Ocean Law Developments in Canada 2015-2019

In 2015, Ministerial mandate letters charged three federal Ministers with responsibility for reforms on fisheries, protected areas, shipping, and wildlife protection. These commitments, along with the Oceans Protection Plan announced a year later, have resulted in tremendous change in the ocean’s legal landscape in Canada. This report charts progress in four areas:

• Ocean governance
• Ocean protection
• Marine spills
• Marine wildlife

This report was produced by SeaBlue Canada – an alliance of environmental NGOs that are cooperating in advocating for a better protected ocean. SeaBlue Canada is: Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Oceans North, West Coast Environmental Law, and WWF-Canada.