You may have missed it – but the campaign to save the ocean got a big win as Canada’s leaders made waves by calling for a pause on deep-sea mining. For years, Nature Canada, our partners, and supporters have been calling on Canada to show leadership by standing up to big mining companies who want to fast-track destructive Deep-Sea Mining operations. At the meeting of the International Seabed Authority, Canada’s delegation listened and said “NO”–it’s the leadership we’ve been waiting for and an important step in protecting the ocean.

Deep-sea mining is a new industry seeking to extract metal from the seabed in international waters. Those deep-sea ecosystems which we know support fragile marine life, like dumbo octopus, are outside national jurisdictions and largely unregulated. Unfortunately, mining companies – including Canadian mining giants like The Metals Company – want to take advantage of the regulatory gap and begin destructive mining before international regulations can be put in place. This reckless approach puts 50 percent of the planet’s surface at risk and puts even more pressure on marine ecosystems already reeling from climate change, plastic pollution, and over-fishing.

That’s why Nature Canada has been helping our Nature Network partners like Oceans North, MiningWatch, and more to pressure Canada’s leaders to say no to deep-sea mining. For the last few years, nature lovers across Canada have helped us raise the alarm, and guess what? We did it!

Images
Transit ads: Raising awareness of threats to deep-sea life
Social media ads: Raising our voices together to protect the ocean
Nature on the Hill: Working with partners to bring our message to Ottawa

On July 10, Canada’s leaders, including Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault and Oceans Minister Joyce Murray, announced that they would be calling for a moratorium on international deep-sea mining until the international community has time to assess the impacts and draft proper rules and regulations.

The fight against destructive deep-sea mining is not over. We know that powerful lobbyists in the mining industry are already at work. But today, we can take a moment to celebrate that nature lovers raised our voices and were heard. Make sure to stay tuned for more opportunities to defend marine life.

The planet is facing the biggest extinction since the dinosaurs – and it’s being driven by humans. Ocean ecosystems are at the forefront, and iconic Canadian species like orcas, salmon, belugas, and seabirds are under tremendous pressure. But did you know that Canada’s government has a target of protecting 30 percent of our oceans by 2030 to help halt nature loss and put us on course for recovery?

Nature Canada is helping protect our oceans by engaging local partners, calling for Indigenous-led conservation measures, and raising the voices of nature lovers all across the country. You can help! Tell decision makers that ocean protection matters to you and you want to see effective marine protected measures today. Follow the link below to find out more and speak up for the ocean!

Speak up for our oceans!