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e-3483 (Environment)

E-petition
Initiated by Nicole Zanesco from Halifax, Nova Scotia

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • The deep-sea plays a key role in the health of marine ecosystems and species, making it indispensable for the sustenance of the ocean;
  • The International Seabed Authority (ISA) is tasked with the protection of the international seabed (Area) for the benefit of humankind;
  • The ISA is considering adopting rushed and inadequate regulations for deep seabed mining (DSM) in the Area;
  • There is enormous scientific concern and technological uncertainty surrounding DSM, with scientific consensus it will cause a net loss in biodiversity and irreparable environmental damage;
  • Canada’s domestic legislation, The Fisheries Act, effectively bans DSM to protect fish;
  • Per Canada’s international commitments, Canada has a responsibility to protect the Area for future generations;
  • Canada has an unfulfilled opportunity at the ISA to be a leader on environmental stewardship and good governance;
  • The draft regulations do not require full public consultation, nor will they effectively protect the marine environment, thereby undermining the mission of the ISA;
  • The green energy transition must be fuelled by a circular economy, not increased extraction; and
  • Precedent exists for international moratoria that effectively ban activities threatening the health and sustainability of the environment.
We, the undersigned, Oceans North, MiningWatch Canada, the Canadian Parks & Wilderness Society, Nature Canada, Northern Confluence, West Coast Environmental Law, and the citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Support a moratorium on deep seabed mining in the Area, as an immediate first step; and
2. Immediately halt the granting of exploration contracts and the development of regulations for exploitation by the ISA, per the recommendations of the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, of which Canada is a member.
Open for signature
June 11, 2021, at 11:17 a.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
September 9, 2021, at 11:17 a.m. (EDT)
Photo - Elizabeth May
Saanich—Gulf Islands
Green Party Caucus
British Columbia