Canada’s government releases action plan to develop country’s blue economy

The Government of Canada has released the Blue Economy Regulatory Roadmap, a document outlining the government’s planned actions to support economic growth in the country’s oceans.

“We are implementing more than 100 separate regulatory modernization initiatives across sectors and topics that now span Canada’s blue economy,” said Treasury Board Chair Anita Anand. “This is a concrete example of how our government is modernizing regulation and supporting sustainable economic growth while maintaining strong protections for health, safety, security and the environment. We will continue to cut red tape and support the Canadian economy.”

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat launched the Blue Economy Regulatory Review (BERR) in 2022 to examine how Canadian regulatory practices impact ocean innovation. Beginning in December 2022, the government conducted approximately three months of public consultations to learn how to create agile regulations that can enable future-oriented ocean industries without sacrificing environmental sustainability.

“Our oceans have enormous potential to combat climate change and drive sustainable economic growth,” said Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. “This roadmap represents a significant step toward eliminating barriers for businesses that rely on the ocean to grow sustainably, which will broadly benefit all Canadians.”

The report divides actions into five main areas: marine renewable energy and environmental protection, maritime spatial planning, autonomous surface vessels, ocean technology, and sustainable fishing gear and practices.

DFO led the development of the action plan as part of a targeted regulatory review coordinated by the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada with input from Natural Resources Canada, Transportation Canada, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and the National Research Council of Canada.