Madam Chair, the government recognizes that Canada's oceans--the Pacific, the Arctic and the Atlantic--are critical to the social and economic well-being of coastal and rural communities. We support actions to preserve and protect our ocean resources through greater surveillance and enforcement along our coasts, for example. DFO is also working on furthering ecosystem assessments and our capacity to deal with increased activity in arctic waters.
Actions such as these on our own shores are essential, as are partnerships with other countries. This government continues to collaborate with international partners on ocean and transboundary water matters to deliver on DFO's mandate on behalf of Canadians. Sustainability continues to be a cornerstone of how this government manages Canada's oceans and their precious resources so that future generations may enjoy their riches.