Ocean Ecosystems

OTTAWA - Living Oceans Society welcomes today’s announcement by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans that the ancient glass sponge reefs on Canada’s Pacific coast are one step closer to receiving permanent protection.

“Last summer I experienced the glass sponges first hand while exploring the deep sea in a submarine and I saw the crabs, fish, and shrimp that made these sponges their home,” says Jennifer Lash, Executive Director, Living Oceans Society. “There is no doubt in my mind that protecting these sponges is a critical step forward towards ensuring a healthy ocean.”

Living Oceans Society is alarmed by the Harper government's alleged plan to remove habitat protection from the federal Fisheries Act by attaching changes to the Omnibus Budget Bill. These revisions will have grave and lasting consequences for environmental protection in Canada and should be subject to full debate in Parliament.

Vancouver, B.C.— For decades, British Columbia environmentalists have clashed with the groundfish bottom trawl fishing industry, but the two have come together to find common ground, and fragile ocean habitat is the big winner. The two groups have developed innovative measures to conserve corals, sponges and deep-sea habitats. These new management measures have been implemented through Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s Groundfish Integrated Fisheries Management Plan.