On this World Oceans Day, the Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced investments aimed at protecting Canada’s oceans and the marine species and habitats within them. Minister Murray announced successful funding recipients for the Oceans Management Contribution Program as well as a Call for Proposals for the Canada Nature Fund for Aquatic Species at Risk (CNFASAR). The Oceans Management Contribution Program provides $145 million over 5 years to advance outreach, monitoring and stewardship, and capacity-building initiatives across the country that help conserve and protect marine areas. Budget 2023 announced renewed funding up to $40 million over three years for CNFASAR that will allow additional projects to be funded. Fisheries and Oceans Canada will soon be accepting proposals for projects that support the conservation of biodiversity across Canada through collaboration and partnership to recover aquatic species at risk, including for projects that work to protect at-risk marine species from fishing interactions and physical and acoustic disturbances.
