The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Chief John Powell (Winidi) of the Mamalilikulla First Nation, and the Honourable Nathan Cullen, B.C. Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, will announce the establishment of a new marine refuge in the Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala area in Knight Inlet on the coast of British Columbia.
The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, will join the Host First Nations – xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) – in welcoming participants to the Fifth International Marine Protected Area Congress (IMPAC5).
How we manage our oceans is becoming increasingly important as the effects of climate change are felt across Canada and the world. Balancing human activities with the needs of our ecosystems is an important consideration when working to safeguard our marine spaces.
The IMPAC5 Young Professionals Committee is comprised of 15 exceptional young professionals from around the world. This dynamic group was chosen through a worldwide competitive selection process. They bring leadership experience, passion for ocean conservation, expertise in marine protection and a desire to help change the world for the better
Young people from all nations and backgrounds play important leadership roles in marine protected areas and ocean conservation. From the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Conservation Congress in Marseilles to the more recent United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, young professionals are leaning into the conversation and taking action to protect the world ocean.
The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, will announce a partnership with Ocean Wise that will amplify youth voices at the Fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) which takes place next month in Vancouver. Minister Murray will be joined by representatives from the IMPAC5 Secretariat and Ocean Wise.
Canada’s oceans and waterways are home to diverse ecosystems that play an important role in the health of Canadians and the environment. Climate change, pollution and shipping activities can threaten coastal and marine life. Through Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan, the Government of Canada is increasing protections and further preserving these important coastal and marine ecosystems. The former Coastal Restoration Fund had an overwhelming amount of interest which underscored the need to continue funding projects to help restore the ecosystems of Canada’s coasts.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada supports external research to develop monitoring tools, plans, methods and guidance to help better understand how marine conservation areas are affected by environmental changes, and to build scientific capacity with Indigenous groups to increase leadership and participation in marine conservation.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s (DFO) Oceans Management Contribution Program offers $145 million over 5 years to support outreach, monitoring and stewardship, and capacity building initiatives to achieve Canada's commitment to marine conservation targets. The funding is for national projects as well as projects that focus on regional collaboration with key partners across the country.
