Prime Minister Carney announces historic investment to protect Canada’s oceans

Canada is an ocean nation. Our three coasts connect us to each other and the world, carry our trade, and sustain hundreds of thousands of livelihoods. With that inheritance comes both opportunities and responsibilities. To realise both, the Government of Canada is developing a national ocean strategy that will better protect our ocean and marine ecosystems, secure our waters, and sustainably build our ocean economy.

We are expanding our strategic infrastructure along the West Coast, including the Port of Vancouver and the Roberts Bank Terminal 2. While this will help diversify our trade and reinforce our sovereignty, it will also place increased pressure on our ocean ecosystem. Canada must be prepared. To effectively and sustainably build out our marine infrastructure, we will first protect our oceans.

To that end, today the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced an historic investment of $1.2 billion to better protect Canada’s oceans and the life they sustain. The measures renewed and introduced today will increase monitoring, strengthen ocean science and ecosystem protections, and improve our marine incident prevention and preparedness.

These measures build on the ambitious work underway that is cementing Canada’s position as a global leader in ocean conservation. The government’s landmark initiatives so far include a new nature strategy, A Force of Nature, to protect 30% of Canada’s oceans by 2030, an Atlantic salmon program and a renewed Pacific Salmon Strategy Initiative, and nearly $260 million in new measures to protect whales from vessel traffic and noise. To date, the Government of Canada has invested $3.2 billion in new systems, research, and personnel that will protect our oceans and marine life.

To accelerate and expand that work, the Prime Minister announced the following new investments today.

As marine traffic grows, Canada's new government will invest more than $740 million over the next four years to strengthen ocean conservation. We will:

To specifically protect marine life, Canada's new government will build on the recent renewal and enhancement of whale protection measures and invest a further $136 million over the next four years to:

To strengthen Indigenous partnerships and conservation efforts on the West Coast, the government will:

In the coming months, the government will release the other two pillars of Canada’s ocean strategy: our plans to secure our waters and to build our ocean economy. Much of this work is underway, with historic investments to strengthen our ports, small craft harbours, and fisheries. All of this work will accelerate as Canada prepares to welcome the world for the 12th Our Ocean Conference in May. We will convene governments, Indigenous leaders, scientists, and coastal communities to turn ambition into concrete action to protect our oceans at home and around the world.

“The further we reach in our ambitions, the greater our responsibility to protect what we have inherited. So as we build our economy, we are conserving our environment through one integrated plan. We can and will do both. We will build major infrastructure, diversify our trade, and create hundreds of thousands of jobs – safely, responsibly, and in ways that protect our oceans for generations to come.”

The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada

“Healthy oceans depend on the people who protect them. These historic investments will give our conservation and protection officers modern tools to protect our oceans, coastlines, and natural habitats. Canadians can be proud of the front-line work our officers do every day, making sure our resources remain healthy and productive for generations to come. And through a renewed and expanded Oceans Protection Plan, we're working with Indigenous and coastal communities to respond quickly when marine emergencies happen and safeguard the ecosystems our fisheries depend on. As we build our ocean economy, we must do so safely and collaboratively, with those who depend on our oceans.”

The Hon. Joanne Thompson, Minister of Fisheries

“Canada’s oceans are vital to our communities, our economy, and our way of life. Together, we are building a safer marine transportation system that supports communities, safeguards our oceans for future generations, and keeps Canada’s supply chains moving reliably and sustainably. The Oceans Protection Plan is a Canadian success story, and we are building on that success to keep our waters safe and our economy moving.”

The Hon. Steven MacKinnon, Minister of Transport and the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

“Canada’s Nature Strategy recognises that protecting nature means protecting our oceans and the incredible ecosystems and species they support. Our oceans are essential to Canada’s biodiversity, economy, coastal communities, and way of life. Through this investment, we are taking action to protect and conserve our waters, ensuring Canada’s oceans remain healthy and resilient for generations to come.”

The Hon. Julie Aviva Dabrusin, Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature