Development of the Canadian Ocean Literacy Strategy

In Canada and internationally, there is a growing interest in “ocean literacy” (OL), which can be defined as the extent to which we understand our impact on the ocean and the ocean’s impact on us. OL is also a strategic objective for the 2021-2030 UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. For coastal communities, Indigenous people, and small-scale fisher-folk, this connectedness to the ocean is inextricably linked to livelihoods, food security, cultural continuity and well-being. Yet, the ocean plays a critical role in the overall well-being of all Canadians, even those living far from our coastlines. The main value of this research is in the co-development of a national OL strategy based on regional findings and recommendations. As the Pacific region coordinator, Dr. Yumagulova conducted focused document analysis, asset mapping, data analysis, and synthesize regional findings directly to inform the drafting of the national strategy. With extensive networks and relationships with Indigenous communities from coast to coast, she also developed a respectful approach for including Indigenous ways of knowing and relating to the ocean as part of the national strategy. This is very important since in Canada, ‘ocean literacy’ in formal education has been dominated by Western scientific approaches.