It is reported that WWF-Canada, in association with Minister Gail Shea and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, will mark Oceans Day today on Parliament Hill with an event promoting sustainable seafood and effective oceans management. Gerald Butts, President and CEO, WWF-Canada, informed that are facing a crisis with their oceans that is already having serious effects on environment, economy and even food supply.
Butts also points out that Canada’s oceans contribute $23 billion a year to Canada’s economy, supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs. He opined that these jobs depend on sustainable management, as was demonstrated by the loss of more than 30,000 jobs when the cod fishery collapsed in the early 1990s. Scientists estimate that 90 percent of the ocean’s large fish – including tuna, marlin, halibut and cod – have already disappeared.
According to Butts there is a strong of government to implement an integrated approach to oceans planning, which means working with retailers, fishing communities, and other stakeholders to ensure environmental, economic and social concerns are well balanced. Galen G. Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited, said that the science and ecology of rehabilitating the world’s oceans are complex and require immediate attention.
