The Government of Canada has joined other countries in the Global Ocean Alliance, Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced last week.
The alliance’s goal is to advocate with international partners for ambitious ocean action to protect at least 30 per cent of the world’s oceans through the establishment of marine protected areas and other effective area-based marine conservation measures by 2030.
Since 2015, Canada has worked in partnership with provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, and environmental and industry organizations to increase the protection of its oceans. Canada aimed to conserve 10 per cent of the country’s marine and coastal areas by 2020 and has already surpassed this goal, reaching nearly 14 per cent by August 2019.
According to the government, Canada’s efforts, including the establishment of new marine protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, have also contributed to the international 10 per cent marine conservation target ahead of the 2020 timeline.
The government said it continues to work toward its ambitious target of protecting 25 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2025, working toward 30 per cent by 2030.
“Through the Global Ocean Alliance, we join a growing number of like-minded countries that will advocate internationally for 30 per cent conservation by 2030 around the world. We will work with other countries toward the adoption of new ambitious global biodiversity targets under the Convention on Biological Diversity at the 15th Conference of Parties in Kunming, China in 2021,” the Canadian government said in a statement.
“Canada is joining the Global Ocean Alliance to help galvanize international efforts towards a 30 per cent conservation goal that allows the marine environment and sustainable marine economies to thrive.”
“Canada is proud to join the Global Ocean Alliance, working alongside like-minded countries to advocate for our shared vision of sustainable, healthy oceans around the world. We have made exceptional progress on protecting our own waters, and it is time to move the goal post ahead and reach even farther,” Jordan commented.
In 2019, the United Kingdom established the Global Ocean Alliance to support a global 30 per cent conservation target by 2030 at the Convention on Biological Diversity COP 15 in Kunming, China in 2021.
Including Canada, 22 countries have joined the alliance to date: Belgium; Belize; Cabo Verde; Canada; Costa Rica; Croatia; Fiji; Finland; Gabon; Germany; Italy; Kenya; Luxembourg; Monaco; Nigeria; Palau; Portugal; Senegal; Seychelles; Sweden; the United Kingdom; and, Vanuatu.