OTTAWA, ON, Feb. 12, 2021 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is developing a Blue Economy Strategy to grow our ocean sectors through job creation, inclusion and conservation. This strategy will harness opportunities on all three coasts to spur innovative ideas, create more jobs, leading to a more prosperous future for Indigenous and coastal communities. It will also position Canada as a world leader in the global blue economy.

An effective Blue Economy Strategy is one in which Canadians from coast to coast to coast will see themselves: ocean industries, innovators, environmental groups, indigenous and non-indigenous communities across the country. Over the past week, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard held roundtable discussions with leaders in some of these key sectors including the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, academia, and women leaders in ocean sectors to hear their suggestions on a successful blue economy strategy.

During these roundtables, Minister Jordan has heard about the importance of British Colombia's fisheries and coastal tourism from the Pacific region, the level of importance of having reliable, timely, and accessible data on our oceans from ocean scientists and professors and the need for collaboration between communities, first nations and industry to produce a strategy that considers economic, social and environmental factors. 

The Government of Canada will continue to host roundtable discussions and shortly Canadians will be invited to share their feedback through online engagement. Those interested will also be able to visit the Blue Economy website where they can download an engagement toolkit to host their own discussions.

The engagement of Indigenous peoples is critical in the development of this strategy. Indigenous peoples bring vast knowledge and valuable experience given their longstanding and close relationship with Canada's oceans. Indigenous stakeholders will be engaged through ministerial and departmental roundtables, and all Indigenous peoples will be able to share their views about how a Blue Economy Strategy could better serve their economic and environmental priorities through the online engagement.