Canada is expanding efforts to protect its oceans while also developing marine infrastructure and increasing international trade.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a historic $1.2 billion investment in ocean protection, focused on marine conservation, safety, monitoring, emergency response, and protecting marine life.
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Prime Minister Mark Carney Announces Plans to Protect Canada’s Oceans
Speaking in Vancouver on September 29, Prime Minister Mark Carney opened his press conference by emphasizing the need to protect Canada’s oceans.
He highlighted that Canada has increased the amount of its marine and coastal areas under protection from roughly 1% a decade ago to more than 15% today, with a goal of protecting 30% by 2030.
Carney also outlined the government’s goal of balancing economic growth with environmental protection, allowing Canada to expand trade and infrastructure while safeguarding oceans, marine ecosystems, and wildlife.
Initiatives and New Investments
The government is investing $10 billion to transform the Port of Vancouver, while also expanding the ports of Prince Rupert and Stewart and replacing the Massey Tunnel.
According to Carney, these infrastructure improvements would help Canada expand trade without relying as heavily on foreign infrastructure. He said the projects could collectively unlock $100 billion in new trade opportunities and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
The government is also investing $186 million over five years through the Northern Shelf Bioregion Reconciliation Framework Agreement. The funding will support Indigenous partnerships, conservation, emergency preparedness, and waterway management along the West Coast, including the Great Bear Sea region.
However, expanding marine infrastructure will also mean increased ship traffic and greater pressure on marine ecosystems. To address these challenges, the government is investing an additional $9 million in monitoring and enforcement.
The broader $1.2 billion investment will strengthen the Canadian Coast Guard, improve marine traffic monitoring, expand radar and radio coverage, and improve responses to oil spills and other hazardous pollution. A national marine mammal oil spill response plan will also be created to help protect whales and other marine life during emergencies.
Carney also said the government’s strategy is to develop infrastructure alongside environmental protections. This includes efforts to keep underwater noise at current levels and plan vessel activity around whale migration patterns and behaviour.
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