Press Release
Healthy and sustainable oceans are of critical importance to Canada and the world. They provide food to billions of people worldwide, and are a growing source of recreation and tourism. They sustain livelihoods and create good jobs and also serve as vital corridors for transportation and trade. Encouraging ocean sustainability is an example of how protecting the environment and growing the economy go together.
Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, announced up to $1 million to the World Economic Forum’s Friends of Ocean Action and for the Government of Canada’s support to the United Nations Special Envoy for the Ocean.
The Friends of Ocean Action engages companies, start-ups, academic institutions, civil society and international organizations, and experts with the scale and ambition to fast-track solutions to the most pressing challenges facing the ocean. This includes plastics pollution, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU) and sustainable ocean production, marine protected areas, ocean data and technology and financing ocean innovation.
The UN Special Envoy for the Ocean leads the United Nations outreach efforts inside and outside of the UN system, and monitors the 1400 voluntary on oceans protections commitments, are fully analyzed and implemented.
This funding will help advance the implementation of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.
This investment in ocean sustainability highlights the leadership role Canada is taking internationally to shape and establish policies for marine conservation globally.
Today’s announcement was made during the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi, Kenya, which Canada is co-hosting with Kenya and Japan. It is the first global conference on the sustainable blue economy.
“Canada is putting action behind our international ocean commitments,” said Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s fisheries minister. “We are a reliable partner and proud to support the Friends of Ocean Action and UN Special Envoy for the Ocean. Together, their work in mobilizing action for the conservation and sustainable use of our oceans is making a true difference.”
Peter Thomson, the UN’s special envoy for the ocean and co-chair of Friends of Ocean Action, echoed Wilkinson’s sentiment.
“A healthy ocean is essential to life on Planet Earth. That health is under threat due to climate change, pollution and harmful fishing practices. I welcome Canada’s leadership in mobilizing action from business, civil society, communities, governments and policymakers to implement the solutions urgently needed to conserve and sustainably use the ocean’s resources”
SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada
