Now is the time to act for Canada to help protect the world’s oceans

As you walk along the seawall that stretches along the coast of Vancouver, you might be lucky enough to see orcas feeding—a reminder of the ocean’s beauty and importance, right outside your door. However, we haven’t always been the best neighbours. Most of the orca families you see are either threatened or endangered. It’s a similar story around the world: overfishing, habitat loss, pollution, and climate change are threatening the ocean and the species that call it home. But there are ways we can turn things around. In Vancouver, academics, policymakers, and conservation professionals from around the world have gathered this week for the fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5), where countries have the chance to chart a course towards a world where we are not just neighbours, but also caretakers of our ocean ecosystems. Strongly protected and effectively managed marine protected areas have positive outcomes not only for marine life, but also for the health and livelihoods of coastal communities. However, only eight per cent of the global ocean is protected, and much of that is weakly regulated. One of the main purposes of the conference is to advance the protection of 30 per cent of the world's ocean by 2030—a promise from the landmark agreement established during the UN Conference on Biodiversity (COP15) in Montreal last December. Canada has made a lot of progress in recent years: just under 15 per cent of Canada’s waters are protected to some degree—a huge leap from one per cent in 2016. But if Canada—and the world—wants to reach its 2030 target and ensure these areas are well protected, a lot of work remains. Jennifer Josenhans is the national co-ordinator for SeaBlue Canada. Photograph courtesy of Jennifer Josenhans One of the ways Canada can reach its goal is through support for Indigenous-led conservation. From coast to coast to coast, First Nations and Inuit communities have identified places to protect for future generations, and many successful projects are already underway. The Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area, for example, combines protection for 3,400 square kilometres of important humpback whale feeding grounds with sustainable community harvesting. Fortunately, the federal government appears to see the potential—recently, it committed up to $800-million towards new Indigenous-led conservation projects. Working with the original stewards of the land and sea, Canada can advance its conservation goals and help redress historic wrongs. We also need to think deeply—pun intended—when it comes to protecting the ocean. Deep sea ecosystems are extraordinary, biodiverse, and poorly understood by science: we discover new species almost every time we explore them. We do know they play a critical role in the broader health of the ocean. We’re hopeful that we will soon see progress on protecting the Pacific Offshore Area of Interest, which could help conserve over 133,000 square kilometres of seamounts and hydrothermal vents west of Vancouver Island—more than two per cent of Canada’s waters. Additionally, IMPAC5 presents an opportunity to counter another threat to deep-sea ecosystems: mining. Unless we stand together against it, mining in international waters could go ahead within the coming months, decimating some of the planet’s last remaining intact ecosystems. During IMPAC5, Canada could join nations such as France, Chile, and New Zealand in calling for a moratorium on deep-sea mining and announce we will not allow our own waters to be polluted by it. Recent polling shows that nearly all Canadians support marine protected areas and want to see more of them. Canadians also overwhelmingly agree that meeting the 2030 target is critical: we've made a promise to the world, and we need to keep it. We hope the delegates take the time to walk along the seawall this week. Being next to the ocean helps us feel better and more connected to nature. It also helps us remember this connection goes both ways: nature depends on the actions we take as individuals, nations, and as a global community. The ocean gives us food, regulates our weather, and is our biggest ally in the fight against climate change. But the ocean is more than that: if we want future generations to be able to experience the awe of an unexpected encounter with a whale—not to mention everything else the ocean gives us—we need to act now. Jennifer Josenhans is the national co-ordinator for SeaBlue Canada, a collaboration of seven organizations with a combined 225 years of experience protecting Canada’s land and water: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Nature Canada, Oceans North, WWF-Canada, and West Coast Environmental Law. The Hill Times