Population: 31,006,347 (July 1999 est.)  Land Area: 9,220,970 sq km Coastline: 243,791 km (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)

Canada   Contacts Department of Fisheries and Oceans http://www.ncr.dfo.ca/home_e.htm Oceans Canada http://www.oceanscanada.com/english/index.htm Oceans Conservation http://www.oceansconservation.com/title/title.htm Environment Canada http://www.ec.gc.ca/water/index.htm     (Source:  CIA World Factbook 1999)   Many thanks to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development, the source of the following information. The information was taken from the Canada's submission to the 5th Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (last update: April 1997). For further information on the Canada's social and economic factors, natural resources, and institutional structures see the United Nations System-Wide Web Site on National Implementation of the Rio Commitments National Information for Canada at: http://www.un.org/esa/agenda21/natlinfo/countr/canada/index.htm OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has been signed by Canada. In 1994, Canada acceded to the International Convention on Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation, which focuses on pollution of the sea by oil. As a result, Canada is revising its joint marine contingency plan with the United States for responding to spills in shared boundary waters. Canada is also playing an active role in the revision of the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Waste and other Matter.  Internationally, the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (the UN Fish Agreement (UNFA)) was adopted by consensus in August 1995 at the United Nations Conference on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. Canada participated actively in its elaboration as the leader of a group of coastal states and was among the first countries to sign the Agreement in December 1995.  In Canada, the federal government has authority over oceans and their resources. Provincial and territorial governments have jurisdiction over shorelines, some marine areas, and many land-based activities. Aboriginal people are gaining greater control over specific resource management concerns in some regions.  Canadian governments have begun to pursue ocean-related policies that reflect an ecosystem based approach, incorporating principles of sustainable development and integrated management. The federal Parliament recently passed the new Canada Oceans Act (COA) which received Royal Assent in December 1996. The COA represents a pivotal step in establishing Canadian oceans jurisdiction and consolidating federal management of oceans. The COA responds to many of the measures outlined in Agenda 21. The Act confirms Canada's jurisdiction over its maritime zones (its Territorial Sea, the Contiguous Zone, and the Exclusive Economic Zone), and their resources consistent with UNCLOS, and the responsibility to manage them sustainably. In addition, the federal government has taken legislative and policy steps to address marine pollution in the Fisheries Act, the Toxic Substances Management Policy, and the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA). The federal government intends to amend CEPA to help further guide reduction of contamination from land-based sources of pollution.  The development of an Oceans Management Strategy (OMS) is the key to the COA. Based on the principles of sustainable development, the integrated management of activities in estuaries, coastal and marine waters, and the precautionary approach, the OMS will set the stage for many oceans activities. Addressing objectives within Chapter 17 of Agenda 21, the OMS is based on the premise that oceans activities management must be based on a collaborative effort among stakeholders. The OMS allows for the development of flexible strategies on oceans activities management that can be implemented regionally by stakeholders. The OMS also calls for the creation of marine protected areas.  Canada intends to develop a National Program of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment From Land-Based Activities by 1998. This National Program of Action will be developed and implemented as a partnership between federal and provincial/territorial governments, in consultation with other relevant stakeholders including environmental groups, aboriginal organizations, industry, academia, and private sector organizations. It will focus on regional implementation in the Atlantic Ocean, the St. Lawrence River / Gulf of St. Lawrence, the Pacific and Arctic Oceans under the umbrella of a National Programme of Action.  The Arctic Ocean is a particularly sensitive environment. It has been the focus of many Canadian environmental initiatives. Prominent among them is the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy and the recent creation of the Arctic Council where Canada is actively collaborating with Arctic nations. An Arctic Regional Program of Action under the auspices of the Strategy has expanded scientific research on contaminants, the use of traditional knowledge concerning marine living resources, the monitoring of water quality, the cleanup of hazardous wastes in Canada's North, and the promotion of sustainable development.  Aboriginal people are gaining greater control over specific management issues in some regions, particularly in northern Canada. For example, fisheries and marine co-management processes are part of comprehensive land-claim agreements in the Northwest Territories. Under these agreements, Inuit have rights of involvement in the decision-making process related to marine conservation and the harvesting of marine mammals in and beyond their claim settlement areas. The federal government launched the seven-year Aboriginal Fisheries Strategy in 1992. Under this strategy, the federal government enters into agreements with Aboriginal organizations to integrate Aboriginal people into the sustainable management of the fishery, provide economic benefits, and establish and provide allocations of fish.  The conservation and sustainable utilization of fishery resources remains a primary focus of oceans-related activity for Canada. Stock conservation problems, allocation conflicts between user groups, international transboundary disputes, excessive harvesting capacity and fiscal restraint have combined to encourage the federal government to pursue a strategy to advance industry restructuring and to introduce changes to fisheries policies and management practices domestically and internationally. The objective of these changes is an economically and environmentally sustainable fishing sector. Canada is guided in this undertaking by the following principles: conservation comes first; aboriginal rights must be respected; industry capacity must be balanced with the sustainable carrying capacity of the resource; and, government and industry must move towards operating in partnership with one another. In addition, provincial and territorial governments are working cooperatively with the federal government to improve policies to strengthen fisheries management.  Canada is a coastal state with vital sovereign interests in three bordering oceans. Canada has the world's largest coastline (almost 250,000 km) and second largest continental shelf (6.5 million km2.). Its 200-mile Exclusive Fishing Zone, declared in 1977, represents 27% of Canada's territory. Approximately 6.5 million Canadians (23%) live in coastal communities. Many major cities are coastal ports or are located on the St. Lawrence/Great Lakes system, one of the world's longest and most heavily used waterways.  Science and exchange of information on the oceans and its living resources remains a priority. International cooperation and research must continue in order to understand oceans better and to secure their future sustainability.  Land-based sources of pollution are another focus of international activity. In November 1995, Canada, along with the world community, endorsed the Global Programme of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-Based Activities. The Global Programme of Action calls on countries to develop regional and national programmes of action to prevent, reduce and control land-based activities that contribute to the degradation of the marine environment. The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade all provide assistance to partner countries and regional organizations in oceans management, development, and research.  _______________________ For more information on coastal management in Canada, see Oceans Conservation's  discussion paper titled "Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Canada" at http://www.oceansconservation.com/iczm/iczm_mgt_can/iczmcan.htm   (top)

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