At the H2O conference in Halifax, the Honorable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced the publication of the Blue Economy Regulatory Roadmap. This roadmap outlines actions the Government of Canada will take to support innovation and economic growth in Canada’s oceans. It focuses on five main areas: marine renewable energy and environmental protection, marine spatial planning, maritime autonomous surface ships, ocean technology, and sustainable fishing gear and practices. The Roadmap responds to what we heard from Canadians during months of public consultation and offers paths to support communities and businesses that rely on the ocean economy to make long-term investments in solutions that enable innovation and advance sustainability.
The development of the roadmap was led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) in partnership with Natural Resources Canada, Transport Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, and the National Research Council of Canada, as part of the Targeted Regulatory Reviews initiative coordinated by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
Canada needs healthy ocean spaces to transform our ocean economy to a sustainable blue economy. This roadmap will help drive enduring results by advancing a Government-wide approach that understands how better protection for the oceans is key to prosperous livelihoods and communities.
Quick Facts
- In 2022, DFO and TBS launched the Blue Economy Regulatory Review (BERR), which looked at how regulation affects ocean innovation. The review examined regulatory practices that are bottlenecks to economic growth and innovation, while continuing to prioritize health, safety, security, and environmental responsibilities in the blue economy.
- As a part of the BERR, DFO and the TBS invited Canadians to share their views on how regulation affects ocean innovation, barriers to environmentally sustainable growth, and ways to develop agile regulations to address concerns of future-oriented ocean industries.
- Fish and seafood are among the largest single food commodities exported by Canada. In 2023, Canada exported over $7.6 billion worth of fish and seafood to 115 countries.
