Canada Celebrates World Oceans Day

Celebrations started early in Halifax – typical for Maritimers. On Friday, June 3, WWF joined other environmental and fisheries organizations at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and on the Halifax waterfront in an exhibition that celebrated the youthful theme of this year’s Oceans Day. Hundreds of children spent the day exploring touch tanks, looking at sharks and corals, and of course, getting their picture taken with the Panda.
Educating the children about the creatures that live in our oceans and what they can do to ensure these amazing species are protected was the goal of the day. This was my fourth year participating in this event and it was very cool to see how many groups focused on shark conservation and sustainable seafood, which are two of WWF’s own conservation priorities.
Celebrations will continue in the rest of the country throughout the week.
In Ottawa, WWF will host a Roundtable on Oceans Health and Economy, followed by a Sustainable Seafood reception for MPs and Senators, political staff, public servants, academics, NGOs and ocean industries. These activities will be complimented by a “Make Oceans Matter” Twitter-focused campaign.
In Toronto, we will be releasing the results of a poll on Sustainable Seafood. In British Columbia, WWF-Canada is celebrating one of our Pacific Treasures – the Bowie Seamount Chain. On April 2008, Bowie Seamount and neighbouring Hodgkins Seamount were designated Canada’s seventh marine protected area to be jointly managed by the Council of the Haida Nation and the Government of Canada. WWF is continuing to work with governments and stakeholders to champion a strong management plan for the Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area. One that provides for the responsible stewardship of this unique Pacific treasure. Visit wwf.ca on Oceans Day 2011 to learn more.
And to end the week-long celebrations, WWF St. John’s will be co-hosting the second annual World Oceans Day Family Event with Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture; Department of Fisheries and Oceans; Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union; Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society; Environment Canada; and Parks Canada at the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Centre on Saturday, June 11 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The event will feature a variety of fun and educational activities and booths for all ages.
So whether you live inland or near one of our country’s three oceans, take some time to think about the importance of these bodies of water and what you can do to help ensure their long term health so we can continue to depend on them.