Victories | Oceana Canada


From protecting marine habitat to stopping the shark fin trade and rebuilding abundant fish populations, our victories represent a new hope for the world's oceans.

June, 2019

Shark fin trade banned in Canada

Importing and exporting shark fins is now banned in Canada. The practice of shark finning has been illegal in Canadian waters for years; however, Canada was the largest importer of shark fins outside of Asia. A grassroots effort by Oceana Canada pushed for the passage of Bill S-238, to ban the importation and exportation of shark fins. This effort resulted in more than 300,000 petition signatures and thousands of emails and phone calls being made to Members of Parliament calling on them to protect sharks. This public support and campaigning by Oceana Canada and other groups led to Bill S-238 being incorporated into Canada’s new Fisheries Act which passed into law on June 18, 2019.

June, 2019

Modernized Fisheries Act an historic victory for fisheries rebuilding

After four years of campaigning by Oceana Canada and its allies, a modernized Fisheries Act became law, setting the stage for rebuilding ocean abundance. This new legislation is an historic change in how Canada manages its fisheries: for the first time since the Fisheries Act was enacted in 1868, the government now must manage fish populations sustainably and put in place plans to help those that are depleted rebuild back to healthy levels. Rebuilding means more fish which could support more jobs and all of the social, cultural and economic benefits that come with healthy oceans full of life.

April, 2019

Canadian government bans industrial activity in marine protected areas

Canada adopted new standards that ban industrial activities such as oil and gas, mining and destructive bottom-contact fishing activity in newly created Marine Protected Areas, bringing Canada in line with international best practices. In the past few years, Canada has protected more of its ocean, but within these areas, industrial activities, including oil and gas, were still permitted. Oceana Canada called on the government to implement stronger protection measures. The new standards help protect fragile habitats that provide nursery, spawning and feeding areas for marine wildlife from harmful practices.

March, 2019

Banc-des-Américains, a submarine bank off of Quebec's Gaspé Peninsula, designated as a Marine Protected Area

The Government of Canada established a 1,000 square kilometer Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the Gulf of St. Lawrence called the Banc-des-Américains. This new MPA protects one of Canada’s most diverse and productive marine areas.  In 2017, Oceana Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada partnered to conduct an expedition in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, including the Banc-des-Américains. The MPA conserves habitat important for many species, including habitat-forming corals and sponges, forage fishes like capelin and herring and commercially important species, such as crab and shrimp and the iconic and highly endangered North Atlantic right whale.