Today's Ocean Health Is Tomorrow's Future

An impressive 40 per cent of Canada's surface area - a vast six million square kilometres - consists of ocean territory. Canada’s fishery provides incomes and livelihoods to many coastal communities. Globally, oceans produce half of the world’s oxygen.

Yet our oceans are in deep trouble. From sea to sea to sea, the effects of pollution, overfishing, and climate change pose constant threats to marine ecosystems. Right now, less than 0.1 per cent of Canada’s oceans are protected. We can all do more to restore and maintain the health and majesty of our ocean environment.

Read on to find out how you can join the David Suzuki Foundation to help make a difference.


What's New

Check out the latest Marine Scene Newsletter or catch up on missed issues here!

Canada is presently developing a national policy on fishing gear impacts to the sea floor. Dragging our Assets: Toward an Ecosystem Approach to Bottom Trawling in Canada is a new report looking at the current extent and ecological impacts of bottom trawling in Canadian waters.

Action needed to prevent salmon homelessness! Our new salmon habitat handbook: Zoned RS-1 (Residential Salmon) and our investigative report: High and Dry are now available. 

The Marine Stewardship Council has released the draft assessments for Canada's Pacific sockeye salmon fisheries (http://www.msc.org/html/content_493.htm). The public can comment on these assessments until November 30 (an extension was granted). We are reviewing the assessments and have some concerns.

Check out the 2007 seasonal Pacific salmon SeaChoice assessment  here (PDF 38.5kb). The assessment summarizes the status of Pacific salmon in 2007 and provides recommendations on some of the better and worse sources of Canadian wild salmon for consumers.


What You Can Do

• Choose sustainable seafood the next time you have fish for dinner
• Urge the Prime Minister to commit to protecting Canada's oceans
• Hear what the experts have to say

Learn More About the Issues Affecting Our Oceans

  Healthy Oceans
 Find out more about marine ecosystems, what the David Suzuki Foundation is doing to protect them, and how you can help.


  Sustainable Fisheries
 Find out how fish can be sustainably harvested.