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“We are very concerned that the changes announced today will have a chilling effect on much-needed development projects, especially in rural areas,” they said.

But Martin Olszynski, an assistant professor in the University of Calgary’s law faculty who used to work as a lawyer for the Fisheries Department, said the number of reviews is “plainly way too low.”

“There’s definitely more activity in the watershed that’s having an impact on fish and fish habitat,” he said. “I guess it’s a question of asking what is the right number.”

This is really a starting point

Industry groups have so far given a muted response to the amendments as they await the government’s reforms to the environmental assessment process and the National Energy Board, expected this week.

Ron Bennett, president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, said the pre-2012 Fisheries Act was “really cumbersome,” and created major delays for farmers seeking to do minor work like clearing drainage systems on their land. He’s encouraged that the proposed changes would clarify codes of practice for small projects, but said the devil’s in the details.

The Mining Association of Canada said it would “need time to review the proposed amendments to understand the implications for the mining sector and future projects.” The Canadian Energy Pipeline Association said it will hold off on commenting until it sees “the full scope of changes.

The legislation also places greater emphasis on Indigenous rights. One amendment would require that the fisheries minister consider any traditional knowledge provided by Indigenous communities when making decisions, but that knowledge would not be revealed to the public or to project proponents without written consent from the Indigenous group.

Jeff Langlois, a Vancouver-based lawyer who represented several First Nations during the consultation on the government’s environmental reforms, said many Indigenous groups are concerned about “sharing traditional knowledge in the public sphere.” For instance, information about hunting spots is often closely guarded, he said.

• Email: mforrest@postmedia.com | Twitter: MauraForrest