Canada Agriculture and Food Museum partners with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to promote ocean science literacy
OTTAWA, ON, June 3, 2021 – The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is teaming up with Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) to share insights around aquaculture and ocean science — key topics relating to food security and environmental sustainability.
In support of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), this partnership marks the start of a multi-year initiative that tackles the theme of aquaculture and highlights some of the key challenges facing our oceans today. Aquaculture — the farming of our waters — is a valuable component of Canada’s food sector, which produces a diversity of species for human consumption. Fish, shellfish, and seaweed are grown under controlled conditions, providing livelihoods and income for many coastal and rural communities across the country.
Together with DFO, the museum will develop and deliver engaging, educational, and science-based programming about the way aquaculture, agriculture, and food production is practiced — looking at both traditional and contemporary perspectives. From environmental and economic sustainability to impacts on climate action and food security, this initiative will showcase research, innovations, and practices related to aquaculture in Canada.
Highlights of the partnership include a long-term exhibit set to launch at the museum in summer 2022 during the United Nations International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture. The exhibit will focus on key areas of sustainable food production, along with a travelling version to reach audiences across the country. Associated programming — from educational resources to outreach activities — will address species cultivation, and examine how this export-focused industry addresses environmental and sustainability challenges through scientific, technological, and policy innovation.
Quotes
“Canada is an ocean nation with the largest coastline in the world. We depend on our oceans for food, the air we breathe and the jobs it creates through our blue economy. Roughly a third of Canada’s fisheries value and 20% of our total seafood production is through aquaculture, a vital part of our nation's blue economy. This partnership celebrates the sustainable practices, competitive markets and long term investments aquaculture creates. This exhibit will offer Canadians new and exciting ways to explore the science we want for the sustainable ocean we need”.
- The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard
“Aquaculture is a timely topic with important considerations on environmental stewardship and food security. The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is committed to contributing to and promoting knowledge sharing on Canada’s history and contemporary leadership in aquaculture. In promoting ocean literacy and the importance of sustainable development of aquaculture in Canada, we hope to inspire curiosity and lifelong learning among our visitors on the issues that will impact them for generations to come.”
-Kerry-Leigh Burchill, Director General, Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Quick Facts
- The United Nations has proclaimed a Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (Ocean Decade), beginning in 2021, to support efforts to reverse the cycle of decline in ocean health and ensure a sustainable ocean for future generations. The Ocean Decade is coordinated and led by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and will encourage partners from around the world to collaborate to advance ocean science to support the sustainable development of our oceans. In November 2019, Canada announced its support for the Ocean Decade including an investment of up to $9.5 million.
- The United Nations General Assembly declared 2022 the International Year of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is the lead agency for celebrating the Year in collaboration with other relevant organizations and bodies of the United Nations system. The year represents an important recognition of the millions of small-scale fishers, fish farmers and fish workers who provide healthy and nutritious food to billions of people and contribute to achieving Zero Hunger.
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Contact
Christine Clouthier
Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation
cclouthier@IngeniumCanada.org
613-410-5943
About the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
Ingenium – Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation oversees three museums, one of which is the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum. The museum offers hands-on food literacy demonstrations and immersive exhibitions on a working farm in the heart of our nation’s capital. It showcases milestones in Canadian agriculture which inform and inspire the future of food security and sustainable agriculture. It also highlights the relationship between agricultural science and technology and Canadians’ everyday lives. Visitors to the national site have a unique opportunity to experience hands-on demonstrations, participate in seasonal programs, and see diverse breeds of farm animals as well as technology. Virtual visitors and national audiences are able to access learning modules, experiments, recipes, and online programs that feature key issues of our time.