Government cuts programs it recently pledged to strengthen

OTTAWA, ON, June 24, 2026 /CNW/ - The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) is sounding the alarm over another round of cuts at the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), warning that the federal government is cutting the experts responsible for delivering the species recovery and marine conservation efforts it recently pledged to strengthen.

The reductions are part of a further $100 million in planned DFO cuts, targeting the experts behind Canada's marine conservation efforts, habitat restoration programs, fisheries management systems and the public oversight Canadians rely on to protect their oceans.

The cuts come after more than 180 experts, including 40 habitat restoration scientists, were affected by reductions in January 2026, and just weeks after the federal government announced major new investments to strengthen species recovery, marine conservation and nature protection. PIPSC says cutting the experts responsible for delivering those commitments raises serious questions about how those goals will be achieved.

"We were shocked to see these programs targeted again," said PIPSC President Sean O'Reilly. "Just weeks ago, Canadians were told these efforts needed to be strengthened. Now the government is cutting another $100 million from the very people and programs responsible for delivering them. The government says oceans are a priority, but these cuts tell a very different story."

The largest regional impact is in Newfoundland and Labrador, where PIPSC members help manage and protect marine spaces to support the long-term sustainability of Canada's oceans, balancing the needs of fisheries, shipping, oil and gas, conservation, recreational use, tourism and other ocean users. PIPSC notes that these cuts come just weeks after DFO announced major changes to the province's recreational food fishery, including expanded fishing days in some areas and conservation limits in others, underscoring the importance of the resource managers who set and oversee catch limits, licence conditions and other measures that ensure oceans are managed sustainably -- expertise that is now being cut.

"Decisions about how Canada's oceans are used and protected shape entire coastal communities," said O'Reilly. "Those decisions require science, enforcement, and local knowledge behind them. Cutting DFO expertise puts more risk on the long-term sustainability of our oceans and the communities and industries that depend on them."

PIPSC is also raising concerns about the federal government's growing emphasis on private-sector investment and financing models for conservation while reducing public sector expertise. The union notes that recent government plans emphasize attracting private capital into nature protection initiatives even as scientists, conservation specialists and resource managers within DFO face further reductions.

"At the same time the government is cutting public experts, it is talking about expanding private sector involvement in nature protection," said O'Reilly. "Nature is not a business asset. Canada's oceans, fisheries and ecosystems belong to all Canadians, and protecting them requires strong public institutions and independent experts whose only mandate is the public interest."

PIPSC is calling on the federal government to halt further cuts to DFO professional capacity before more damage is done. The union will continue to support affected members through the Workforce Adjustment process and fight for continued employment wherever possible.

"Canadians may not feel the consequences of these cuts immediately," said O'Reilly. "But they will show up over time through weaker habitat protection, delayed species recovery, greater pressure on fisheries and coastal communities, and the erosion of the independent public oversight and expertise that protects Canada's oceans for future generations."

PIPSC represents over 80,000 public sector professionals across the country, most of them employed by the federal government. Follow us on Facebook, on Bluesky and on Instagram.

SOURCE Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)

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