Thank you, Chair.
On behalf of SeaBlue Canada, I would like to thank the committee for the opportunity to provide input on Bill C-49.
For some context, SeaBlue Canada is a coalition of eight of Canada's most active and well-respected environmental non-governmental organizations. We work collaboratively to ensure that Canada’s marine protected area commitments are ambitious, equitable and ultimately provide meaningful protection to marine species and habitats. This is not only for the health of the animals and plants within the ocean. It's also for the people on the coast and beyond who rely on the ocean for their well-being.
I am the national coordinator, and I will speak on behalf of the coalition, outlining the key points from our written submission. While I am here to provide input through the lens of a coalition working on supporting the delivery of the government’s marine conservation targets, on a personal note, I am also a resident of Nova Scotia and more specifically the small coastal town of Lunenburg. I have a vested personal interest in maintaining the health of the ocean in Atlantic Canada and also beyond. Many livelihoods within my town rely on a healthy ocean. Our community can only thrive when the seas around us thrive.
Let me preface by saying that SeaBlue Canada supports the development of marine renewable energy as part of the clean energy response to the climate crisis. However, marine renewable energy projects must be managed responsibly and sustainably to minimize impacts to the marine environment and in a way that benefits local communities. Furthermore, to address the climate crisis, the introduction of marine renewable energy in Canada must be complemented by an equitable transition away from offshore oil and gas production.
SeaBlue Canada supports the amendments—specifically, the amendments proposed under clauses 26 to 28 and clauses 135 to 137 in the bill—that would protect the marine environment by enabling the prevention of offshore oil and gas and renewable energy activities within areas that have been identified for conservation or protection. These amendments are essential to protect marine biodiversity. They will also help to facilitate the clean energy transition through the development of offshore renewable energy while supporting marine wildlife. We strongly believe these two priorities can coexist and are indeed compatible.
Bill C-49 and the offshore accord acts that it amends form an important part of Canada’s ocean management framework and will contribute to achieving Canada’s conservation goals on the Atlantic coast. As you will know, and as was referenced earlier in the session, Canada has committed to protecting 25% of the ocean by 2025, to working towards protecting 30% by 2030 and to working to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.
In line with the federal minimum protection standard—incidentally, announced exactly one year ago today at IMPAC5—the federal government has committed to prohibiting oil and gas activities within all new federal MPAs and avoiding or mitigating industrial activities that pose risks to biodiversity outcomes within OECMs.
There is significant evidence to support that oil and gas activities are incompatible with marine conservation. As well, a growing body of evidence indicates that offshore renewable energy projects can have the potential to impact marine ecosystems without careful management. Notably, there is no legal mechanism under the current offshore accord acts to allow for the surrender or cancellation of oil and gas leases within areas set aside for environmental protection.
Bill C-49 would address this gap by enabling the federal and provincial governments to pass regulations that prohibit offshore oil and gas or renewable energy projects within areas that have been identified for protection. It would also allow the government to negotiate for the surrender of interests within these areas. The passing of this legislation with these provisions will allow the Government of Canada and provincial governments to demonstrate their strong commitment to marine protection and will assure stakeholders that the government has the legal tools required to ensure that protected areas are truly protected.
There is currently no explicit or clear law or policy in Canada that addresses offshore renewable energy in MPAs. Bill C-49 would provide Canada and the Atlantic provinces with the legal tools to sustainably and responsibly manage offshore renewable energy in the offshore accord act areas, and set a precedent for a similar legislative framework in the rest of Canada’s ocean estate.
In conclusion, SeaBlue Canada recommends that the committee pass Bill C-49 in a timely manner to ensure that these marine conservation provisions may be implemented as soon as possible and in time for Canada to achieve its conservation targets for 2025.
On behalf of the coalition, I would like to reiterate my thanks to the committee for the opportunity to present our views. We very much look forward to seeing the proposed offshore renewable energy provisions in Bill C-49 passed into law.
Thank you.