Over the past few years the Government of Canada has made several announcements on their commitment toward marine conservation. One ongoing target is the protection of 10% of Canada’s oceans by 2020. This ongoing target led to the identification of potential “Marine Protected Areas” (MPAs) and “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures” (OECMs). In 2018, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) announced two areas: Eastern Shore Islands and the Fundian Channel-Browns Bank as potential MPAs for the Scotian Shelf bioregion. The Eastern Canyons were also selected as a potential OECM. As for the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence bioregion, the Banc-des-Américains was designated as an MPA in March 2019.

One recent announcement about marine conservation includes DFO’s response to the final report that was submitted by the National Advisory Panel on MPA Standards. In April 2019, DFO accepted the thirteen recommendations made by the Panel. Key topics in DFO’s response included collaborative planning and design, Crown-Indigenous relations, protection standards, and marine spatial planning.

This response addressed the Government’s commitment toward working with Indigenous Peoples for the collaborative management of MPAs and the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in decision-making processes. In relation to protection standards, oil and gas exploration and exploitation, mining, dumping and bottom trawling will not be allowed in new MPAs. Oil and gas activ ...