Minister aims to get more out of oceans

Blue Economy Strategy’s goal is to sustainably harvest more resources

The world’s longest coastline belongs to Canada — it’s connected to three oceans — and yet we don’t get as much economically out of our ocean resources as some other countries.

It’s time for that to change, says the federal fisheries minister.

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan on Monday launched the “engagement phase” of the federal government’s Blue Economy Strategy, a sweeping, full-government blueprint for developing this country’s use of its ocean resources.

The “blue economy,” according to the World Bank, is the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.

According to government figures, pre-COVID-19, Canada’s ocean-based economy contributed $31.7 billion a year to the country’s gross domestic product — about 1.6 per cent of the total GDP. That trails countries such as Norway, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, all of whose ocean economies contribute proportionally more to their GDPs, and it’s behind a global average of 3.2 per cent contribution to GDP.

“Over seven million people live on Canada’s coasts. And the ocean economy is something that is extremely important to coastal Canadians.,” said Jordan. “But it’s only 1.6 per cent of our GDP. So, there’s so much potential for growth, for creating jobs for technology development. This is really exciting, because we haven’t had an ocean strategy since 2002. And a lot has changed since then. So, we want to make sure we’re doing everything we possibly can to sustainably develop our oceans.”

This first step will be a series of consultations, as Jordan and fellow federal minsters meet with stakeholders, such as representatives from the tourism, maritime transport, fisheries and aquaculture sectors.

Those meetings will include companies involved in ocean technology, such as the Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship and Sedna Technologies, both located in Dartmouth, N.S., the latter of which produces software to monitor seafood products from sea to plate.

The general public will also get its say, said Jordan, courtesy of a Blue Economy Strategy website, which also launched Monday.

Consultations, she says, will include First Nations on all three coasts.

“There’s no way we would be able to develop a strategy without Indigenous communities,” said Jordan. “Historic knowledge is extremely important. Cultural knowledge is extremely important. We have to remember First Nations have been using the ocean space for thousands of years, and we want to make sure we incorporate what we hear from them absolutely into the Blue Economy Strategy.”

Critics may raise an eyebrow at such comments, given the unfinished business in Jordan’s home province of Nova Scotia.

The Sipekne’katik First Nation launched a moderate livelihood lobster fishery in southwestern Nova Scotia this past September, touching off months of conflict, including violence and racism at the hands of non-Indigenous fishers.

The issue remains unresolved and the Sipekne’katik have said they intend to return to their moderate livelihood fishery at some point when the weather warms.