Today, thousands of non-governmental organizations (NGOs), large and small, are found in decision making settings globally. Why are they active in these contexts? Do they fulfill particular roles? Do they affect how information is shaped and used by decision makers? Do they succeed in influencing policy development? Although NGOs have existed for many years, to […]
A first for Canada’s “Ocean City,” the Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM) held its 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals at the World Trade and Convention Centre (WTCC) in downtown Halifax. Across from the Grand Parade square at City Hall, the conference packed the WTCC and the adjacent ScotiaBank Centre with all […]
Suzuette Soomai, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program, attended the 9th Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC) in Ottawa, 1-3 November 2017. Suzuette participated in a panel, “Science for Decision-Making at Fisheries and Oceans Canada: The Past, Present, and Future,” organized by the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). The […]
For over 25 years the Gulfwatch Contaminants Monitoring Program of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has annually measured chemical contaminants in the Gulf of Maine, including the Bay of Fundy using the internationally employed Mussel Watch methodology. Designed to “provide environmental and resource managers with information to support sustainable use of […]
Ian Stewart presented a paper at the 40th AMOP Technical Seminar on Environmental Contamination and Response (AMOP), hosted by Environment Canada and Climate Change, 3-5 October 2017, in Calgary. The seminar focused largely on the fate, behaviour, effects and response options to oil spills in marine environments, particularly regarding ice conditions. Over 90 papers, given […]
Suzuette Soomai, Postdoctoral Fellow with the EIUI research program, will participate in a panel organized by the Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) at the 2017 Canadian Science Policy Conference (CSPC), 1-3 November 2017, in Ottawa. The panel, “Science for Decision-Making at Fisheries and Oceans Canada: The Past, Present, and Future,” will discuss the […]
Collaboration, communication, and creativity – the 2017 Sustainable Oceans Conference encouraged participants to consider these three perspectives when addressing today’s coastal and ocean management challenges. This conference, held in Halifax on 22-23 September 2017, provided six members of the EIUI research program with an opportunity to report about current and ongoing research initiatives. Now in […]
Suzuette Soomai, Postdoctoral Fellow with the Environmental Information: Use and Influence research program, attended the 39th annual meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO), 18-22 September 2017 in Montréal, Canada. Over 180 delegates from 11 of the 12 NAFO Contracting Parties attended the meeting. The participants were welcomed to the meeting and to Canada […]
In a recent book chapter in Policy Work in Canada: Professional Practices and Analytical Capacities Bryan Evans and Adam Wellstead explored the working relationship of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and government staff in a policy- and decision-making context (Evans & Wellstead, 2017). In my experience as vice-chair of the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP), this […]
“Current Literature” is a recurring feature highlighting recent publications of interest on the science-policy interface. Despite the fact that Canada has had a formal environmental assessment (EA) process since the 1970s, it remains highly criticized by academics and practitioners alike (MacKinnon, 2017). Currently, the federal government is undertaking a review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment […]