Thank you for inviting me to appear before the finance committee. My remarks today will focus on the implications of the lack of dedicated funding in Budget 2007 to integrated oceans management. I will be commenting on two key areas: why the amounts allocated towards oceans health and protection in Budget 2007 are grossly inadequate and the repercussions this lack of funding will likely have on progress that has already been made in the regions. Our written submission contains additional details. Unfortunately, due to the short notice to appear before you, we were unable to get a brief translated prior to our appearance, but French and English copies will be sent following our appearance today.
I work as the marine planning and protected areas campaign manager for Living Oceans Society, a non-profit research and public education organization based in British Columbia that is committed to conserving marine biological diversity in order to ensure a healthy ocean and healthy coastal communities. Prior to my position at Living Oceans Society, I worked for the U.S. Government at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration in Washington, D.C., in their office of international affairs. In my position there, I attended several meetings at the United Nations and abroad, debating and discussing the dire situation of our world's oceans and the immediate need for more action to protect them from habitat degradation, overfishing, and loss of biodiversity.
While at these meetings I was always impressed by the Canadian delegations. They spoke of advancements in their legislation and governance bodies over the past 10 years: the passage of the Oceans Act; the development of Canada's oceans strategy; and, most recently, the development of Canada's oceans action plan in 2005. I was therefore optimistic and encouraged by Canada's international reputation when I moved to British Columbia. It is now just over a year later, and although I remain optimistic—it is a part of my nature—I must admit, I was very disappointed when I saw the 2007 budget.
Of the $4.5 billion dedicated in Budget 2007 to clean our air and water, reduce greenhouse gases, combat climate change, and protect our natural environment, only $19 million was allocated to help clean and protect our oceans and support greater water pollution prevention, surveillance, and enforcement along Canada's coast. Nineteen million dollars may sound like a lot of money to many people, but when you consider the extent of our coasts, all 243,000 kilometres of them, it's a drop in the bucket. Split evenly between the five major ocean regions over the next two years, this amounts to approximately $1.9 million per region per year. To expect any region, no matter how effective it is, to clean and protect our oceans with that amount of support is setting them up for failure.
In 2005, approximately $28 million was allocated towards the first phase of Canada's oceans action plan. Portions of that funding were directed at integrated oceans management, which considers both the conservation and protection of our ecosystems, while at the same time providing opportunities to create wealth in oceans-related economies and communities. It is Canada's opportunity and a common sense approach to shift from single species management, uncoordinated decision-making, and poor management of unsustainable industries to establish marine-planning processes that will ensure that our oceans resources are sustained for generations to come.
There was progress between 2005 and 2007. Several agencies within the Government of Canada started to undertake the difficult task of integrated oceans management. In B.C., the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area, or what we fondly call PNCIMA, was identified as a priority area. It's a huge area. It's about 88,000 square kilometres. If you're not from there, it's about the size of one New Brunswick and two Prince Edward Islands. So it's a really large area. It's an area of high ecological, social, and economic importance to British Columbia, and it contains some of the richest marine life in Canada. It's a spectacular and beautiful place, and there are approximately 72,000 people in the region who depend on it for their livelihood, recreation, and employment.
Notable indicators of progress made towards starting a planning process in British Columbia include a tripartite commitment from the federal and provincial governments and first nations to work collaboratively on planning in the PNCIMA. This is profound. In British Columbia, there has historically been a rift between our provincial government and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. To have them working together, in particular on a government-to-government level with first nations, is quite remarkable, and it's an opportunity that we need to take advantage of and to continue fostering.
I'm therefore here today to express our extreme disappointment that no funds were allocated toward integrated oceans management in Budget 2007. I would like to see the government show new leadership on oceans management in Canada and to put the resources and the political commitment behind managing our oceans and getting these marine planning processes under way.
Our oceans are important for all Canadians, no matter how you look at them, in terms of health and quality of life, in terms of economics, and in terms of the environment. Therefore, oceans management is not just for the people who live on the coast; it's for all Canadians. It's critically important, it's something that must be done, and $1.9 million over two years is not going to do it.
Thank you very much for the time and the opportunity to present before you.