Marine Protected AreasProtecting Marine Ecosystems in CanadaCanada borders on three oceans: the Pacific, the Atlantic and the Arctic. As a matter of fact—at 243 000 km in length—Canada’s shoreline is the longest of any country in the world. Marine life is one of Canada’s most prized resources and to protect it the federal government has decided to create Marine Protected Areas. These are defined as “legally designated areas designed to protect marine plants, animals and ecosystems.” There are three federal programmes for Marine Protected Areas. The Environment Canada ProgrammeEnvironment Canada has the power to designate certain habitats as being of ‘national importance’. Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBSs) are coastal or marine habitats where birds breed, feed, migrate or overwinter. Nearly 30 MBSs exist in Quebec, covering over 60 000 ha of territory along the shores of the St. Lawrence. There are also National Wildlife Areas (NWAs). These are St. Lawrence wetlands conservation zones. Presently 8 NWAs protect nearly 6 000 ha of wetlands along the St. Lawrence. The Parks Canada Agency ProgrammeThe Parks Canada Agency has divided the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Oceans, and the Great Lakes into 29 marine regions, with distinct biological and physical characteristics, where it plans to establish National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs). The purpose of these areas is to “protect and commemorate the country’s natural and cultural heritage”. So far two NMCAs have been created: the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park in Quebec and the Fathom Five National Marine Park in Georgian Bay, Ontario. Three other projects are presently under development: one in Lake Superior, Ontario and two others in British Columbia; the Southern Straight of Georgia and the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. The Fisheries and Oceans ProgrammeIn order to protect biodiversity and ocean habitats, the 1996 Oceans Act provides for the creation of ’Marine Protected Areas’ (MPAs) by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The purpose of these areas is to conserve and protect:
The first MPA to be designated as such in Canada is the Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents site located southwest of Vancouver Island, British Columbia with its rich ecosystem harbouring several unique species. On May 14, 2004, DFO designated a second MPA in Canada: the Gully, an underwater canyon situated 200 km off Nova Scotia near Sable Island. This exceptionally deep canyon is home to a wide variety of marine species including a population of northern bottlenose whales classified as endangered in Canada. This MPA covers an area 80 km in length, 50 km in width and 2 500 m deep with a total surface area of 2 364 km2. Canada has identified 11 other sites of interest in view of creating other MPAs. Two of these sites are in Quebec. The St. Lawrence Estuary is a major feeding area for several marine mammals and, consequently, a preferred area for whale watching. Two species classified as endangered in Canada, the blue whale and, most rare of all, the right whale, and one species classified as threatened, the beluga, frequent the Estuary. This MPA will include an area extending from Baie-Saint-Paul, in the Charlevoix region, to Betsiamites on the North Shore, and from Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies to Métis-sur-Mer on the South Shore, covering a vast territory of 6 000 km2. It will not include the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park, but will be complementary to it. Designation of this MPA is set for 2006. The Manicouagan Peninsula is a 700 km2 site where three major North Shore rivers flow into the saltwater of the St. Lawrence. The meeting of freshwater and saltwater—along with the temperature of this zone—creates favourable conditions for biological productivity. This explains the wide variety of marine plants, invertebrates, fish and mammals that can be found here. The regulations that will be used to define the limits and conservation objectives of the MPA is presently being written. The official designation is set for the summer of 2005. The concerted effort of the three federal ministries and their partners will lead to the establishment of a vast network of Marine Protected Areas in Canada, thus protecting marine ecosystems. Other MPAs exist elsewhere in the world, including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia that covers 350 000 km2. I want to know moreFisheries and Oceans Canada : Marine Protected Areas Parks Canada Agency : National Marine Conservation Areas of Canada |