(OTTAWA) – Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands), released the following statement on World Oceans Day:

“Threats to our oceans are increasing due to the adverse effects of climate change including the rise in ocean temperatures, ocean and coastal acidification, deoxygenation, sea-level rise, the decrease in polar ice coverage, coastal erosion, the plague of plastics polluting the world's oceans, and extreme weather events. On World Oceans Day, we remain hopeful that countries can collectively meet the challenges ahead, and sustainably manage and protect our oceans,” Ms. May said.

"Here at the first High Level‎ United Nations Ocean Conference, nations are stepping up to commit to new goals in fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries, protecting ecologically vulnerable areas, confronting the crisis of plastics pollution in all our oceans, and recommitting to the critical importance of the Paris Agreement.

“Twenty-five years ago today, Canada called for the world's first World Oceans Day. Today, we need to re-double efforts to meet our 5% protected areas goal, protect our endangered whales – whether our southern resident killer whales of the Salish Sea, the belugas of the St. Laurent, or the right whales of the Bay of Fundy – and protect our wild salmon from the threats posed by open-pen toxic fish factories.

“We are a nation bordered by three oceans. Working in partnership with indigenous nations and accepting the value of traditional knowledge, we can and will do better,” Ms. May concluded.

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For additional information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Dan Palmer

Press Secretary | Attaché de presse

dan.palmer@greenparty.ca

m: (613) 614-4916