

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.