“It is so hopeful, especially for children and youth to learn about meaningful efforts to protect ocean biodiversity for future generations.”
BOWEN ISLAND, B.C. — It was just last summer when the heat dome decimated starfish and shellfish populations up and down the BC coast. Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced new efforts to protect marine biodiversity. He announced The Oceans Protection Plan 2.0 with an additional pledge of $2 billion over the next nine years adding to the $1.5 billion already designated for ocean protection.
“We’ll take action to combat emerging threats to our marine safety and ecosystems and we’ll strengthen partnerships with Indigenous peoples,” Trudeau said.
“Climate change is already a humanitarian crisis and kids are worried. They can already see the impacts right here on the coast,” said Andrea Koehle Jones, Founder and Children’s Climate Education Advocate, The ChariTree Foundation. “It is so hopeful, especially for children and youth to learn about meaningful efforts to protect ocean biodiversity for future generations.”
The ChariTree Foundation is a national children’s environmental education and United Nations Climate Observer organization based on Bowen Island.
Koehle Jones applauds this ocean initiative and partnership with Indigenous peoples. “The Oceans Protection Plan 2.0 is about moving forward with new, bold action with partners from coast to coast to coast to protect and restore our oceans,” Trudeau said.
“There’s no time to wait. Let’s do all we can now to stop the accelerating decline of marine habitats and biodiversity in Canada and around the world,” Koehle Jones said. “Kids everywhere are counting on us to do the right thing.”
(Photos by Andrea Koehle Jones)
RELATED STORIES
This report by The ChariTree Foundation’s Outdoor Parent News was first published July 19, 2022.