Canada, with over five million square kilometres of ocean area, is one of the countries to put forward a new ocean action agenda on Wednesday.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society says in a report that while there has been progress in recent years, recommendations from international scientific bodies suggest there's more work to do.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau says the federal government is investing in navigational mapping, ship monitoring and weather forecasting as part of the $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan.