| Canada's oceans offer important economic, socio-cultural and recreational opportunities that have shaped the country's history and identity. However, this growth is resulting in increased pressure through congestion, environmental degradation and ecosystem imbalances, which threaten the basis for future sustainable growth and in many areas, the biodiversity and ecological integrity of marine ecosystems are being threatened. The increased activity on, in and below our oceans is also manifesting conflicting usage issues that are not only shaping public and therefore policy agendas but is also leading to critical policy pressures that are demanding integration and multi-dimensional rationalization. In Canada there is a multitude of policies, regulations and legislation that bear on the management and development of ocean resources. There are those that direct and control fisheries and other harvesting activities; policies that regulate marine transportation; policies and regulations that direct seabed and subsurface exploration; laws and regulations for recreational use and a plethora of other policies that impact on our ocean resources. This paper examines the evolution of ocean policy in Canada, and describes a mosaic of mostly vertically oriented policies that is shared by other maritime nations and explores recent developments in the ocean policy forum. |
