Water & Oceans

Commercial trawling in the designated coastal zone is blocked for the breeding season, removing a routine source of trawler-caught landings. Firms and operators that depend on mechanised trawler supply must plan for interrupted intake and constrained operations for the duration of the ban.

The amendment removes a single national restriction layer and shifts permitting control to provinces, enabling local authorities to redefine protected zones and approve projects that were previously blocked under national glacier protections.

Regulatory tolerance for repeated supply and pollution failures has fallen, so firms face a higher probability of formal enforcement action. Regulated water companies will be required to accept external oversight of monitoring data and to carry out mandated remediation rather than rely on self-reporting.

Resumption of extraction is conditional on completing the nature-impact assessment mandated under the Flora‑Fauna‑Habitat Directive, creating a legal prerequisite before any enforceable production permit exists. Regulatory authorities and the operator are legally barred from relying on prior approvals to continue production while the assessment is outstanding.