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.
From feeding our families and supporting important industries, to housing diverse species, habitats and ecosystems, our oceans connect us all. Now more than ever, we are seeing the impact that climate change and biodiversity loss has on our marine spaces. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to conserving and protecting our oceans now, and for future generations.
Managing fisheries requires a robust, science-based approach to regenerate, grow, and conserve Canadian and global fish populations for future generations.
On November 16, 2022, the British Columbia (B.C.) Provincial Court found Da Zhou, Zhao Chen, and Ngai Chau guilty of significant violations under the Fisheries Act, including the obstruction of justice and violations of recreational fishing regulations involving rockfish and lingcod. The Honourable Justice Mrozinski delivered her sentence by prohibiting the three men from fishing for a year. She also ordered them to pay a total of $17,500 in combined fines and instructed that all of the defendants’ associated gear involved in the violations, including rods, reels, and lures, at an estimated value of $1,000, be forfeited to the Crown.
Oceans are vital to the livelihoods of communities across Canada, and we face unprecedented challenges and opportunities in our marine environment. One way the Government of Canada can promote innovation and growth in Canada’s oceans economy, or blue economy, is to examine regulatory practices.
Threats like climate change, habitat degradation, pollution, land and water use, acute events like toxic spills and landslides, and fishing pressures have left many Pacific salmon populations at historically low levels.
Aquatic invasive species pose a serious threat to our environment, to species at risk across Canada, and to industries that rely on aquatic resources such as fisheries and aquaculture. This summer, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) collaborated with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) on a pilot project to inspect and decontaminate boats at the international border crossing in Emerson, Manitoba, in order to verify if all watercraft entering Canada were free of Zebra Mussels and other aquatic invasive species.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, closed the two-day Seal Summit, which brought together Indigenous partners, the commercial fishing industry, provincial and territorial representatives, and other stakeholders and experts.
Canadian fishery officers have now completed their work in Operation North Pacific Guard, an annual international law enforcement operation on the high seas of the North Pacific.