How you can help the oceans this holiday season - Oceana Canada
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December 19, 2018

How you can help the oceans this holiday season

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Credit: Rafinade

 

It’s that special time of year when we come together with family and friends to celebrate. In many households we show our festive spirit through food, making and sharing culinary creations and enjoying the great dishes of the season. What we prepare differs from home to home, but sharing holiday meals is a common thread that connects us all. Some of those tasty dishes might come from the sea, their origin and how they found their way to your holiday table are a great point of dinner conversation and opportunity to show support for ocean conservation. Here’s how you can help the ocean during the holidays:

Eat smart

When you are at the store preparing for your holiday meal ask questions about where the seafood you select is from and how it was caught. Look for options that are sustainably harvested, here are a few seafood apps that can help you choose something ocean friendly. Unfortunately, in Canada the seafood labels we rely on when choosing seafood don’t tell the full story, but we can change that. Add your name to this petition to put a stop to seafood fraud. You’ll be helping to call on the government to increase seafood traceability and make it healthy for us and the oceans.  Sign the petition here.

Talk fish

No matter where you live, sea side or landlocked, we call this big blue planet home and healthy oceans are critical for all of our futures. Sadly, not everyone feels connected to the ocean but you can help change that by sharing ocean facts with your holiday guests and inspiring more people to learn about all marine life. You can get started by reading the Marine Life Encyclopedia and picking your favourite ocean animal, learning about the state of Canada’s fisheries, or watching a video of incredible ocean ecosystems off the coast of Atlantic Canada and British Columbia.

Decorate the marine life way

Make ocean conservation fun with fish shaped cookies or how about an octopus tree ornament! Get crafty with family and friends and make decorations using leftover materials from around the house, like newspaper, cardboard or plastic. It’s a great way to be creative and give old items a new festive purpose.

Visit the ocean

If you are taking a vacation near the coast this holiday season, or are lucky enough to live close by, take time to visit the ocean. The time we spend enjoying ourselves at the sea keeps us connected to it and is an important reminder of its beauty and wonder.

Give back

While we don’t know what ocean species like whales and sea turtles put on their wish list to Santa, we can imagine they would appreciate the gift of a healthy ocean. You can support them by making a donation towards ocean conservation.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Oceana Canada!

We wish you all a holiday season filled with good cheer. Don’t miss out on what we have planned for ocean conservation in 2019! Stay connected by becoming an Oceana Canada Wavemaker and joining us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram