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Newsroom

    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 5, 2023

    Oceans North Celebrates Historic Global Treaty That Will Help Protect Half the Planet

    Countries have come to an agreement on a new treaty that fills a major gap in our collective ability to protect the high seas. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 2, 2023

    Oceans North Calls on DFO to Follow Science and Continue Mackerel Closure

    To give the fishery the best chance at recovery, the Minister should keep it closed until the next assessment. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    February 9, 2023

    Oceans North Welcomes Strong Statement from Canada on Deep-sea Mining

    "Conservation is often about reacting to problems—here we have a chance to stop one before it starts." Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    December 19, 2022

    New Global Biodiversity Framework Offers Opportunity to Protect Our Ocean

    Given that the ocean covers more than two-thirds of the planet, it’s crucial that efforts to protect biodiversity include marine and coastal ecosystems. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    December 14, 2022

    Oceans North Celebrates Progress on Indigenous-led Protection of Seal River Watershed

    The announcement comes as countries are gathered to draft new goals that will help stop and reverse the loss of nature globally. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    December 8, 2022

    Oceans North Welcomes Moves to Reduce Emissions from Marine Industries in Nova Scotia’s Climate Plan

    The new measures will help address emissions from fishing and ports while increasing the province's economic competitiveness Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    December 1, 2022

    Oceans North, Membertou First Nation Partner on Development of Zero-Emission Lobster Vessel

    An environmental charity and a First Nation in Nova Scotia are partnering on a project to develop the first generation of zero-emission fishing vessels in Canada. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    November 21, 2022

    Tuna Commission Agrees to Historic Management Procedure for Atlantic Bluefin Tuna Sustainability

    The new approach will help ensure that future quota decisions balance stock health with desirable catch levels in the face of uncertainties and competing objectives. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    September 23, 2022

    International Fisheries Organization Agrees to Groundbreaking Fisheries Management Measures, Historic Protections for Greenland Sharks

    Today’s decisions represent important progress towards the long-term sustainability of fisheries throughout the NAFO area. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    August 23, 2022

    Green Hydrogen Deal Marks Major Step Forward for Canada’s Climate and Economy

    HALIFAX—Oceans North is celebrating today’s high-level agreement between Germany and Canada to encourage the development of green hydrogen and hydrogen-derived fuels. “If we’re going to meet our climate goals and remain competitive in a decarbonized world, we need to... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    July 5, 2022

    Cod in the Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence Need Long-term Rebuilding Plan

    HALIFAX—Yesterday, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard (DFO) made the long-overdue decision to close the commercial fishery for Northern Gulf (NAFO division 3Pn4RS) cod this year. The population has been in the critical zone since... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    June 21, 2022

    Herring Quota Decision Not Enough to Rebuild the Fishery

    HALIFAX—Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced today that the quota for the largest herring fishery in Canada would be cut from 35,000 tonnes to 23,450—a 33 per cent reduction that on its own will not be enough to rebuild... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    June 16, 2022

    Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat Gets a New Executive Director and Focuses on the Future

    Danish and Greenlandic versions of the release follow below. NUUK—The board of the environmental organization Oceans North Kalaallit Nunaat has just held a meeting in Nuuk, Greenland, where they decided on a new executive director. “We have had several... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    June 8, 2022

    New Protections for Eastern Canyons off Nova Scotia Will Benefit Deep-Sea Ecosystems

    HALIFAX—Oceans North welcomes the announcement today of the largest new fisheries closure off Nova Scotia, an area called the Eastern Canyons Marine Refuge covering 43,976 square kilometres off Nova Scotia. Announced on World Ocean Day, this closure will protect... Read more >
    • Press Release
    June 1, 2022

    Fishing for Climate Solutions: New Study Will Examine How Nova Scotia’s Lobster Vessels Can Achieve Net-zero Emissions

    HALIFAX—Today, Oceans North and Net Zero Atlantic announced the launch of a new study that will look at how lobster vessels in Nova Scotia can reduce carbon emissions. Countries around the world—including Canada—have pledged to reach net-zero emissions by... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    May 14, 2022

    Oceans North says Baffinland mine decision reflects concerns for impacts on narwhal

    OTTAWA—The Nunavut Impact Review Board (NIRB) has recommended that Baffinland’s Mary River mine—the largest industrial development in the Canadian Arctic—should not be allowed to expand at this time, citing the potential for “significant adverse ecosystemic effects” that “cannot be... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    April 19, 2022

    New Regulations Bring Canada Closer to Rebuilding Depleted Fisheries

    OTTAWA—Oceans North is celebrating a new milestone in Canada’s approach to fisheries management that could help bring exhausted fish stocks back from the brink. Last week, new regulations on the rebuilding of depleted fish populations were posted under Canada... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 30, 2022

    Oceans North Recognizes Importance of Difficult Decision on Herring, Mackerel Fisheries in Atlantic Canada

    Herring and mackerel play a crucial role in Atlantic ecosystems and are commonly used as bait in the region's lucrative lobster fisheries. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 29, 2022

    Oceans North Applauds Inclusion of Ocean-Based Solutions in New Federal Plan to Reduce Emissions

    OTTAWA—Earlier today, the federal government announced a new plan to tackle emissions as part of its legislated commitment to reach net zero by 2050. The 2030 Emissions Reduction Plan – Canada’s Next Steps for Clean Air and a Strong... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 24, 2022

    Canadians Call for a Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining

    OTTAWA—As the International Seabed Authority meets in Jamaica, a petition asking for a global moratorium on deep seabed mining, signed by more than 4000 Canadians, goes to the government for a response.  On December 20, 2021, Oceans North, MiningWatch... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    February 15, 2022

    Condolences To Those Affected By Sinking Of Spanish Trawler

    Oceans North sends its condolences to the crew and families of the Spanish fishing trawler Villa de Pitanxo that sunk earlier today in rough seas off the coast of Newfoundland. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    January 20, 2022

    Canadians ask Federal Government to Support Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining

    Six Canadian NGOs and charities launch a parliamentary petition calling on the Canadian government to support a moratorium on deep seabed mining in international waters Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    October 20, 2021

    New Report Highlights Role of Seaports in Growing the Economy and Fighting Climate Change

    Halifax, NS: To help fight climate change and seize new economic opportunities in the transition to net-zero emissions by 2050, Canada should harness the transformative power of the maritime sector and begin the transition to low-carbon fuels, a new... Read more >
    • Press Release
    September 24, 2021

    New Protections for Fragile Deep-sea Ecosystems Agreed to by the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization

    Halifax [K’jipuktuk]: The 43rd Annual Meeting of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) closed today, with an agreement on new protections for seamounts and coral and sponge grounds. The deep seas are home to rich, fragile ecosystems that are... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    July 19, 2021

    Oceans North Greenland Applauds Naalakkersuisut’s Decision to Halt Offshore Oil and Gas Exploration

    Scroll down for Danish and Greenlandic versions of the release. Nuuk: Oceans North Greenland is congratulating the Naalakkersuisut on its recent decision to stop oil exploration in Greenlandic waters. The decision puts an end to fears about the impacts... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    June 25, 2021

    Video about Sustainable Fishing that Was Banned from KNR Did Not Violate the Law, Ombudsman Says

    Scroll down for Danish and Greenlandic versions of the release.  Nuuk—Inatsisartut’s Ombudsman has found that the Naalakkersuisut should not have stopped a video about sustainable fishing from airing on KNR. At the beginning of 2021, Oceans North Greenland launched... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    June 22, 2021

    Collective Push in Canada for an International Moratorium on Deep Seabed Mining

    Canadian NGOs and charities launch Parliamentary Petition calling on the Canadian government to support a moratorium on deep seabed mining in international waters. Read more >
    • Press Release
    May 31, 2021

    DFO Raises Quota for Struggling Northern Cod Stock—and Raises Questions about its Commitment to Conservation

    Almost 30 years after the cod collapse, we need to learn from past mistakes and break the cycle which has been repeating for decades. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    May 21, 2021

    In Good News for Conservation, DFO Halves Atlantic Mackerel Quota to Favour Rebuilding the Stock

    Kjipuktuk [Halifax]—Earlier today, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced that the total allowable catch (TAC) for Atlantic mackerel will be 4000 tonnes for the 2021 fishing year, half of the 8000-tonne TAC from 2020. “We know that it’s tough... Read more >
    • Press Release
    May 5, 2021

    New report forecasts far-ranging climate impacts on fisheries in Atlantic Canada and Eastern Arctic

    Kjipuktuk [Halifax] — The impacts of climate change on fisheries in Atlantic Canada and the Eastern Arctic are far reaching and grave, says a new report released today by Oceans North. These regions are home to some of Canada’s... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    April 20, 2021

    Oceans North applauds federal government’s major investment in protecting nature and oceans

    OTTAWA—Oceans North applauds the government’s unprecedented investment of over $4 billion to protect nature as part of the new federal budget. “Supporting conservation is an excellent investment in our future,” said Louie Porta, executive director of Oceans North. “Protecting... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 25, 2021

    Supreme Court Ruling on Carbon Price Is a Win for the Arctic and Our Oceans

    It’s time to put aside partisan politics and work together as a country to harness the economic and environmental benefits of acting on climate change. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    March 23, 2021

    New Report Highlights Need for Better Arctic Waste Management

    Ottawa—Urgent action is needed to improve waste management in Arctic communities, a new Oceans North report has found. The report, Towards a Waste-Free Arctic, collected data about the amount of waste accumulated over the last 25 years in the 51 communities... Read more >
    • Press Release
    February 1, 2021

    New short film advocates for sustainable Greenlandic halibut fishery

    Nuuk — A new short film released by Oceans North on Monday February 1 outlines what can be done to ensure a sustainable halibut fishery in Greenland. The inshore halibut fishery is one of Greenland’s most important resources and... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    January 6, 2021

    Northern Cod rebuilding plan fails to live up to expectations

    At this point, it is unclear if the rebuilding plan that was released adheres to the proposed regulations and recent law amendments. Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    December 16, 2020

    Maritime Sector Should Be Key Part of Implementing New Hydrogen Strategy for Canada

    OTTAWA—Earlier today, the federal government released the Hydrogen Strategy for Canada, a roadmap for how this country can position itself as a leader in the emerging market for hydrogen and use this alternative fuel to help lower emissions. “The... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    December 11, 2020

    Oceans North Supports New Measures to Fight Climate Change, Protect Nature and Grow the Economy

    OTTAWA—Oceans North applauds the federal government’s new climate plan that recognizes the urgent need for action to address climate change and protect crucial ecosystems that underpin our economic wellbeing. “Canada’s economic future ultimately depends on our ability to protect... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    November 20, 2020

    What Canada’s New Climate Accountability Legislation Could Mean for Shipping Emissions

    Oceans North urges the Government of Canada to develop a 2025 emissions target and action plan. Read more >
    • Press Release
    November 9, 2020

    Millions at stake in DFO’s failed actions to rebuild the depleted Atlantic mackerel stock

    Inaction by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) on measures to rebuild the Atlantic mackerel stock is reducing the long-term value of the fishery by more than $50 million, according to a new cost-benefit analysis. Atlantic mackerel support both natural... Read more >
    • Press Release
    October 15, 2020

    Hope for a sustainable halibut fishery on Greenland’s northwest coast

    Oceans North congratulates Naalakkersuisoq Minister of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture Jens Immanuelsen for his commitment to abolish the quota-free fishing for Greenland halibut in Northwest Greenland by January 2021. “This is an important step towards introducing a sustainable inshore... Read more >
    • Newsroom
    • Press Release
    January 29, 2020

    Atlantic Canadians think ocean protection can help grow the economy, says newly released polling  

    For immediate release January 29, 2020 — Recently released polling reveals Atlantic Canadians recognize the ocean’s importance to Atlantic Canada’s economy while strongly supporting increased marine protection. The polling was conducted in August and September of 2019, with 1500... Read more >
    • Press Release
    August 1, 2019

    Ottawa and Inuit Reach Historic Agreement to Co-Manage Arctic Waters in Canada’s Largest New National Marine Conservation Area

    Ottawa and Qikiqtani Inuit Assocation (QIA) today announced an historic agreement that finalizes a joint governance model for the long-sought Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area which will protect more than 109,000 square kilometres of biologically rich Arctic waters. Read more >
    • Press Release
    June 20, 2019

    Modernized Fisheries Act is a win for aquatic ecosystems, species, and the communities that depend on them

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 20, 2019 K’jipuktuk [Halifax], Nova Scotia — A modernized Fisheries Act will soon receive Royal Assent, marking the first time since 1868 that the law has had an extensive overhaul. The Fisheries Act helps protect our... Read more >
    • Press Release
    April 25, 2019

    Canada prohibits industrial activities, including oil and gas and bottom trawling in marine protected areas, makes progress towards international targets

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 25, 2019 Kjipuktuk (Halifax), Nova Scotia: Canadian environmental organizations are applauding new steps towards stronger protection of the marine environment. Today, the government of Canada announced that it has adopted strong standards for marine protected... Read more >
    • Press Release
    November 14, 2018

    Marine protected area process undermined by oil and gas activity say Canada’s leading environmental organizations

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 14, 2018 K’jipuktuk [Halifax] November 13, 2018 — Protecting Canada’s marine and coastal environment has been a significant priority for the government of Canada, however many sites labelled as protected remain vulnerable to industrial activity.... Read more >
    • In the News
    September 17, 2018

    Conservation groups hope to educate Canadians with new Arctic marine atlas

    Faced with dramatic shifts in the Arctic due to joint pressures of climate change and industrial development, a trio of Canadian NGOs released Monday an educational tool they hope will help shape the conversation about protecting the region’s fragile environment and its Indigenous peoples.

    The 122-page trilingual – English, French and Inuktitut – Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas released by Oceans North, Ducks Unlimited Canada and World Wildlife Fund- Canada provides a comprehensive overview of complex interactions between humans and various Arctic marine species.

    Read the article at Radio Canada International.
    • Press Release
    September 17, 2018

    New Arctic Marine Atlas Surveys a Spectacular Region at Risk

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 17, 2018 OTTAWA—Oceans North, Ducks Unlimited Canada and World Wildlife Fund- Canada are thrilled to release Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas, a 122-page publication that relies on the latest data to describe an extraordinary ecosystem undergoing... Read more >
    • In the News
    September 17, 2018

    Halifax G7 meeting to promote ocean plastics charter to UN

    A G7 ministers meeting in Halifax will promote the Canadian-led oceans plastic charter, with Ottawa planning to take the accord to the United Nations General Assembly, says the federal environment minister.

    The non-binding accord was agreed-to by five of the G7 leaders and the European Union at the G7’s Charlevoix summit in June, though neither the United States nor Japan have signed on yet.

    Read the article at CP/Toronto Star.
    • In the News
    September 17, 2018

    Environmental groups release results of 3-year project that shows how Arctic being altered by climate change

    A vast array of scientific knowledge about Canada’s Arctic has been compiled by three of the country’s largest environmental organizations into an electronic document that tracks the story of humans, animals and marine ecosystems across the Far North.

    Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas, more than three years in the making, was released on Monday – two days before Group of Seven environment ministers are scheduled to meet in Halifax to discuss oceans, clean energy, global climate action and fisheries.

    Read the article at Globe and Mail.
    • In the News
    March 7, 2018

    Canada to push ‘plastics charter’ at G7

    Canada will use its presidency of the G7 to try to persuade the world’s richest and most industrialized countries to adopt ambitious goals for plastics recycling and waste reduction.

    “We are looking at a zero-plastics-waste charter,” Environment Minister Catherine McKenna said Wednesday from Cancun, Mexico, where she was at an international conference on the world’s oceans.

    Read the article at the National Post/Canadian Press.
    • In the News
    December 21, 2017

    New protected ocean areas aimed at conserving coral, sea bottom dwellers

    The Disko Fan and the Funk Island Deep. Most Canadians might be excused for thinking they could be the names of pop-rock bands.

    They are, in fact, the monikers of two of Canada’s newest marine refuges where the federal government hopes to protect sensitive ocean habitats in the Eastern Arctic.

    Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc announced the creation of seven new marine refuges Thursday, adding more than 145,000 square kilometres to the ocean areas along Canada’s coasts that are deemed off limits to fishing gear that makes contact with the ocean floor.

    Read the article at the National Post.
    • In the News
    December 1, 2017

    Nations agree to ban fishing in Arctic Ocean for at least 16 years

    Nine nations and the European Union have reached a deal to place the central Arctic Ocean (CAO) off-limits to commercial fishers for at least the next 16 years. The pact, announced yesterday, will give scientists time to understand the region’s marine ecology—and the potential impacts of climate change—before fishing becomes widespread.

    “There is no other high seas area where we’ve decided to do the science first,” says Scott Highleyman, vice-president of conservation policy and programs at the Ocean Conservancy in Washington, D.C., who also served on the U.S. delegation to the negotiations. “It’s a great example of putting the precautionary principle into action.”

    Read the article at Science Magazine.
    • In the News
    November 24, 2017

    Ice Bridge’s Troubled Waters: Inuit seek to save Canada-Greenland link

    The Inuit of the western edge of Greenland call the tip of Baffin Bay that lies between them and their distant relatives in Canada the Pikialasorsuaq, or “the great upwelling,” because the water is open all year round and teems with the wildlife that has been the staple of their diet for thousands of years.

    Along the northern edge of the Pikialasorsuaq is an ice bridge that was the migration route from North America taken centuries ago by the ancestors of the Inuit who now live along Greenland’s coast.

    Read the article at Globe and Mail.
    • In the News
    September 28, 2017

    Inuit will write marine management plan for eastern end of Northwest Passage

    The Inuit of Labrador and the federal government have signed a deal that will see the Inuit use their traditional knowledge to develop a marine-management plan covering more than 380,000 square kilometres of coastal waters on the far eastern end of the Northwest Passage.

    The plan, which is expected to govern shipping, resource extraction, water quality, species management, conservation of historical sites and other matters of importance to the Inuit, comes as climate change and the decline of Arctic sea ice are opening the passage to an increasing amount of ship traffic.

    Read the article at The Globe and Mail.
    • In the News
    August 10, 2017

    Arctic waters get long-sought protection

    The federal government has reached an agreement with local Inuit that will lead to the protection and management of a massive swath of northern sea in one of the most ecologically sensitive regions of the Canadian Arctic.

    The new proposed boundaries of a national marine conservation area in Lancaster Sound, which has sometimes been called the Serengeti of the Arctic because of the breadth of its biodiversity, would encompass more than 131,000 square kilometres of ocean.

    Read the article at The Globe and Mail.

Oceans North

@Oceans_North

  • A moratorium represents “the sharpest tool in our toolbox,” says our fisheries director Katie Schleit in this story… https://t.co/HtU4krT3Cp 3 hours ago
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Our Work
  • What We’re Working On
    • Indigenous Protected Areas & Marine Conservation
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      • Sea Ice Cameras
    • Oceans and Climate
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    • Conservation Jobs & Training
  • Where We’re Working
    • Inuit Nunangat
    • Atlantic Canada
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    • James Bay/Weeneebeg/Wiiniibek
    • Tallurutiup Imanga
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    • Ungava Bay
    • Western Hudson Bay
    • Imaryuk
  • Canada’s Arctic Marine Atlas
    • Explore our new atlas, a comprehensive overview of the rapidly changing Arctic marine environment.

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