Human activities, including shipping, construction, and resource extraction can have a negative impact on our oceans.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working to protect the health of marine mammals and their habitats by managing these activities and mitigating their impact. Part of this management process involves coordinating with other federal departments to improve policies and management approaches for ocean noise, excessive nutrients, and other stressors in the marine environment.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada and its partners have taken the following actions:
- established voluntary vessel slow-downs and route changes to reduce the impact of noise and potential collisions in whale concentration areas;
- conducted a review of seismic survey practices;
- held public consultations and targeted engagements; and
- established advisory and technical working groups.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada is also developing guidance to reduce excess nutrients in Canadian estuaries and developing an Ocean Noise Strategy to better coordinate with partners and other departments on managing ocean noise. The Ocean Noise Strategy will involve identifying key recommendations for managing ocean noise.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada will also establish new tools and approaches to address other priority marine environmental stressors such as marine debris and support decision-making in the marine environment.