Minister Jordan addresses the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development on the need for a more sustainable blue economy

From: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

News release

September 8, 2020

Ottawa, Ontario -  Canada is an ocean nation. Canadians rely on healthy, marine ecosystems to sustain our economy, our food supply, and our coastal communities. But the ocean is a shared resource that requires global cooperation to protect and manage.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, addressed the need for a more sustainable, blue economy at a launch event for the report: Sustainable Ocean for All – Harnessing the benefits of sustainable ocean economies for developing countries organized by the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

During the virtual event, Minister Jordan discussed how the global pandemic has underscored our vulnerabilities, but also how it offers a chance to create a more resilient and sustainable ocean economy. To this end, the Government of Canada is developing a comprehensive Blue Economy Strategy that will outline Canada’s vision for ocean-related sectors and help guide future actions and investments.

Minister Jordan outlined the Government of Canada’s ongoing work to protect our oceans, pointing to their surpassing of the marine conservation targets to protect 10 percent of our oceans by the end of 2020, reaching nearly 14% in 2019. She emphasized the importance of international partnerships on ocean protections and spoke to ways in which Canada has and will continue to work with its global partners to this end.

The Minister highlighted Canada’s recent action joining the United Kingdom’s Global Ocean Alliance, advocating for the adoption of a global target of 30 per cent marine conservation by 2030 at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP 15 in China next year.

Minister Jordan made it clear that Canada will continue to build on Canada’s 2018 G7 Presidency priority on oceans. Canada will advance the Ocean Plastics Charter, which encourages ambitious international action and cooperation by governments, businesses and organizations to address marine plastic pollution, and implementing the Charlevoix Blueprint on Healthy Oceans, Seas, and Resilient Coastal Communities.

The Minister praised the OECD report and noted how developing countries can utilize its findings and recommendations to create more sustainable, ocean industries. The report is part of the Sustainable Ocean for All initiative launched in 2019 to support developing countries harness the benefits of a sustainable ocean economy.

Quotes

“As an ocean nation, Canada has so much to gain from the blue economy. That’s why we are working to develop a national blue economy strategy to ensure our ocean sectors are more sustainable, and more prosperous than ever before. I commend the work of the OECD, as they draw attention to vital sustainable ocean industries, and bring leaders together to help advance shared goals globally.  Creating a more sustainable blue economy is a global task, and Canada is ready and willing to share its knowledge and work with others in this work on the international stage.

-The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

Quick facts

  • The report Sustainable Ocean for All – Harnessing the benefits of sustainable ocean economies for developing countries provides new evidence and recommendations to guide policy-makers in developing countries and their development co-operation partners towards achieving more sustainable ocean economies: https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/bede6513-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/bede6513-en

  • The report provides the first official estimates of official development assistance for the sustainable ocean economy, new evidence on how development co-operation is supporting sustainability across the spectrum of ocean-based sectors, and how it could help re-orient private finance for sustainable ocean economies.

  • Canada’s ocean economy accounts for $31 billion annually in GDP. It is the source of almost 300,000 coastal jobs with direct benefits in sectors as diverse as fisheries and aquaculture, marine transportation, ocean energy and technology, recreation and tourism.

  • Oceans issues were a major priority of Canada’s 2018 G7 presidency. That same year, the governments of Canada, Kenya, and Japan co-hosted the world’s first international conference on the Sustainable Blue Economy, which was a vital step in helping nations transition towards a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable oceans economy.

Contacts

Jane Deeks
Press Secretary 
Office of the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
343-550-9594
Jane.Deeks@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Media Relations
Fisheries and Oceans Canada 
613-990-7537
Media.xncr@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

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