State of the Oceans Reports have been developed for each of the five large ocean management areas, as well as a national summary report.
Over the last few years, the government has added more than 13 500 km2 to Parks Canada’s system of national marine conservation areas. It is taking additional actions that will add up to 60 700 km2 to the system, thereby increasing the total water area that comes under Parks Canada’s stewardship by 74 200 km2. In 2010, Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site was established, making it the first marine site to be legally protected under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act. Progress is also being made towards establishing national marine conservation areas for Lancaster Sound in Nunavut, for the Southern Strait of Georgia in British Columbia and for a marine protected area in the waters around les Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec.
Canada has adopted an integrated approach to the management of ocean-based activities. Five large ocean management areas (LOMAs) were established and form the planning basis for implementation of integrated management (IM) plans. These plans guide decision-makers in conservation, sustainable development, and use of coastal and marine resources. IM plans have been developed in three LOMAs, with the remaining two plans to be completed this year, and implementation will follow.
For additional information on the implementation strategies that support this target, please consult the following websites:
Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Parks Canada.
Progress Towards Target 6.3: Percentage of marine area under a conservation regime
Canada has approximately 59 900 km2 of federal, provincial and territorial protected areas covering about 1% of oceans (from the shoreline out to the limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone) and the Great Lakes. Almost 49 100 km2 of this protected area is marine and 10 800 km2 is in the Great Lakes. As assessed to date, contributory sites shown in Figure 4.10 conserve an additional 0.7% (38 400 km2) of Canada’s oceans.
Canada is establishing a national network of MPAs, with the primary goal of protecting marine biodiversity, ecosystem function and special natural features. There are other conservation areas in the marine environment, known as “contributory sites,” which contribute to achieving the objectives of the MPA network even though they do not meet the definition of an MPA. Contributory sites include, for example, some areas where critical habitat is protected under the provisions of SARA, and some areas where fishing activities are restricted under the Fisheries Act.
For the most up-to-date information on the indicator, please visit CESI.
Figure 4.10: Marine protected areas and contributory sites, Canada, 2012
Marine protected area Contributory site
Arctic
Atlantic
Pacific
Target 6.4: Managing Threats to Ecosystems – Threats of new alien invasive species entering Canada are understood and reduced by 2015.
Canada has taken action to manage risks to ecosystems from invasive alien species.
From 2005–2010, it committed $85 million to implement an Invasive Alien Species Strategy for Canada. This strategy emphasizes preventing the entry of new alien species by air, land and water, and responding quickly to prevent the establishment of those species that have arrived. The government addresses key pathways associated with trade and travel, and expands and refines programs related to risk assessment, regulatory development, border inspections, outreach and education.
Invasive species such as Asian carp have the potential to profoundly alter the Great Lakes and other freshwater ecosystems across Canada, as they compete with native fishes for food, space and spawning habitat. Possession of live Asian carp is prohibited in Ontario, and the governments of Canada and Ontario have significantly increased the number of border inspections of live fish destined for Ontario food markets.
Recent amendments to the Fisheries Act provide explicit regulation-making authorities to address the threat of aquatic invasive species. The federal government is currently working with provinces and territories to develop a national aquatic invasive species regulatory proposal for prohibiting possession, transport and import of aquatic invasive species, and establishing authorities for control and eradication activities.
In the past, some invasive non-native species have entered Canadian waters through the exchange of ballast water from ships arriving in Canada from overseas locations.
In 2004, the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship’s Ballast Water and Sediments was adopted. This convention, in conjunction with a binational inspection program between Canada and the U.S. established in 2006, helped to prevent ships from overseas locations that enter the Great Lakes from releasing any ballast water that may contain invasive non-native species into the waters of the Great Lakes. Since these programs have been in place, no new invasive non-native species attributable to ballast water from ships have been reported in the Great Lakes.
For additional information on the implementation strategies that support this target, please consult the following websites: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada and Transport Canada.
Progress Towards Target 6.4: Invasive Species
Options for an invasive alien species indicator(s) have been identified and are being assessed. Information for this indicator will be available on the CESI
Since these programs have been in place, no new non-native species attributable to ship ballast have been reported in the Great Lakes.