Ottawa, ON - The Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Joyce Murray, today issued the following statement on World Fisheries Day:
"Fisheries play an important role in Canada's economy, and are central to the way of life for many Indigenous and coastal communities. We have much to be proud of with the longest coastline in the world, rich and diverse marine ecosystems, and a history of sustainable fishery management.
"On World Fisheries Day, let us recognize Canada's hard-working fish harvesters, who are becoming even more important in light of an increasingly hungry world with a growing demand for high-quality, sustainably-sourced fish. Now more than ever, we must remain committed to protecting our ocean ecosystems, without which there would be no fisheries.
"With funding from recent federal budgets, the government is supporting healthy oceans, and creating more opportunities for Indigenous and coastal communities. With the ongoing development of the Blue Economy Strategy, we are working together to manage the oceans sustainably, and responsibly grow the fish and seafood sector. At the same time, we take action to address complex environmental issues, including sustainable aquaculture, which has an important role in feeding our planet.
"We have made important progress in recent years, but we all know there is still much to be done. In Eastern Canada, Hurricane Fiona's devastating impacts reminded us of this. The future of our fisheries relies not only on the health of our marine and freshwater resources, but also on the critical infrastructure that supports harvesters. That is why over the coming months and years, we will work with partners to assess and build infrastructure, including harbours, that is resilient to the impacts of extreme weather.
"By continuing our work to protect the environment and committing to innovation and collaboration with our partners in industry and rural, coastal and Indigenous communities, Canada's fisheries will continue to thrive for generations to come."
