COASTAL ZONE CANADA ASSOCIATION
NEWSLETTER #13, MARCH 2005

This newsletter, which is issued quarterly, is presented in both English (first half of newsletter) and French (second half of newsletter). It is distributed by e-mail to members of the Coastal Zone Canada Association, providing news about the Association, its activities and its members, as well as information of potential interest to members. Please feel free to circulate it among your own networks. Also check out the Association’s Web site at: www.czca-azcc.org.

EDITOR’S NOTE

A primary focus of this particular issue of the CZCA Newsletter is the Conference Statement resulting from last year’s Coastal Zone Canada Conference, CZC 2004. Because the statement is a fairly long document, we have decided to provide it, as well as the press release pertaining to the statement, as attachments to this e-mail.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

The tsunami disaster in the Indian Ocean last December was a painful reminder to us all of the power of the ocean, and the vulnerability of coastal communities. The need for ICOM, or even some of the most basic elements of it, is never more obvious than when natural disasters occur. It seems amazing that given all our global knowledge and technological capability, a disaster of this magnitude could not be averted through a basic warning system.

I am sure that, like me, you were all delighted to see the allocation of resources for the implementation of the Oceans Action Plan (OAP) in the Federal Budget (see Peter Harrison’s review of the Oceans Action Plan and the 2005 federal budget below). In recent months, the Association has been working hard to promote the need for discrete funding for the OAP. Our Conference Statement from CZC 2004 (see below) was distributed to all federal ministers, chairs of appropriate standing committees, key individuals in the PMO, and to the Premiers and appropriate ministers of the coastal provinces and territories (including Ontario and Québec). We also issued a Press Release to bring further attention to the Conference Statement.

Needless to say, I am particularly pleased to see these efforts bear fruit. While this funding may have occurred anyway, I do know that the efforts of the CZCA have been much appreciated by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans in helping him to keep the Oceans Action Plan high on the Cabinet agenda, despite many competing demands for funding. We now begin to work with the federal government to provide whatever assistance we can in putting flesh on the OAP, as well as following up with provincial governments to encourage the development of collaborative arrangements with the federal government along the lines of the recent agreement between the governments of Canada and BC. CZC 2006 will provide a great opportunity to assess the progress made in making the coastal management components of the Oceans Act a reality.

Also, as a member of the CZCA you will have recently received the Call for Proposals for a special issue of the Coastal Management Journal on Canadian Coastal and Ocean Management that Peter Harrison and I are co-editing. I hope that you will consider submitting a proposal for this special issue, especially as Canada is now moving forward on the Oceans Action Plan.

These are exciting times for ICOM in Canada, and the CZCA is playing an important role and will continue to do so.

Best wishes to you all,

Peter Ricketts, President, CZCA

THE OCEANS ACTION PLAN AND THE 2005 FEDERAL BUDGET

Context
In the last fifteen months the Government of Canada has undertaken a number of initiatives to promote the sustainable use of our ocean resources and to move in the direction of integrated coastal and ocean management. The foundations for these actions were laid out in the Oceans Act (1997) and the subsequent Canada’s Oceans Strategy (COS) (2002), both of which are grounded in the principles of sustainable development, integrated management and the use of the precautionary approach. In addition to laying out various roles and responsibilities, the Oceans Act also incorporates and adopts the principles and practices of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) (1982).

In November/December 2003 the Government of Canada ratified UNCLOS when it became evident that the European Union would ratify the United Nations Fisheries Agreement (UNFA) regarding straddling stocks. (This major issue, among others, had contributed to the twenty-one year hiatus in the ratification process).

The Speech From the Throne (February 2, 2004) announced that “The Government will place increased emphasis... on opportunities to maximize the potential of our vast coastal and offshore areas through a new Oceans Action Plan”. The Budget of 23rd March 2004 then allocated $70 million over ten years to undertake the analysis necessary to make the case for extending Canadian jurisdiction over the seabed and sedentary species beyond the 200-mile limit (Exclusive Economic Zone) under Article 76 of UNCLOS.

Following extensive analysis and deliberation and the incorporation of input to Canada’s Oceans Strategy, the Speech From the Throne introducing the Thirty-Eighth Parliament (October 5th, 2004) was more specific in its commitment to the Oceans Action Plan (OAP). The Speech effectively lays out the four pillars of the Plan: “The Government will also move forward on its Oceans Action Plan by maximizing the use and development of ocean technology, establishing a network of marine protected areas, implementing integrated management plans, and enhancing the enforcement of rules governing oceans and fisheries, including rules governing straddling stocks”.

Budget 2005
The Budget of February 23rd. 2005 announced a series of important investments in Canada’s oceans (excerpts of the Budget Plan):

• A total of $28 million over the next two years will be invested in the first phase of the Oceans Action Plan.
• An incremental $15 million per year will be allocated on an ongoing basis to ensure the conservation of fisheries in the Northwest Atlantic.
• The Coast Guard’s contribution to the Oceans Action Plan will be assisted by an investment of $276 million over five years for the procurement and operation of six new vessels – including two offshore fishery research vessels, and four mid-shore patrol vessels to support the conservation and protection of fisheries.
• The Department of Fisheries and Oceans and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency have been allocated $59 million over five years for the National Aquatic Animal Health Program.
• A one time investment of $30 million will be made in the Atlantic Salmon Endowment Fund.
• The Budget also allocates $2 million per year to the Great Lakes sea lamprey program and $40 million over five years to the Great Lakes Action Plan.

Peter Harrison,
Senior Research Fellow, Oceans, National Research Council of Canada

CZC 2004 CONFERENCE STATEMENT

The more than three hundred participants attending the 2004 Coastal Zone Canada Conference held in St. John’s, Newfoundland, in June, 2004 were asked to identify their three highest priorities for the Oceans Action Plan currently being developed by the Federal Government. A summation of the contributions was compiled by an executive panel and discussed by the conference. The resulting Conference Statement is the outcome of that process. The Conference Statement (English and French versions), as well as the Association’s press release pertaining to the Statement (also in both English and French), are provided to members as attachments to this e-mail.

The Conference Statement expresses the support of the professional coastal and ocean management community in Canada for the finalization and early implementation of the Oceans Action Plan as a critical component of the Oceans Act of 1997. It includes a number of important recommendations on issues that are vitally important to the sustainability of Canada’s coastal and ocean resources and environments. In January of this year, the document was sent to a broad cross-section of federal and provincial politicians. In the covering letter, the President of the Association, Peter Ricketts, urges recipients to support the development and implementation of the Oceans Act Plan as committed to in the Federal Government’s Speech from the Throne, as well as to support the provision of the necessary resources at both the federal and provincial levels of government.

Future issues of the newsletter will report on progress under this initiative.

COASTAL ZONE CANADA (CZC) 2OO6 CONFERENCE

The first planning meeting for CZC 2006 was held in January in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, the location of the conference. The meeting was chaired by Steve Newton, assisted by Jack Mathias (both of DFO), and involved persons from southern Canada as well as many local residents from Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik. Brian Nicholls represented the Coastal Zone Canada Association.

The first part of the meeting was devoted to introductions / overviews on Tuktoyaktuk and the local area, and the provision of information on the Coastal Zone Canada Association and its CZC Conference Series. The formats of previous CZC Conferences were reviewed; and Burton Ayles, formerly with DFO and now with the Fisheries Joint Management Committee of the Inuvialuit Settlement Region, outlined his experience in organizing the successful “Beaufort Sea Renewable Resources for our Children” Conference held in Inuvik in 2000. This was followed by consideration of the general format of CZC 2006, the development of broad conference themes, and the identification of the specific issues to be addressed in the conference sessions. Under logistics, emphasis was given to the formation of the conference organizing committee and its various sub-committees, including initial memberships and term-of reference. The facilities for the conference in Tuktoyaktuk were reviewed; and consideration was given to conference linkages and partners. This planning event represented a promising start to the first CZC conference to be held in the Arctic.

2005 CANADIAN COASTAL CONFERENCE

The Canadian Coastal Science and Engineering Association has announced that the 12th Canadian Coastal Conference (CCC) will be held in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, on November 6-9, 2005. The joint themes of the conference are “The State of the Natural and Engineered Coast” and “Future Directions in Nearshore Dynamics”. The Canadian Coastal Conference series is of particular interest to members of the Coastal Zone Canada Association in view of the 1995 agreement between the two organizations to support each others, biennial, alternate-year conferences by convening special sessions at each others’ events. The deadline for the receipt of abstracts is March 31, 2005. For further information go to the conference Web-site at: www.ccc2005-ccl2005.ca

UPCOMING CONFERENCES AND MEETINGS

This item comprises selected events of potential interest to members, with the focus being on meetings, etc. that may not be well publicized and/or about which members may not be alerted through the usual sources. The list is based on recommendations provided by members. Events indicated by an asterisk are repeats from previous lists. Your input for future issues is invited.

Apr. 26-28, 2005; Seminar: “Dredged Material Assessment and Management”; Boston, MA; Sponsored by U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Information: http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/dots/training.html

May 2-5, 2005; Exhibition & Conference: “Offshore Technology Conference”; Houston, Texas.
Information: www.otcnet.org/2005/

May 4-5, 2005; Annual Meeting and Workshop of the Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS); Moncton, N.B.
Information available from Mark Hanson, President, ACCESS at: hansonm@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

May 8-11, 2005; Conference: “Solutions to Coastal Disasters”; Charleston, South Carolina; organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
Information: www.asce.org/conferences/

*May 16-21, 2005; GLOBEC Symposium ~ “Climate Variability and Sub-Arctic Marine Ecosystems”; Victoria, B.C.; sponsored by DFO, US National Science Foundation, and North Pacific Marine Science Organization.
Information: www.globec.org

Jun. 20-21, 2005; Workshop on “Economic Effects of Climate Change on Fisheries”; Bergen, Norway; organized by The Centre for Fisheries Economics, Bergen, Norway.
Information: www.snf.no

*Jul. 17-21, 2005; Coastal Zone ‘05; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Sponsored by NOAA Coastal Ocean Services Center.
Information: www.csc.noaa.gov/cz/

Sep. 19-23, 2005; Conference: Oceans ‘05; Washington, D.C.; organized by the Marine Technology Society and IEEE.
Information: www.oceans2005.org/

Nov. 6-9, 2005; 2005 Canadian Coastal Conference; Halifax, N.S.; organized by the Canadian Coastal Science and Engineering Association.
Information: www.ccc2005-ccl2005.ca

The contribution of Marie Lagier of the World Water Council, Marseille, France, in translating the English version of this newsletter into French, is gratefully acknowledged. Thanks are also expressed to Maxine Westhead, DFO, Dartmouth, NS for reviewing the final draft version of the newsletter.

Questions and comments pertaining to this newsletter should be addressed to the editor, Brian Nicholls at: nicholls@telusplanet.net.

Questions and comments pertaining to the Coastal Zone Canada Association should be addressed to the CZCA Secretariat at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, P.O. Box 1006, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 4A2 or email coastalz@mar.dfo-mpo.gc.ca.