Live Fish, Displays Highlight Oceans Day Celebration

Halifax is going to welcome World Oceans Month in style Friday, June 3, with live fish, dozens of displays, hundreds of people and plenty of fun.

June is World Oceans Month, including World Oceans Day on June 8, and in recognition, the Halifax waterfront will host a day-long celebration Friday.

"We live by our oceans in more ways than one," said Sterling Belliveau Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. "They are sustainable sources of the world's finest foods. They are a natural transportation system and a recreational treasure. Our oceans define us as a Maritime people. We all need to know more about them and we need to protect them."

Thirty organizations are expected to bring fish, interactive exhibits and a wealth of ocean information to waterfront event, which has drawn more than 1,000 visitors in the past. It will also feature free admission to the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the CSS Acadia from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

World Oceans Day was promoted by Canada in 1992, at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. A United Nations resolution in 2008 officially recognized June 8 as World Oceans Day, which is celebrated by about 50 countries.