OTTAWA  Earlier this month, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, kicked off the Blue Economy Strategy engagements with a series of roundtables with key ocean sector stakeholders to discuss how we get more Canadians working on and in the water, and benefitting from the ocean. Today, the Minister invited all Canadians to participate in an online engagement portal which will collect the diverse perspectives from coast to coast to coast, helping us shape a federal strategy that will:

• help Canada build back better by integrating growth with ocean conservation and climate action;
• create stable jobs and fuel prosperity for coastal regions and communities;
• encourage greater participation of Indigenous peoples, women, and under-represented groups in the ocean economy;
• position our ocean sectors to be stronger and able to thrive post-COVID-19; and
• strengthen Canada’s position as a global leader in the ocean space.

Open until June 15, 2021, this online engagement is an opportunity for Canadians to share their views on the Blue Economy Strategy in areas that interest them. This feedback will inform a strategy that is reflective of the input and needs of the communities that stand to grow and benefit the most from a strong coordinated approach to ocean investment and policy-making.

Ocean-related businesses, Indigenous people, local and provincial governments, economic development organizations, environmental groups and others are invited to visit the blue economy website where they can download the engagement toolkit to host their own blue economy roundtable discussion. The ideas generated can then be submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada to inform the development of the strategy. Photo: Janna, Shutterstock