Canada Marine Protected Areas Update

In 2019, Canada announced that the nation had surpassed its marine conservation target of 10 percent protection of marine and coastal areas.

The progress is the result of collaborative efforts with indigenous peoples, all levels of government, marine industries, and stakeholders.

To date, Canada has established 14 MPAs under the Oceans Act, three National Marine Conservation Areas, one marine National Wildlife Area, and 59 marine refuges. These areas protect 13.81% of Canada’s marine and coastal areas.

Projects include:


2019

• Establishment of the Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area (MPA). This MPA contributes 5.55 percent towards Canada’s marine conservation targets and encompasses an area of 319 411 km2.
• Amendments to the Oceans Act enabling the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard to designate interim MPAs to provide protection to vulnerable areas while further scientific research and consultation take place.
• Adoption of new protection standards for federal MPAs and other effective area-based conservation measures to better conserve sensitive and important parts of oceans.
• Establishment of 2 Oceans Act Marine Protected Areas.
• Banc-des-Américains MPA.
• Laurentian Channel MPA.
• Announcement of 8 new marine refuges in Howe Sound, between mainland British Columbia and Vancouver Island.

2018

• Establishment of Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area off Vancouver Island.
• Announcement of the Canada-Quebec Collaborative Agreement to Establish a Network of Marine Protected Areas in Quebec.

2017

• Announcement of 51 marine refuges; representing approximately 275,000 km2 and 4.78% of conserved marine territory.
• Establishment of 2 Oceans Act Marine Protected Areas
• Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reef MPA
• St. Anns Bank MPA
• Announcement of the final boundary for the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area in the High Arctic.

2016

• Establishment of Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area in the Beaufort Sea, Northwest Territories.

Future Projects

The Government of Canada remains committed to carrying out the work set out under the five-point plan, including the protection of large offshore areas such as the Offshore Pacific Area of Interest, identified in May 2017, west of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

source: Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans


Related Information

New Canada Marine Refuges (Nunavut - Newfoundland and Labrador)

Canada Inuit Nunangat Arctic Region

Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans

New Canada Marine Refuges (Nunavut - Newfoundland and Labrador)

Newfoundland and Labrador

In January, 2019, The government of Canada announced the establishment of seven new marine refuges off the coasts of Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador.

The new marine refuges will contribute an additional 145,598 square km of protected ocean area to Canada’s coasts. This represents an additional 2.53% of protected ocean, bringing Canada’s current total to 7.75%.

New Canadian Marine Refuges:

The Davis Strait marine refuge off the coast of Nunavut will conserve significant concentrations of corals, sea pens, and sponges. It will prohibit all bottom-contact fishing activities (where fishing gears are designed to come into contact with the seafloor).

The Disko Fan marine refuge off the coast of Nunavut will conserve significant concentrations of coral and minimize impacts on food sources in a habitat used by Narwhal during the winter. It will prohibit all bottom-contact fishing activities.

The Hatton Basin marine refuge is located off the coasts of Nunavut and Newfoundland and Labrador. It will conserve significant concentrations of corals and sponges. It will prohibit all bottom-contact fishing activities.

The Hopedale Saddle marine refuge off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador will contribute to long-term conservation of biodiversity by protecting corals and sponges. It will prohibit all bottom-contact fishing activities.

The Hawke Channel marine refuge off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador will conserve seafloor habitat important to Atlantic cod. It will prohibit bottom trawl, gillnet and longline fishing activities.

The Funk Island Deep marine refuge off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador will conserve seafloor habitat important to Atlantic cod. It will prohibit bottom trawl, gillnet and longline fishing activities.

The Northeast Newfoundland Slope (formerly known as Tobin’s Point) marine refuge off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador will contribute to long-term conservation of biodiversity by protecting corals and sponges. It will prohibit all bottom contact fishing activities.

Earlier this year, Canada announced plans to establish a national advisory panel that will provide the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard with advice on minimum standards of protection within future Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Canada’s waters.

source: Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Related Information

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Canada Commercial Fishing

Marine, Fisheries, and Science Acronyms

This post lists popular acronyms that are related to oceans, estuaries, marine life, commercial and recreational fisheries, biology, government regulations, and other subjects.

Science - Research

ESA - Endangered Species Act
GMRI - Gulf of Maine Research Institute
MMSN - Marine Mammal Stranding Network
NRDA - Natural Resource Damage Assessment
ONC - Ocean Networks Canada
UME - Unusual Mortality Event

Fishing - Fisheries - Seafood

IFR - integrated fisheries reporting AOTTP - Atlantic Ocean Tropical Tuna Tagging Program
ACCSP - Atlantic Coastal Cooperative Statistics Program
APAIS - Access Point Angler Intercept Survey
AFS - American Fisheries Society
BAYS - Atlantic bigeye, northern albacore, yellowfin, and skipjack tunas
FIS - Fisheries Information System
GLFC - Great Lakes Fishery Commission
HMS - Highly migratory species
IFQ - Individual Fishery Quota
ICCAT - International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas
IATTC - Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
IPHC - International Pacific Halibut Commission
IUU (fishing) - illegal, unregulated, and unreported
MRIP - Marine Recreational Information Program
NEAFC - North East Atlantic Fisheries Commission
NAFO - Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization
PAFC - North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
RFMO - Regional Fisheries Management Organisation
SAFIS - Standard Atlantic Fisheries Information System
WCPFC - Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission
WPacFIN - Western Pacific Fisheries Information Network

U.S Regional Fishing Councils

ASMFC - Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission
NEFMC - New England Fisheries Management Council
MAFMC - Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
SAFMC - South Atlantic Fishery Management Council
CFMC - Caribbean Fishery Management Council
GMFMC - Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
NPFMC - North Pacific Fishery Management Council
PFMC - Pacific Fishery Management Council
WPFMC - Western Pacific Fishery Management Council

Organizations (other)

AMCC - Alaska Marine Conservation Council
IWC - International Whaling Commission
SWIFT - Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow

Government Agencies

DFO - Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Canada)
BOF -  Board of Fisheries (Alaska USA)
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NMFS - National Marine Fisheries Service
NPFMC - North Pacific Fishery Management Council
USCG - United States Coast Guard
USFWS - United States Fish and Wildlife Service

Laws and Regulations

MSA - Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (USA)

Related Information

Commercial Fishing Associations - Organizations (USA)

International Associations - Organizations

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC)

In January, 2019, Canada announced it will provide $12.6 million in funding over four years to Ocean Networks Canada (ONC), a national network of ocean observation systems based at the University of Victoria.

The investment will strengthen high-quality, real-time data on the marine environment to support the work of scientists throughout Canada and around the world, According to Canadian officials.

In particular, this investment will build on ONC’s ocean noise monitoring program and will expand its monitoring of sea surface currents in Pacific waters.

killer whales | photo credit NOAA photo library

The data will augment Canada's efforts to protect the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale while improving navigation and emergency response.

Southern resident killer whales (SRKW) represent the smallest of four resident communities within the Northeastern portion of North America Pacific Ocean.

In Canada the SRKW are listed as endangered on Species at Risk Act Schedule 1. In the USA, SRKW is the only killer whale population listed under the Endangered Species Act by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

A Government of Canada’s $3.5 million contribution from its Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund was highlighted by the official opening of the University of Victoria’s recently opened Ocean-Climate Building.

The new $9.5 million facility also includes investments of $5.15 million from the University of Victoria and $850,000 from the Province of British Columbia.

The nearly 30,000-square-foot building provides an interdisciplinary, collaborative space for the University of Victoria’s ocean, climate change, and data management research programs.

The new facility is occupied by more than 200 researchers, co-op students, scientists, and staff, who will conduct research into the effects of changing oceans and climate.

The Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund provides funding to help modernize facilities at Canadian universities and colleges, as well as improve their energy efficiency and reduce their impact on the environment.

source: Government of Canada

Canada Inuit Nunangat Arctic Region

Canada Arctic Region

In 2018, Canada announced the creation of a stand-alone Arctic Region inclusive of the four regions of Inuit Nunangat for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Canadian Coast Guard (CCG).

According to DFO, the new region was created to address fishing, shipping, resource development, and other interests in light of the changing arctic climate.

The creation of the Arctic Region will be implemented in phases and has already begun with the hiring of new DFO Regional Director General, Gabriel Nirlungayuk and a new Assistant Commissioner of the Coast Guard.

They will both work with Inuit and all Indigenous peoples, as well as residents of the North to define the borders of the new Region and its activities.

The new Region will enable DFO and the Coast Guard to work more closely with Inuit and all Indigenous Leaders, Indigenous organizations, stakeholders and all residents of the Arctic on innovative approaches to program and service delivery.

There will be 7 Fisheries and Oceans Canada regions once the stand-alone Arctic region has been established. Currently, the agency has 6 administrative regions: Newfoundland and Labrador, Maritimes-Scotia Fundy, Gulf, Quebec, Central, and Arctic and Pacific.

The Canadian Coast Guard will have 4 operational regions once the stand-alone Arctic region is established. CCG currently has 3 operational regions: Western, Central and Arctic, and Atlantic.

There are four Inuit regions in Canada, Nunatsiavut (Labrador); Nunavik (Quebec); Nunavut; and the Inuvialuit Settlement Region of the Northwest Territories. Known collectively as Inuit Nunangat, the region encompasses 35 percent of Canada’s landmass and 50 percent of its coastline.

Related Information

Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Canada Commercial Fishing

Basking Sharks Aggregations - North America Northeast Coast

Groups of basking sharks, ranging from as few as 30 to nearly 1,400 animals, have been observed aggregating in waters from Long Island to Nova Scotia.

Individual basking shark sightings are fairly common, but large groups are not, according to NOAA Fisheries.

In a recent study reported in the Journal of Fish Biology, researchers analyzed aggregations of basking sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) recorded off the northeastern United States coast to learn more about the phenomenon.

During decades of aerial surveys for right whales, large basking shark aggregation events were recorded and photographed on several occasions.

Comparing this information with that collected in a number of satellite and oceanographic databases and by the NEFSC’s ecosystem monitoring (EcoMon) cruises in the same region, researchers obtained more insight into this behavior.

The researchers found the aggregations occurred in summer and fall when sea surface temperatures ranged between 55 and 75 degrees F (13 to 24 degrees C). In the largest event, data were available to indicate there was a high concentration of zooplankton prey present.

Ten large aggregations of basking sharks were identified between June 1980 and November 2013, ranging from 36 to at least 1,398 animals within an 11.5-mile (18.5-kilometer) radius of the central point in the aggregation.

Data on breaching, circular swimming movements, and/or apparent feeding behavior were recorded in seven of the ten largest aggregations.

The largest aggregation ever recorded on the aerial survey was at least 1,398 animals photographed on November 5, 2013 in southern New England waters.

Given the apparent presence of juveniles and an abundance of zooplankton on the continental shelf at the time of the event, the study authors say it is likely foraging played a role in the formation of that aggregation.

The study also suggests that the animals may be aggregating to draft off each other for more efficient feeding given the immense drag from having their mouths open.

Basking Shark Facts

Basking sharks are highly migratory, slow-moving fish. They are often sighted close to the surface with their large mouths open to filter zooplankton from seawater.

Reaching 32 feet or more in length and weighing more than five tons, the basking shark is the world's second largest fish. The whale shark, a close relative, is larger.

Basking sharks, whale sharks, and megamouth sharks are the only shark species that feed on plankton.

For more information, visit:

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/basking-sharks-gather-large-groups-northeast-us-coast

source: NOAA Fish News

Canada Areas of Interest for Potential Marine Protected Areas

In June, Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans, announced three Areas of Interest for potential designation as Marine Protected Areas under the Oceans Act.

Officials named St. Anns Bank as an Area of Interest in Eastern Nova Scotia, and two Areas of Interest in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, American Bank and Shediac Valley.

DFO called the move a key step towards fulfilling the Government’s commitment to establish a national network of Marine Protected Areas.

A Marine Protected Area (MPA) is a protective designation for an area that significantly contributes to the health of marine ecosystems and their resources.

The Government of Canada has established three new Marine Protected Areas, two National Marine Conservation Areas and three National Wildlife Areas in the marine environment.

The first step in MPA establishment is the identification of an Area of Interest. The area will then undergo detailed evaluation, and public consultation before a decision is made to formally designate it as an MPA.

source: Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans

NOAA - Canada to Hold Killer Whale Recovery Workshop

NOAA Fisheries has announced that the agency will convene a multi-session science workshop on killer whale recovery.

According to NOAA, Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans is expected to participate in the process.

This action follows a preliminary analysis that includes information showing that killer whales depend to a substantial degree on large Chinook salmon as a high-calorie food source and concludes that killer whale productivity is affected by Chinook abundance.

Puget Sound Chinook salmon and killer whales are both listed for protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). These orcas, known officially as Southern Resident killer whales, are also listed as endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act.

See the Northwest Region Website at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Marine-Mammals/Whales-Dolphins-Porpoise/Killer-Whales/ESA-Status/KW-Chnk.cfm for supporting documents.