Ottawa, Ontario - Our oceans define our communities and cultures. Learning more about our waters can help communities identify underwater hazards and sensitive marine areas, plan fishing and harvesting efforts, and carry out other important activities. Better data can also help address serious challenges like climate change and marine safety, and guide community planning.
Today, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is announcing the Community Hydrography program, an initiative that supports Indigenous and coastal communities' collection and use of hydrographic data, advancing their understanding of the local seafloor. This program is funded through the Oceans Protection Plan that was announced in August 2022.
Two Community Hydrography projects are underway:
- Mi'kmaq Alsumk Mowimsikik Koqoey Association, an Aquatic Aboriginal Resources and Oceans Management (AAROM) program made up of the Miawpukek First Nation and the Qalipu First Nation in Newfoundland and Labrador, is mapping the seafloor to support safe navigation, identify culturally and ecologically important species and habitats, pinpoint eelgrass beds, and retrieve ghost gear, amongst other community priorities.
- Qikiqtaaluk Corporation in the Inuit Birthright Corporation for the Qikiqtani region of Nunavut, is providing technology and training to Inuit Hunters and Trappers Associations beginning in Kinngait, Nunavut, to collect and use data from local vessels for hunting, fishing, and infrastructure planning. The projects demonstrate how marine safety and community planning depend on data.
June 21 is also recognized in the science community as World Hydrography Day. It is a day to raise awareness about hydrography - the science that measures, describes and charts the physical features of water bodies - and how it plays a role in improving knowledge of the aquatic environments that we all depend on.
Inuit, First Nations and Métis peoples, as well as coastal communities, have had fundamental ties with the oceans and waterways since time immemorial. Their knowledge and expertise are critical to protecting coastal waters now and into the future. The Government of Canada is committed to building on our partnerships with Indigenous communities to collaboratively protect, preserve, and restore the oceans and waterways for future generations to come.
