______2021/SOM1/OFWG/003 Agenda Item: IIA

APEC Marine Debris Roadmap – Implementation Progress: Canada

Purpose: Information Submitted by: Canada

16th Ocean and Fisheries Working Group Meeting 25-26 February 2021

APEC Marine Debris Roadmap

Economy : Canada

1. Policy Development and Coordination

No Action Implementation progress . 1.1 Identify and share In November 2018, Canadian Environment Ministers agreed to work collectively toward a common goal of zero effective measures plastic waste. To this end, they approved in principle a Canada-wide Strategy on Zero Plastic Waste, which taking into account outlines a vision to keep all plastics in the economy and out of landfills and the environment. existing global, regional and domestic action In June 2019, Federal, provincial and territorial governments adopted a Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic plans and frameworks Waste to implement the Strategy. Phase 1 of the Action Plan focused government efforts across a broad range of on marine debris; and activities. They include achieving consistent extended producer responsibility programs (which place responsibility promote mutually on companies that manufacture plastic products or sell items with plastic packaging to manage the collection and beneficial collaboration recycling of these products at their end-of-life); a roadmap to address single-use and disposable plastics; support with other relevant for recycling infrastructure and innovation in plastics manufacturing; and tools for green procurement practices. international, regional and sub-regional fora or Phase 2 of the Action Plan, approved in June 2020, outlines timelines for tangible, coordinated action to: improve organizations. consumer, business and institution awareness; reduce waste and pollution from aquatic activities including fishing and aquaculture; advance science on the impacts of plastics pollution and inform solutions along the value chain; support capture, clean-up and prevention of plastic pollution; and contribute to global action. Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers also agreed to work together to consider how to mitigate environmental impacts related to the increased amounts of waste generated by the use of personal protective equipment such as single-use masks, gloves and gowns due to COVID-19.

The Sustainable Fisheries Solutions and Retrieval Support Contribution Program (also known as the Ghost Gear Fund, GGF), a CA $8.3 million (2020-2022) investment, supports the prevention and retrieval of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing and aquaculture gear. It will also support fish harvesters to acquire new gear technologies to reduce gear loss. This is the first fund of its kind that dedicates a significant source of funds specifically to combat ghost gear.

Among others, the GGF is supporting the work of Ocean Conservancy to share effective measures on reducing ghost gear by holding roundtable discussions with relevant participants (harvesters, processors, etc). The event is also supported by the Global Ghost Gear Initiative (GGGI), which are sharing their published Best Practice

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Framework for the Management of Fishing Gear, and the updated GGGI Data Portal and other resources. The dialogue will provide the forum for information sharing across relevant stakeholders.

The Annual Report of the GGGI will also contain information on the past year’s advances in the global fight against ghost gear including case studies and projects carried out by GGGI members. Canada contributed to the study on marine litter and microplastic in the Arctic under the Arctic Council’s Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) working group and is participating in the development of the Regional Action Plan on Marine Litter in the Arctic.

1.2 Establish mechanisms for cross-fora dialogue among relevant APEC Working Groups to encourage a coordinated and holistic approach to combating and managing marine debris. 1.3 Strengthen coordination Another Ocean Conservancy project funded through the GGF is focusing on developing gear retrieval training with relevant private protocol well as carrying out retrieval work in Vanuatu. This work is being advanced with the help of the Vanuatu sector, and civil society Environmental Science Society and Natural Resources Consultants. organizations. In October 2020, the Government of Canada announced proposed steps towards eliminating plastic pollution in Canada, including potentially banning or restricting certain harmful single-use plastic products, where warranted and supported by science. To support this process Canada asked Canadians and stakeholders to comment on a discussion paper on a proposed integrated management approach to plastics that outlined a number of proposed actions, including potential regulations which could be developed under the provisions of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA). 1.4 Encourage economies to build upon and apply the ‘APEC Policy and Practice Recommendation for Overcoming Barriers to Financing Waste Management Systems and Reducing Marine Debris’ to address financing gaps for waste

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management infrastructure. 1.5 Encourage APEC economies to promote domestic inter-agency policy coordination mechanisms on marine debris and waste management. 1.6 Promote sustainable All provinces and territories have regulated extended producer responsibility programs in place, excluding waste management, Nunavut. There are over 160 regulated and voluntary stewardship programs in Canada covering more than 20 and reduction and product categories including packaging and beverage containers. prevention of leakage of waste from land- and Through the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative, the Government of Canada has invested CAD $8.45 million (2018- sea-based sources, at 2022) to effect change within and across the plastics lifecycle to increase collection, improve value recovery, and all levels of government prevent and remove plastic pollution. and expand on successful experiences The Zero Plastic Waste Initiative also supports projects that focus on solutions, pilot technologies and innovations, and models. demonstrate best practices and research environmentally friendly litter removal approaches on land, in waterways, and nearshore areas to reduce debris before it enters the oceans. For example, Canada has funded the Great Canadian Shoreline Clean-up – a national program to mobilize citizens to collect and report on debris across Canada. In 2019, the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup had its most successful year in its 25+ year history with almost 3,000 clean-ups, removing over 163,000 kg of litter and mobilizing nearly 85,000 volunteers. The University of Toronto also organized a local cleanup event in 2019 that resulted in 100 volunteers removing 247kg of litter in one day (May 5, 2019).

As another source of marine litter is lost fishing and aquaculture gear,

In July 2019, the Government of Canada conducted a 3-day ghost gear retrieval expedition called Operation Ghost in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. This operation focused on areas with concentrations of ghost gear, removing 101 crab pots and 9.1km of rope from the water and returning 10,614lbs of crab back to the water. 1.7 Encourage the use of In June 2019, Canada’s Plastics Science Agenda (CaPSA) was published providing a framework that spans the available scientific lifecycle of plastics to inform future science and research investments for: information for the  detecting plastics in the environment; development of policies.  understanding and mitigating potential impacts on wildlife, human health and the environment;  advancing sustainable plastic production, recycling and recovery; and  providing the evidence needed to support decision making as we move toward a zero plastic waste future.

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In October 2021, Canada published the final Science Assessment of Plastic Pollution, which evaluates the state of the science and looks at the presence and effects of plastic pollution on the environment and human health. It confirms that plastic pollution is everywhere and is negatively impacting our environment.

The Canadian Government has invested more than $10 million in robust science to address priority research gaps. Plastics Science for a Cleaner Future, the Increasing Knowledge on Plastic Pollution Initiative, and the Northern Contaminants Program are recent steps on our investments in research to better understand the impacts of plastic pollution and support solutions across the value chain.

2.- Capacity Building

No Action Implementation progress. . 2.1 Promote Through the World Economic Forum’s Global Plastics Action Partnership, Canada, as a founding member, has complementarily contributed to the development and launch of National Action Plan Partnerships (NPAPs) for Indonesia, Ghana between member and Vietnam. As the GPAP’s first national partnership, Indonesia provides key learnings and expertise that will be economies’ initiatives invaluable in scaling up efforts and influencing other markets across the ASEAN region and globally. within the APEC framework and other similar initiatives in the APEC region. 2.2 Encourage consumer Federal, provincial and territorial governments have committed to strengthening information exchange and awareness activities awareness that engage and enable Canadians and businesses to make sustainable choices to better manage and education plastic resources. This includes promoting tools and best practices and developing guidance on the use of labels and terms such as recyclable and compostable.

The Government of Canada is also supporting businesses and organizations to engage key stakeholders in advancing solutions and to support awareness raising initiatives in Canada. For instance, Canada supported the 10,000 Changes and Plastic Wise national awareness raising campaigns. Through these campaigns, over 24,000 Canadians pledged to take action to reduce plastic waste and pollution. Canada has also supported educational resource to inform youth about the impacts of plastic pollution and how to sustainably buy, use, dispose or recycle their plastic products, such as: the Anthropocene Educational Program and Ocean Plastic Education Kit, reaching over 22,000 Canadian teachers. The Government of Canada has even launched an online video game - Climate Kids Plastics and Oceans – to engage youth about the issue.

2.3 Promote new Through the Canadian Plastic Innovation Challenge, the government is investing nearly $19 million to support technologies application Canadian innovators and small and medium-sized businesses to develop solutions for plastics challenges. The and dissemination such

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as Artificial Intelligence Challenges include, among other categories, developing sustainable fishing and aquaculture gear. For more and Block Chain to information on the Challenges please visit https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/00001.html. control and tracking marine debris 2.4 Promote The Canadian Plastic Innovation Challenges include, among other categories, supporting innovation in reducing complementarily plastic waste and microfibers from textiles, finding sustainable alternatives to plastic packaging, developing solutions between sustainable fishing and aquaculture gear, and developing innovative solutions to address plastic waste and toxic member economies substances from electronics. For more information on the Challenges please visit initiatives to share new https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/101.nsf/eng/00001.html. approach in transforming plastic waste into new alternative of energy resource [ACTION ADDED BY INDONESIA IN MARCH 2020 COMMENTS] 2.5 Address marine debris In 2019-20, the Fisheries and Aquaculture Clean Technology Adoption Program (FACTAP), administered by management issues in Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans, funded the purchase of Industrial Plankton’s algae marine aquaculture in photobioreactor in order to reduce the amount of plastic waste and electricity used to grow algae. APEC economies

3.- Past and Ongoing Activities (multi fora).

No Action Implementation progress . 3.1 Promote research to Canada supports, conducts and shares scientific research that informs evidence-based decision making, spurs identify policy drivers of innovation and helps to track progress. In June 2019, Canada’s Plastics Science Agenda (CaPSA) was published marine debris and providing a framework that spans the lifecycle of plastics to inform future science and research investments for: promote development  detecting plastics in the environment; and implementation of  understanding and mitigating potential impacts on wildlife, human health and the environment; innovative solutions.  advancing sustainable plastic production, recycling and recovery; and  providing the evidence needed to support decision making as we move toward a zero plastic waste future.

Canada, as per the recently adopted Canada-wide Action Plan on Zero Plastic Waste, will support research, including R&D and innovations, along the plastics value chain to inform decision-making and identify opportunities for improved circularity in the economy. We will also develop and maintain national data on plastic use in the

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economy and their management; develop guidance for Canada-wide monitoring to detect and assess plastic pollution using harmonized approaches; and facilitate collaborative networks to share knowledge.

3.2 Support research and As part of the GGF-funded work of the Ocean Conservancy in Vanuatu), habitat impact assessment protocols will promote knowledge be updated. ARC Geographic Information System (ArcGIS) will be used to overlay relevant attributes (fishing sharing - to assess area, gear use, species habitats, reported gear loss, etc), to generate maps with revised hotspot areas for marine debris impacts potential gear loss. on coastal ecosystems (e.g., mangroves, sea grass, coral) and the marine environment. 3.3 Encourage research on The Canadian Government has invested more than $10 million in robust science to address priority research environmentally gaps. Plastics Science for a Cleaner Future, the Increasing Knowledge on Plastic Pollution Initiative, and the sustainable waste Northern Contaminants Program are recent steps on our investments in research to better understand the disposal and impacts of plastic pollution and support solutions across the value chain. management.

3.4 Support research on land- and sea-based sources, pathways, life cycles and impacts of marine debris, including potential impacts on human health. 3.5 Support research on developing new resource and possibility to generate energy/electricity from plastic waste in coastal areas

4.- Financing and Private Sector Engagement.

No Action Implementation progress . 4.1 Consider the possibility of APEC sub funds to

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support sustainable management of the marine environment including marine debris. 4.2 Consider applying Canada has a comprehensive agenda to reduce plastic waste and pollution that embraces a resource efficient circular economy or and circular economy approach to address the entire plastics value chain. Important aspects of our agenda sustainable materials include investing in research through Canada’s Plastics Science Agenda, innovation through the Canadian management Plastics Innovation Challenges, and in-community action through the Zero Plastic Waste Initiative. We are approaches to working in partnership with NGOs and industry to develop solutions to reduce plastic waste in the first place, and strengthened markets increase the recovery of such waste, whenever possible. for plastic wastes and drive sustainable waste In collaboration with the provincial and territorial governments, we are also working to ensure producers are management. responsible for the waste their products generate. Our aim is to work with all sectors of the economy, from packaging, textiles, electronics, construction materials to vehicles and others, to keep plastic in the economy and out of the environment.

In June 2017, the Government of Canada published the Microbeads in Toiletries Regulations, listing microbeads on Schedule 1 of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. The regulations prohibit the manufacture, import, and sale of toiletries used to exfoliate or cleanse that contain plastic microbeads, including non-prescription drugs and natural health products started on January 1, 2018 with a complete ban as of July 2019.

The federal, provincial and territorial governments are also working together to: • achieve consistent extended producer responsibility programs across Canada; • develop a roadmap to address single-use and disposable plastics; • establish national performance requirements for plastics (e.g. standards for recycled content and bio- based plastics); • support recycling infrastructure and innovation in plastics manufacturing; and, • develop guidelines and tools for green procurement practices.

4.3 Explore opportunities for de-risking innovations and technologies to enhance access to international financing.

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