Why is Canada not taking a stand to stop deep sea “clear-cutting”? Lobby, Blog and Petition

It’s deep, it’s dark; it’s a long way away. And concerned citizens in St. John’s (and across the country) want to make sure it’s protected. The deep sea covers two-thirds of our planet and is home to complex ecosystems and an estimated 10 million species, most still undiscovered.
Unfortunately, a global fleet of fewer than 300 bottom trawlers are “clear cutting” this biodiversity, dragging huge heavy nets across 1,500 square kilometres of deep-sea floor each day. In a matter of a few weeks or months, bottom trawl fishing can destroy what took thousands of years to create.
For information contact Julie Huntington at 895-0853.

Fisheries Minister Loyola Hearn has acknowledged that dragging damages fish stocks and habitat. Nevertheless, he says Canada will NOT support the proposed United Nation�s moratorium on high seas trawling (fishing within Canadian waters would not be affected). The UN vote is scheduled for November and concerned Canadians need to make it clear that we want our government to take a leadership role in protecting our earth�s oceans.
Conservation groups and scientists from around the world, as well as many countries with fishing interests (including the US and Australia) have already expressed their support for this moratorium.
Email Minister Hearn at Min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca and let him know that Canada needs to support this �time out� so the world can plan how to manage these precious resources in a sustainable way.