Renewing the Oceans Protection Plan
Canada’s Oceans Protection Plan plays a critical role in improving our marine safety system so that Canadians can be confident marine shipping is happening without increased harm to the environment. Improvements to our marine safety system—through the Oceans Protection Plan—are the result of valuable collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, coastal communities, the marine industry, environmental organizations, and academia. Each are committed to protecting Canada’s greatest resource—our coasts and waterways—for future generations. Since the Oceans Protection Plan started, over 50 initiatives are being delivered to strengthen marine safety, advance scientific research, and protect coastal ecosystems from coast-to-coast-to-coast. Check out the results so far in our Report to Canadians 2021.
As we look towards renewing the Oceans Protection Plan, we will continue working collaboratively to ensure Canada’s oceans are protected for generations to come.
Tell us what you think using the idea board below.
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Share How can we keep protecting our coastal ecosystems? on Facebook Share How can we keep protecting our coastal ecosystems? on Twitter Share How can we keep protecting our coastal ecosystems? on Linkedin Email How can we keep protecting our coastal ecosystems? linkView All Ideas8 months ago
Please ban fish poison
Using deleterious substances to control invasive fish is both cruel and incredibly dangerous. Even if using potassium permanganate to deactivate the insecticide rotonone after putting insecticides into water to kill round gobys and other “invasive” fish, the damage has already been done. There are no safe or humane uses of vertebrate pesticides. Pesticides are not an appropriate method of euthanasia, and they will still be in the bodies of their victims. Additionally, additives and adjuvants to make the pesticides tasteless, odourless, and stronger, will make the pesticides more dangerous. With or without additives, all pesticides go right up the foodchain. Many birds, fish, mammals eat round gobys, asian carp, and other invasive fish. The piscicide and insecticide Rotenone can stay in the environment for up to six months, and causes seizures, vomiting, breathing problems, muscle tremors, and all sorts of other horrible symptoms, according to the awful toxicity studies on dogs, rats, and bunnies. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/rotenone# Fish do feel pain just as acutely as other animals. www.fishfeel.org The point of using piscicides is to kill off fish undesirable to anglers and commercial fisheries. The goal of “invasive” species control is to improve the fishing industry, not animal welfare. Even if an animal is invasive or a pest, their welfare is still important. Killing every single fish (and subsequently, fish predator) in the vicinity in an attept to control one or two invasive species is ludicrous. The collateral damage caused by these piscicides is not worth it. Please ban all vertebrate pesticides across Canada.
almost 3 years ago
Visualize for the public
1% to 14% Canadian oceans protection from 2015 to 2021 is amazing, however given the size of our country's borders and ocean territory this may be hard to visualize. Can we get a map? Some easy-to-understand statistics? For example, "Canada's protected oceans cover an area the size of X" or "in the last year Canada has added X km squared to our protected oceans, that's an area bigger than ____!" It would also help to highlight some of the protected areas with snapshots of some kind, focusing on key protected species and perhaps a photograph of the area. Looking on our government's own website is a nightmare. While all the information may be there, finding it is a pain, and it's almost entirely told through words and data. People will be hard-pressed to care about something they can't comprehend the significance of. For an excellent example of what clear, impactful messaging looks like check out WWF's page dedicated to the "Coral Triangle" about marine protection efforts in the Philippines: https://wwf.panda.org/discover/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/coraltriangle/ I've also attached one of their key infographics showing at a glance where, what, and why they're protecting areas.
8 months ago
Fish research must be humane
Far too often, fish research involves invasive methods like capturing fish, and often even involves killing fish. Canada is moving away from research methods that harm other animals, it is about time we use Environmental DNA, photography, sound recordings, and other cruelty free ways to study fish. Canada is phasing out toxicity testing on animals. Please switch to animal free methods of testing effluent and other substances. For wild fish and birds, please stop lethal sampling and switch to humane non lethal bio monitoring like is done in humans. https://www.change.org/p/stop-testing-sewer-water-on-laboratory-fish
8 months ago
Please only use cruelty free research
Please phase out commercial and recreational fishing. Many species are at risk because of bycatch, a euphemism for non target animals who are injured or killed in fishing gear. Please protect fish habitat for the sake of the fish, rather than for the sake of anglers. I noticed that “beaver management” and “beaver dam breaching” was mentioned. Lethal management of beavers and other animals is cruel, ineffective, and costly. Please only use non lethal methods. Please avoid animal methods of testing for sewer effluent and other contamination. Canada is phasing out highly expensive, cruel, and inaccurate animal toxicity tests. Please also stop using lethal sampling methods for fish, frogs, etc, and switch to humane bio monitoring of wildlife, using the same methods used for humans and pets. https://www.change.org/p/stop-testing-sewer-water-on-laboratory-fish Please only use humane non lethal exclusion methods to keep animals away from drinking water sources. Lethal methods are cruel, ineffective, expensive, and, in the case of rodenticide, contaminate the watershed. Canadian made alternatives to Vivisection https://www.uwindsor.ca/ccaam/ Non Lethal Beaver management https://thefurbearers.com/downloads/PDFs/Beaver%20Book%20-%202019-10-08%20The%20Fur-Bearers.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1wp4qVXhAiDt3OzeAmlNe5bo35m0opAuPKZ9oLgWYmVk6JNcohAMtlrpI https://www.beaverinstitute.org/?fbclid=IwAR2nZ0zjx5P4EeU5Iq3uUjtnNs7oV3RY3dTrfc6aydZ-pe2Op0DEU3wd4Yw https://beaverdeceivers.com/?fbclid=IwAR0FuQ_fWRsCgG4Tgy4zmdmG8gCX37xdfPjxiknY98OUnSk9kfrW97PwgWQ https://www.animalalliance.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Beaver-Manual_May-2016.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2tlWjDkRgu-vBW9t3SSg9pfOqKN2ESUO3ezIndu9dLjijNa8lnIZt7qdE Non lethal mouse and rat management https://www.facebook.com/RFOntario/ Non lethal cormorant management https://www.greatlakescormorants.com/ Non lethal goose and swan management https://muteswansociety.org/ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/humanely-scare-away-canada-geese https://www.canadageese.org/nlcontrol.html https://www.peta.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/humane-goose-control-pdf.pdf https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-canada-geese
8 months ago
Please protect all wildlife
Currently, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans oversees the conservation of fish, marine mammals, and other marine life. The problem with this is, is that DFO sees fish and marine mammals as “food” and “resources”. It would be better if a neutral organization oversaw the conservation of marine animals. Commercial and recreational Fishing destroys not only fish, but non target animals like birds, marine mammals, turtles, sharks, etc. There are plenty of plant based food alternatives, and cruelty free recreations like photography. Fish watching instead of fishing. Please also invest in marine animal rescue organizations. Please ban places like Marineland that exploit marine animals for entertainment.
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Share How can we make marine shipping safer? on Facebook Share How can we make marine shipping safer? on Twitter Share How can we make marine shipping safer? on Linkedin Email How can we make marine shipping safer? linkView All Ideas8 months ago
Include wildlife centres in rescue and education
Please watch out for wildlife. Please work with Wildlife rehabilitation centres to rescue animals in oil spills. www.hopeforwildlife.net Please watch out for marine animals. Ships can be noisy and confuse whales and other marine mammals. An electric ship with a quiet engine is better. Please add microphones to the ship to hear marine mammals and to get an idea how loud the ship is. Please also use an app like iNaturalist to identify whales in the area. Please work with Hope for Wildlife and the Marine Animal Response/Rescue Society to rescue any animals who are harmed or in danger. I hope the National Wildlife Emergency Response Framework is focused on saving animals. https://tc.canada.ca/en/initiatives/oceans-protection-plan/report-canadians-investing-our-coasts-through-oceans-protection-plan https://letstalktransportation.ca/opp-renew Walrus have been persecuted in countries like Norway (Freya was shot as a nuisance animal after she was spotted sitting on yachts). The UK has taken a more humane approach, by providing walrus who show up with their own “yachts” (rubber platforms). All hunting of walrus in the Atlantic should be banned, and please work with organizations like Hope For Wildlife and Marine Animal Response Society to protect and care for any walruses who show up in the Atlantic ocean.
over 2 years ago
Implement contract offshore fire, salvage, and recovery service for BC West Coast
In October 2021, there was a cargo ship fire off the coast of Vancouver Island. American contractors were dispatched to fight the fire and undertake salvage operations because western Canada lacks the capacity. Canada should adopt requirements for commercial vessels to have contracts with offshore fire services for Canadian waters. This is already done in the USA (and most other maritime trading countries) as a for profit, non agency business. Atlantic Canada has 2 such contractors thanks to offshore oil and gas exploration. The west coast has 2 vessels operated by the Coast Guard, but that is a lot of area to cover (27000km of coast line). It would require seed money to get implemented. Capacity charges from contracts with shippers and potentially adding port fees would allow 24/7 stand by service. I would propose 2 bases each with 1 AHTS vessel with FiFi3 with oil recovery systems, 1 rapid response fire boats, and 1 offshore equipped helicopter with hoists. One base on Vancouver Island, and the other at Queen Charlotte or Prince Rupert ports.
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Share How can we improve our ability to prevent and respond to marine spills? on Facebook Share How can we improve our ability to prevent and respond to marine spills? on Twitter Share How can we improve our ability to prevent and respond to marine spills? on Linkedin Email How can we improve our ability to prevent and respond to marine spills? linkView All Ideas8 months ago
Protect wildlife
Please engage with wildlife rescues like Hope for Wildlife.
8 months ago
Use only cruelty free ways to study pollution
Please avoid animal methods of testing for sewer effluent and other contamination. Canada is phasing out highly expensive, cruel, and inaccurate animal toxicity tests. Please also stop using lethal sampling methods for fish, frogs, etc, and switch to humane bio monitoring of wildlife, using the same methods used for humans and pets. https://www.change.org/p/stop-testing-sewer-water-on-laboratory-fish
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Share How can we better work with Indigenous Peoples, scientists, industry and marine stakeholders to protect our coasts? on Facebook Share How can we better work with Indigenous Peoples, scientists, industry and marine stakeholders to protect our coasts? on Twitter Share How can we better work with Indigenous Peoples, scientists, industry and marine stakeholders to protect our coasts? on Linkedin Email How can we better work with Indigenous Peoples, scientists, industry and marine stakeholders to protect our coasts? linkStart by submitting an idea
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