The fourth meeting and the third study tour of the “Task Force on Ecosystem Issues and Policy Options addressing the Sustainable Development of China’s Ocean and Coast” was held in Halifax, Canada during May 11-13, 2010. The meeting was chaired by TF Co-Chairs, Prof. Su Jilan and Prof. Peter Harrison. Chief Advisors of CCICED, Prof. Shen Guofang and Dr. Art Hanson participated in the meeting. Other participants in the meeting included the Chinese and International TF members and administrators; experts from Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Environment Canada; Dalhousie University; the US National Wildlife Federation; Canada/US International Joint Commission; the State of Rhode Island; UNEP Regional Seas Programme; the province of British Columbia; the South Pacific Marine Commission; and representatives of the CCICED Secretariat. In total about thirty-five people participated.

　　Information and experience were exchanged during this meeting, on Marine Spatial Planning in various jurisdictions in Canada, US, EU, China and other countries. Administrators and experts of relevant Canadian institutions provided presentations on legislation processes; stakeholder participation; and the governance and evaluation of Large Ocean Management Areas and Coastal Management Areas in Canada.

　　A draft framework of the final project report was discussed at the meeting and was approved by the TF. It was decided that a writing meeting (and the sixth TF meeting) will be held in Qingdao, China during June 20-24, 2010 to complete the first draft of final report. The final report is to be submitted to the CCICED in September 2010.

　　During the meeting, the Chinese and international TF members also visited the Bedford Institute of Oceanography, and exchanged information on marine environmental monitoring and marine ecology studies with BIO scientists.