canada tagged posts

Fifteen First Nations are assuming stewardship of a vast network of marine protected areas in their traditional territories that span two-thirds of Canada’s West Coast. The Great Bear Sea MPA Network, an unprecedented initiative co-developed with the B.C. and federal governments, is the result of two decades of work, said Christine Smith-Martin, executive director for Coastal First Nations.

The Indigenous-led initiative, also known as the BC Northern Shelf MPA Network, involves 100,000 square kilometres of ocean and stretches from Northern Vancouver Island to the border of Alaska. It was formally endorsed and celebrated on Sunday at IMPAC5, a global marine conservation summit underway in Vancouver.

The territories of the Nations involved, includes the Great Bear Rainforest conserv...

Canada has the world’s longest shoreline, one that borders the Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific oceans. The country also has a diverse population, many parts of which have centuries-old traditions centered around life by the sea. In part due to these factors, the country is creating a culturally inclusive approach to marine protection that could serve as a model for other nations that serve such a wide range of stakeholders.

This approach is evident off the Pacific coastline of British Columbia, where the nutrient-rich North Pacific Ocean current runs through rocky archipelagos, kelp forests, and deep fjords that are home to great temperate forests and the Coast Salish Indigenous peoples...

Oceana Canada’s latest annual report on the state of Canada’s fisheries was released today, revealing that the health of fish populations has declined over the past three years and the government is not acting with the speed and rigour needed to rebuild depleted stocks. Unless this changes, Canada cannot ensure a sustainable seafood industry or one that can adapt to global threats to the ocean, such as climate change, pollution and habitat destruction.

Fishery Audit 2019 provides an in-depth analysis of the state of Canada’s fisheries and tracks progress on how well the government is meeting its policy and management commitments.

Since its launch in 2017, the number of fish populations in a critical state has increased to 17 per cent (from 13...