Minister Wilkinson discusses the impacts of climate change on the fishery in Southwest New Brunswick

May 1, 2019

St. Andrews , New Brunswick - Recent reports from Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans highlight that climate change is impacting our oceans, rivers and lakes. Oceans surrounding Canada have warmed, become more acidic, and less oxygenated, consistent with observed global ocean changes over the past century.

The effects of climate change on our oceans pose a serious risk to the fishing industry and those who rely on it to support their family and livelihoods. In Canada, more than 350,000 jobs are linked to our oceans and the warming waters are negatively impacting some economically important seafood stocks such as gulf shrimp and snow crab.

Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, joined Member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest, Karen Ludwig, Executive Director of the Eastern Charlotte Waterways, Donald Killorn, and Research Scientist of the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, Benjamin de Jourdan, and members of the St. Andrews business community for a discussion about these changes.

The Government of Canada has a comprehensive plan to fight climate change – a plan that includes over 50 measures including: a price on carbon pollution, phasing out coal, investing in public transit, energy efficiency, clean technologies and green infrastructure and doubling the amount of nature protected.

As a science based department, DFO is working to better understand climate change impacts on fish stocks to protect species at risk and to have the best science available to make fisheries management decisions. We are identifying which fish stocks are the most vulnerable to a changing climate, developing adaptation tools to inform evidence-based decision making and working with international partners to coordinate on research priorities, best practices, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

We are working to fight climate change and protecting our oceans and marine ecosystems while ensuring Canadians whose livelihood depend on the ocean continue to thrive and support their families.

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