Canada's Dangerous Waters

Long strands of kelp with fish swimming past

Canada’s shipping laws are promoting aquatic clearcutting. By incentivizing ocean dumping, these laws are helping to destroy the kelp forests and accelerate the decline of critically endangered species.

Deadly consequences for the ocean and global biodiversity are happening in Canada. Right now, Canada’s famously lax ocean dumping laws encourage ships to save and dump their waste once the ships cross the Canadian maritime border.

How are ships getting away with this? Canada has no laws in place to stop them. Any ship can dump sewage directly into the ocean, contributing to the destruction of kilometers of critical habitat and food sources for endangered and threatened species.

The global population of critically endangered southern resident killer whales is down to 74. Endangered sea otters are struggling to survive. At one time kelp forests stretched for kilometers, now habitat is fractured and subject to deadly heat waves and red tides. Were this destruction to be visible above the surface, global citizens could see the results: Canada’s shipping laws are promoting aquatic clear-cutting.

From critically endangered orcas to kilometers of kelp forests, nothing can escape the destruction from ship pollution–unless Canada acts now.

Tell the Minister of Transport to stop ocean dumping and get serious about protecting our oceans. Add your name.

To: Canada's Minister of TransportClick to see full petition text

Dear Minister Rodriguez,

There are no acceptable levels of ocean dumping and pollution, especially when it's hastening the destruction of critically endangered species and an entire underwater kelp forest ecosystem. Canada must pass legal protections for the kelp forest ecosystem and endangered species by ending the dumping of untreated and undertreated wastes from ships in our waters now.

People across Canada and around the world understand that Canada’s ocean dumping laws are promoting what is essentially aquatic clear-cutting. This tarnishes Canada’s global reputation as an environmental leader. We, the undersigned, urge Canada to immediately and completely eliminate the open practice of ocean dumping from vessels in the Salish and Great Bear Sea.

For the oceans,

Tell Canada to end aquatic clearcutting now

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