Question Period Note: Blue Economy Strategy

• The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted Canada’s ocean sectors; however, with our three oceans, vast coastline, and diverse marine resources, the ocean-based economy continues to carry great opportunities for Canadians.
• While the global pandemic has exposed vulnerabilities in our society, it also offers us an opportunity to shape a more resilient and sustainable future and to “build back better.”
• That is why as part of the Government’s resiliency agenda, we are committed to continuing to grow Canada’s ocean economy to create opportunities for fishers and coastal communities, while advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and conservation objectives. Investing in the Blue Economy will help Canada prosper.
• As we develop this strategy, I am firmly committed to working with Indigenous groups, partners and other stakeholders to promote economic opportunities while ensuring Canada’s oceans and their resources remain healthy for future generations.
• Public engagement on the Blue Economy Strategy officially launched on February 8, 2021, and I am looking forward to continuing to receive ideas from across Canada on what could form part of the Strategy.
Integrating Economic and Environmental Commitments
• A comprehensive Blue Economy Strategy will be critically important to help sustainably grow Canada’s ocean sectors, ensure the health of our oceans, and support the prosperity and resiliency of our regional and coastal communities.
• The Blue Economy Strategy will build upon our government’s ongoing work to advance oceans protection and conservation objectives, recognizing that long-term sustainable growth and prosperity can only be achieved alongside commitments to a healthy ocean.
• The sustainability of our oceans resources remains paramount and we are committed to integrating economic and environmental objectives as we work to grow Canada’s oceans economy.
• Canada is already a world leader when it comes to ocean conservation and protection—and the same should be true of the global blue economy. To achieve this, we want our Blue Economy Strategy to support innovation and push Canada to the forefront of the development of new and ground-breaking technologies. At the same time, we want to apply the latest scientific findings and best practices to steadily and sustainably build prosperity within our healthy ocean space.

• The Blue Economy was highlighted in the September 23, 2020 Speech from the Throne under the third foundation of the Government’s approach, “building back better.”
• Developing a comprehensive Blue Economy Strategy is a key mandate commitment for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This priority was re-affirmed in your supplementary mandate letter from the Prime Minister on January 15, 2021. Specifically, it asks you to “Continue to lead efforts to develop a comprehensive blue economy strategy aligned with Canada’s economic recovery and focused on growing Canada’s ocean economy to create good middle class jobs and opportunities for ocean sectors and coastal communities, while advancing reconciliation and conservation objectives. Investing in the blue economy will help Canada prosper while protecting our oceans.”
• Eight other Ministers have been directly asked to support the development of the strategy, having it cross-referenced in their supplementary mandate letters, including: Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Melanie Joly); Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development (Maryam Monsef); Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry (François-Philippe Champagne); Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations (Caroline Bennett); Minister of Northern Affairs (Dan Vandal); Minister of Natural Resources (Seamus O'Regan); Minister of Transport (Omar Alghabra); and Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade (Mary Ng).
• The BES public engagement process officially launched February 8, 2021. The Government will be engaging with a wide range of key ocean sectors stakeholders across multiple mandates, including provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, industry, environmental stakeholders, the general public. Engagement has included thematic Ministerial roundtables, as well as the publication of an engagement paper and a website to allow Canadians to express their views online.
• The engagement process is high profile given the importance of the strategy to coastal and regional communities. This is especially true as the Canadian economy seeks to rebuild post-COVID-19. The Government will engage provinces and territories, Indigenous peoples, industry, not-for-profit organizations, and all Canadians.
• The World Bank defines the blue economy as, “the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods and jobs, and ocean ecosystem health.”
• The blue economy includes a diverse range of oceans-based sectors (e.g., commercial fisheries, aquaculture, marine transportation, offshore-oil and gas, shipbuilding, port and harbour infrastructure, and tourism) that generate economic and social benefits for individuals, communities, and coastal nations around the world.
• The global blue economy prior to COVID-19 was rapidly expanding and creating significant opportunities for growth. As per a 2016 report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), global economic activities tied to the oceans was projected to double to over CAD $4 trillion by 2030. The blue economy has the potential to outperform the global economy as a whole, both in terms of value added and employment.
• In 2016, Canada’s ocean-based sectors contributed up to CAD 31.65 billion to the national economy (1.6 per cent of GDP) and approximately 296,000 jobs (1.6 per cent of national employment).
• With key assets such as: the longest coastline in the world; access to three oceans; diverse and highly-valued oceans resources; leading oceans research; and, marine conservation efforts, Canada is well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities afforded by the growing blue economy.
• As the Government refocuses its agenda post-COVID-19, a forward-looking Blue Economy Strategy will set a vision for our ocean-related sectors and help guide future actions and investments to enable long-term sustainable growth, especially for coastal communities. The strategy will also advance our ocean conservation objectives and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples.
• Internationally – in 2018 Canada, Kenya, and Japan co-hosted the Sustainable Blue Economy Conference in Nairobi. In December 2020, the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, of which the Prime Minister is a member, released their centerpiece report which committed countries to develop Sustainable Ocean Plans. The Blue Economy Strategy will achieve this international commitment for Canada.

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