Canada has become the eighth nation to sign the Hamilton Declaration, pledging to help protect the Sargasso Sea.

On Saturday, Domenic LeBlanc, Minister for Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard signed the Hamilton Declaration at the Convention on Biological Diversity in Mexico with Cole Simons, the Minister of Environment, present.

The Hamilton Declaration is a political commitment by the signatories to work with the Government of Bermuda and the Sargasso Sea Commission to conserve the Sargasso Sea — the huge, iconic high seas ecosystem in the North Atlantic sub-tropical gyre.

It was originally signed in Bermuda in March 2014 by five governments — The Azores, Bermuda, Monaco, the United Kingdom and the United States. The British Virgin Islands signed in January 2016 followed by The Bahamas in September 2016.

The Hamilton Declaration mandated the Government of Bermuda to establish the Sargasso Sea Commission to “exercise a stewardship role for the Sargasso Sea and keep its health, productivity and resilience under continual review”.

Speaking on the latest signing, Mr Simons said: “I am immensely pleased that Canada will participate in the stewardship of this unique and vitally important marine environment. “We can count on Canada to be an active, reliable and productive partner. As Minister responsible for the Canadian Coast Guard, Minister LeBlanc indicated that he would consider whether the Coast Guard could participate in reconnaissance of the Sargasso Sea.”

Dr David Freestone, executive secretary of the Sargasso Sea Commission, added: “The signing of the Hamilton Declaration in 2014 was an historic event in the move towards conservation of the high seas. The impact of the work of the commission will be greatly enhanced by the active collaboration of our newest regional partner, Canada.”

The third meeting of the signatories and the Sargasso Sea Commission is planned for the spring of 2017.