Statement from Josh Laughren, Oceana Canada’s Executive Director, Regarding the 2021 Ministerial Mandate Letters
Press Release Date: December 16, 2021
Contacts: Lesley Wilmot, Oceana Canada, lwilmot@oceana.ca, 647-535-6326.
OTTAWA, December 16, 2021 — Following today’s release of the Ministerial Mandate Letters, Oceana Canada has released the following statement from Josh Laughren, Executive Director:
“Oceana Canada is encouraged by the commitments to ocean protection in the Ministerial Mandate letters released today. We are ready to work with the government to restore health, abundance and prosperity to Canada’s oceans. Finalizing the implementation of the updated Fisheries Act with strong rebuilding regulations has the potential to swiftly address Canada’s fisheries crisis — currently, less than 1/3 are healthy — and addressing the growing global plastic pollution disaster through a suite of progressive policies will benefit our oceans and the Canadian economy.
These conservation and climate-related mandate commitments are fundamentally connected to the health of communities, economies and the planet, and we deeply believe that action on them will help Canada become stronger than ever. If we let them, oceans hold tremendous potential to mitigate some of the planet’s most pressing environmental challenges, while supporting millions of Canadians living in coastal communities and working in the seafood industry.”
Oceana Canada was established as an independent charity in 2015 and is part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada has successfully campaigned to end the shark fin trade, make rebuilding depleted fish populations the law, improve the way fisheries are managed and protect marine habitat. We work with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits and protect our future.