Marine Protected Areas of Canada

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) (French: zones de protection marine) are zones within Canadian waters where the marine environment receives a high level of environmental protection. Marine Protected Areas are governed by the Oceans Act of 1996 and administered by Fisheries and Oceans Canada.^[1] The federal government of Canada has committed to protecting 25% of its oceans as Marine Protected Areas by the year 2025, and a further 5% (30% of the ocean area of the Exclusive Economic Zone) by 2030.^[2]

The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents were designated as the first Marine Protected Area of Canada in 2003.

Scope of protection

On 25 April 2019, new standards were adopted for marine protected areas that prohibit four industrial activities: oil and gas activities, mining, dumping, and bottom trawling. These standards do not retroactively void existing oil and gas licenses, or void previously approved bottom trawling activities. Instead, the department will assess each issue of these now prohibited activities on a case-by-case basis to ensure they're in line with the conservation objectives of the specific area.^[3] However, designation as a Marine Protected Area does not automatically prohibit fishing and other activities. Activities within these areas are assessed on a case-by-case basis and are permitted if they are consistent with the conservation objectives of the specific area.^[1]

Adding to the system

Fisheries and Oceans Canada collaborates with interested and affected parties to provide input into the establishment of a marine protected area. When an area is under consideration to become a marine protected area, it is identified as an Area of Interest. If further study is required to develop an appropriate long-term conservation approach, it is identified as a Study Area.^[4]

The department determines the viability of a proposal based upon the ecological, biophysical, social, cultural, and economic aspects of the area. Based on the overview and assessment reports, the conservation objectives of the proposed MPA are elaborated upon and the regulatory measures are developed. The proposal is then published in Canada Gazette, Part I for public comment, at which point regulations may be modified to reflect comments received. Once finalized, official MPA designation occurs when its regulations are published in Canada Gazette, Part II.^[4]

List of Marine Protected Areas

As of June 2023, there were 14 Marine Protected Areas covering an area of approximately 351,514 km² (135,720 sq mi), or about 6% of Canada’s marine and coastal areas.^[5]

Name	Location	Established	Area (km2)[5]	Natural region[5]	Description
Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam	Northwest Territories	2016	2,358	Western Arctic	Protects ecologically important habitats for Arctic char, cod, beluga and bowhead whales, ringed and bearded seals, polar bears, and numerous sea birds.[6]
Banc-des-Américains	Quebec	2019	1,000	Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence	Protects the benthic and pelagic ecosystems of an underwater ridge extending southeast from Cap Gaspé.
Basin Head	Prince Edward Island	2005	9	Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence	Protects an underwater ecosystem supporting Irish moss
Eastport	Newfoundland and Labrador	2005	2	Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves	Protects an area of high biological productivity and the spawning grounds of lobster fish.[7]
Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents	British Columbia	2003	97	Offshore Pacific	Protects a collection of hydrothermal vents nestled within the Juan de Fuca Ridge.
Gilbert Bay	Newfoundland and Labrador	2005	60	Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves	Protects a genetically unique resident population of Atlantic cod known as "Gilbert Bay cod".[8]
The Gully	Nova Scotia	2004	2,363	Scotian Shelf	Protects a deep submarine canyon ecosystem and endangered cetacean populations in the area.
Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs	British Columbia	2017	2,410	Northern Shelf	Protects four glass sponge reefs that were the first discovered living specimens and are the largest glass sponge reefs in the world.
Laurentian Channel	Newfoundland and Labrador	2019	11,580	Newfoundland-Labrador Shelves	Protects a variety of endangered species within the channel.
Musquash Estuary	New Brunswick	2006	7	Scotian Shelf	Protects the largest ecologically-intact salt marsh in the Bay of Fundy.
Saint Anns Bank	Nova Scotia	2017	4,364	Scotian Shelf	Protects a region of high biodiversity and biological productivity off the east coast of Cape Breton Island.
SG̲áan K̲ínghlas-Bowie Seamount	British Columbia	2008	6,103	Offshore Pacific	Protects a unique, biologically diverse marine community of deep sea, subtidal, and intertidal species.[9]
Tang.ɢ̱wan – ḥačxwiqak – Tsig̱is	British Columbia	2024	133,017	Offshore Pacific	Protects seamounts and hydrothermal vents.[10]
Tarium Niryutait	Northwest Territories Yukon	2010	1,750	Western Arctic	Protects a dynamic, highly productive, and biologically diverse marine ecosystem located within the outer reaches of the Mackenzie River delta.[11]
Tuvaijuittuq	Nunavut	2019	319,411	Arctic Basin and Arctic Archipelago	Protects a diverse marine ecosystem dependent on thick, multi-year pack ice created by the circulation of the Beaufort Gyre.[12]

Areas of Interest

Name	Location	Area (km2)[4]	Natural region[4]	Description
Eastern Shore Islands	Nova Scotia	2,000	Scotian Shelf	A large, highly productive, and ecologically intact stretch of coastline between the villages of Marie Joseph and Jeddore.[13]
Fundian Channel-Browns Bank	Nova Scotia	7,200	Scotian Shelf	Area hosting diverse benthic habitats and depleted fish species.[14]
Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence	Quebec	TBD[15]	Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Race Rocks (XwaYeN)	British Columbia	2	Southern Shelf	[16]
St. Lawrence Estuary	Quebec	6,000	Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence	Currently undergoing additional studies to develop an appropriate long-term conservation approach.
Shediac Valley	New Brunswick Prince Edward Island	1,530	Estuary and Gulf of Saint Lawrence	Area of high biological productivity and a key habitat for various fish species.[17]
Southampton Island	Nunavut	93,087	Hudson Complex	Area of high biological productivity.[18]

See also

• National Marine Conservation Area