Canada's Ocean Act aimed low when it charged its Fisheries and Oceans department with protecting its marine areas. But over a decade later, it has still fallen far short of that 10% goal. And at the current pace, adds Canada's environment comissioner, it will take decades more to reach it.
In the meantime Australia has protected three times that amount and recently announced its aim to create the largest network of Marine Protected Areas in the world. Lagging far behind, Canada currently protects less than 1% of its national waters, says Canada Parks and Wilderness Society.
With the world's longest coastline, Canada should be the leader in protecting its waters, but instead, says CPWS, it has neglected these marine ecosystems and put them in "serious trouble." CPWS is calling for 12 new protected areas, and Canada should at least aim for the 20-30% full habitat protection goal recommended by the World Parks Congress.
Tell Canada, stop lagging behind on marine protection. Protect your oceans!
We, the undersigned, are not only concerned that Canada's has failed to meet its marine protection target, but that its target falls abysmally short in the first place.
There are a number of reasons why Canada should be the leader in marine protection, and it's unacceptable that it has fallen far behind Australia and been surpassed even by the state of California.
CPAWS says it's essential for the future well-being of Canada's oceans that the country complete a network of marine protected areas within the decade, but it's going to take a stronger commitment than what it has shown in the recent past.
We believe Canada should at the very least aim for the 20-30% full habitat protection goal recommended by the World Parks Congress. And after setting a more appropriate goal, it should take that target seriously and immediately step up efforts to achieve it.
We request that Fisheries and Oceans to do whatever it takes to bring Canada up to speed on marine protection.
Thanks for your time.
