New standards for marine protected areas announced today
Press Release Date: April 25, 2019
Today, Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced it is adopting new standards to strengthen the conservation and protection of important marine habitat.
In response to this announcement, Oceana Canada’s Executive Director, Josh Laughren, issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement of standards for marine protected areas (MPA) is a great step forward and will help ensure appropriate protection for Canada’s most important marine areas.
MPAs meeting these standards will help protect fragile habitats that provide nursery, spawning and feeding areas for marine wildlife from harmful practices such as oil and gas activities and bottom-contact gear. It is also a critical step toward rebuilding abundance and restoring our oceans to health, which will benefit coastal communities for generations to come.
Other area-based conservation measures, such as marine refuges, do not fall under these standards, but must also be managed effectively to meet conservation objectives. Oceana Canada looks forward to contributing to the development of transparent conservation objectives and a science-based methodology to assess and address risks to these valuable marine habitats.
The additional announcement of the Laurentian Channel being designated as Canada’s newest MPA is also commendable. Canada has increased its protected coasts and oceans from less than one per cent in 2015 to more than eight per cent today. This is tremendous progress in four years and sets a strong foundation for the continued work to protect habitat needed to ensure healthy oceans.”
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About Oceana Canada
Oceana Canada is an independent charity and part of the largest international advocacy group dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana Canada believes that Canada has a national and global obligation to manage our natural resources responsibly and help ensure a sustainable source of protein for the world’s growing population. Oceana Canada works with civil society, academics, fishers, Indigenous Peoples and the federal government to return Canada’s formerly vibrant oceans to health and abundance. By restoring Canada’s oceans, we can strengthen our communities, reap greater economic and nutritional benefits, and protect our future.
For more information, please contact:
Kathleen Munro, Consultant, Pilot PMR at 416.462.0199 x250 or 902.789.3165, kathleen.munro@pilotpmr.com
Kara-Ann Miel, Communications Advisor, Oceana Canada, 647.535.2360, kmiel@oceana.ca
