Healthy oceans are vital for the prosperity and well-being of people around the world, and they are an invaluable ally in the fight against climate change. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to the sustainable and equitable management of the world's ocean resources and to ensuring the protection, conservation and restoration of our oceans for future generations.
Today, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Natural Resources, and the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, released a statement confirming Canada's position on seabed mining:
Canada does not currently have a domestic legal framework that would permit seabed mining; and
In the absence of such a framework, the Government of Canada will not authorize seabed mining in areas under its jurisdiction.
Seabed mining should only take place if effective protection of the marine environment is provided through a rigorous and comprehensive regulatory structure, taking precautionary and ecosystem-based approaches, using science-based and transparent management, and ensuring effective compliance with effective inspection mechanisms.
