“We want you” to help save our oceans!

Canada’s Oceans are in a state of crisis. After decades of overfishing, pollution and a changing climate, many fish populations are collapsing – which affects the biodiversity of marine life, and physical and chemical changes in our waters are leading to the decline of entire ecosystems. In lay-terms, this means that the overall health of our oceans and the species that inhabit them are in trouble. Big trouble.
But this isn’t new news. Twenty years ago we saw the signs when the cod fishery in Newfoundland collapsed and a fishing moratorium was imposed. When one species is threatened, it has a trickle down affect on all other species, and that includes our species. Newfoundlanders know that better than anyone, when 40,000 people lost their job and whole communities were impacted.
You may think that what is happening below our water’s surfaces has no affect on your life, but if you go to Newfoundland and talk to a fisherman, you will hear that isn’t the case. This is why we need to start making choices and taking actions that can help to mitigate the consequences of the threats to our oceans.

MSC certified sustainable seafood, here a package of frozen salmon, sold in MIGROS stores, Switzerland. © WWF-Canon / Elma Okic

 
One of the things we can do is choose seafood that has been caught in a responsible, sustainable manner. Purchasing seafood that has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is a very important step that we can take to ensure our oceans are healthy. When you are at the grocery store or market, look for food that has the blue and white fish checkmark label to be sure comes from a well-managed fishery. You will easily find it in any Loblaw stores across Canada, who has made a commitment to ensure 100% of their seafood is sourced sustainably by the end of 2013, and High Liner Foods recently announced that you will find more of their products with the MSC ecolabel in stores now, so it is getting even easier to find a good selected of MSC certified products.
And for the technology lovers out there, the MSC has created a free Seafood Finder app for your smartphone that will help you find MSC products. It can be downloaded here.
At WWF we have made ocean health a conservation priority and we have pretty compelling arguments as to why they need to be protected. If you visit the new Sustainable Seafood section of our website, you will find more ways that you can help our conservation efforts. So now we just need you to act.
Spread the word – share this blog, download the app, ask questions, make simple changes – that’s the only way we are going to ensure that our oceans thrive. Happy Oceans Day!