marine protected area

May 2 2024

Indigenous Marine Protected Area in BC wins prestigious international award

Max Winkelman Blog conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, ipca, marine protected area

Indigenous Marine Protected Area in BC wins prestigious international award

May 2, 2024

Photo courtesy of Kitasoo Xai’xais/Moonfish Media

It’s a big win for Indigenous-led conservation on the world stage! Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation’s Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) Marine Protected Area (MPA) has won Marine Conservation Institute’s prestigious Blue Parks Award — the first award in Canada and the first Indigenous-led blue park in the world.

Located near Klemtu on the central coast of BC, the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA is a haven for marine life. Strong tides bring nutrient rich water into the bay, providing a rich source of food for fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Seagrass meadows and kelp forests provide herring with spawning grounds and other young fish with protective nursery habitat.

Designated in 2022, the MPA doesn’t just support nature, it sustains people as well. Gitdisdzu Lugyeks is an integral part of the culture, livelihoods and traditions of the local community. It is known as a spiritual place whose waters and marine life are vital to the Nation’s economy, health and culture. If marine life can thrive here, it is hoped that richness can expand into nearby areas and benefit both the people and wildlife that depend on the coast.

“We know these waters better than anyone, Kitasu Bay has been part of our home for thousands of years through to the present day,” said Hereditary Chief Nies’los (Kelly Robinson) in 2022.

Living around and stewarding these waters for thousands of years, the Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority are weaving traditional knowledge and modern science together to responsibly care for the biodiversity and resources of the MPA. With the Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardian Watchmen monitoring these waters, management will follow the guiding principles of the Nation: loomsk (respect), sagayt k’uulm goot (interconnectedness), sityaaw (reciprocity), and gugwilx’ya’ansk (intergenerational knowledge).

Recognizing this, Marine Conservation International awarded Gitdisdzu Lugyeks with a Blue Park award earlier this month. These awards are given in recognition of exceptional marine biodiversity conservation; having met the highest science-based standards for conservation effectiveness. The judging panel considers the productivity and importance of the MPA’s location as well as its regulations and management.

“Receiving this Blue Park Award not only recognizes what we’ve been doing as a Stewardship Authority, but it also sets the stage for other Indigenous Nations to use this as a blueprint for their own protected areas in their territories,” said Kitasoo Xai’xais elected Chief, Doug Neasloss. “The management plan for Gitdisdzu Lugyeks combines our traditional knowledge and responsibilities with western science in a way that protects ecosystems and human livelihoods, and we’re grateful that this award recognizes the strength in that combination.”

This award is further proof of the effectiveness of Indigenous-led conservation. In 2019, a UBC-led study found that the total numbers of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles were all greatest on lands managed or co-managed by Indigenous communities, higher than parks and wildlife reserves.

Gitdisdzu Lugyeks will be part of the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network, an initiative led by 15 First Nations along the north and central coast. The network aims to connect new protected areas to already existing ones to help restore the region’s ocean to abundance for the benefit of children, grandchildren, and future generations.

This award is further proof that Indigenous-led conservation is the way forward. Learning from their vision and knowledge, a healthy coast can be achieved for the well-being of everyone in British Columbia.

Read more about the the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA at:
The Narwhal
National Observer

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December 5 2023

$60M for Great Bear Sea conservation shows ongoing collaboration

Max Winkelman News conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, marine protected area

$60M investment for Indigenous-led stewardship and sustainable development across the Great Bear Sea

New funding announced today by BC government adds to the funding announced last December

– December 5, 2023

Unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples/Vancouver, BC – Today’s announcement of $60 million from the Province of BC to support Indigenous-led initiatives along the Great Bear Sea is celebrated by the Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society British Columbia.

“This announcement shows the provincial government’s ongoing commitment to Indigenous-led stewardship and sustainable development of the coast,” says Executive Director Meaghen McCord. “This adds to the other recent investments BC has made, and we are encouraged by BC’s ongoing efforts to support First Nation leadership across the province, on land and coast.”

The contribution from the BC government will be added to the previously announced Project Funding for Permanence (PFP) for the Great Bear Sea Initiative along with three other Indigenous-led initiatives announced almost exactly a year ago in Montreal.

The funding will support ongoing work, including the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network– a process started over a decade ago between Indigenous Nations, BC, and Canada. Collaborative and well-managed marine conservation efforts in this region can lead to benefits, including improving the health of the coast, protecting culturally important sites, protecting the future of fisheries and food security, and more.

The announcement comes on the heels of recent polling that shows there is strong support for marine protected areas in the Great Bear Sea. Seventy-nine percent of British Columbians support the creation of a network of Marine Protected Areas that will protect 30 percent of the waters of BC’s Northern Shelf Bioregion (Great Bear Sea), while only nine percent were opposed, according to Mario Canseco.

“We know that a Marine Protected Area Network is what is needed to protect these sensitive and threatened marine areas, which First Nations in the area have been calling for for over a decade,” says Ocean Conservation Manager Kate MacMillan. “This funding will help the implementation of the Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan that was endorsed in February. This funding will help marine life and entire ecosystems to recover, rebound, and adapt, and it will also benefit local communities with dependable food and support local economies, now and for our children and grandchildren.

The funding will also support the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), Guardian programs, and sustainable economic development to support new businesses, permanent jobs, and more across the region.

For more information or to request interviews, please contact:

Nanwakolas Council, Caitlin Thompson: caitlinthompson@nanwakolas.com, (250) 305 8756;
Coastal First Nations, Bessie Brown: bbrown@coastalfirstnations.ca, (604) 722-3331;
Coast Funds, Stephanie Butler: stephanie@coastfunds.ca, (604) 715 1926

Want to learn more?

1) CFN, Nanwakolas Council and Coast Funds welcome BC investment in the Great Bear Sea

2) B.C. supports collaborative marine conservation, economic development on North Coast

3) Federal government commits to developing conservation finance model for Great Bear Sea

4) Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network

Learn more about the Great Bear Sea at www.greatbearsea.org

Send a thank you!

Whenever conservation initiatives are announced, it’s important to let leaders know that Indigenous-led stewardship and sustainable development is important to you. Please help us in thanking Premier David Eby and Minister Nathan Cullen for this investment!

Send a thank you

Photo of Mama Inlet. Photo Credits: Markus Thompson

October 20 2023

Five Things To Know About the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network

Max Winkelman Blog biodiversity, canadian parks and wilderness society, conservation, cpaws-bc, ipca, marine protected area

Five Things To Know About the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network

Earlier this year, we celebrated that 15 Indigenous Nations, BC, and Canada endorsed the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan. What did this mean exactly?

Here are 5 things you should know about the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network:

1) Many years, many voices

The Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network was created collaboratively by Indigenous and coastal communities from North Vancouver Island, along the Central Coast to the North Coast and across to Haida Gwaii.

For over 10 years, there have been many meetings and conversations with people who live and work on the coast, including the fishing, tourism, and environmental sectors.

Together, governance partners—First Nations, federal and provincial governments—and stakeholders have developed a plan that will protect the vibrant network of life in the Great Bear Sea for generations to come.

Right: Photo of Coastal Guardian Watchmen collecting data on marine species
Photo Credit: Georgia Lloyd-Smith

2) More fish in the ocean

Right now, we see fish populations in Pacific Canada at a fraction of their historical levels [1]. The Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network is a tool to help rebuild fisheries and recover ecosystems, limiting catches of certain species should be coupled with protecting habitats where marine life feed, breed, and grow up.

We can look at long-term studies from other areas to see the real and powerful benefits of marine protected areas for helping fisheries and improving food security. One example is the marine protected area network established in California a decade ago which has already shown encouraging results, including more and larger fish beyond the boundaries of the protected areas, including species targeted by fisheries [2][3]. Over the first 10 years, local fisheries either improved or stayed the same in terms of catch, effort and dollar value [4].

Left: Photo of a China Rockfish
Photo Credits: Ed Bierman (CC by 2.0); CDFW by Christy Juhasz (CC by 2.0)

3) Defence from many different threats

Marine protected areas limit activities that threaten marine life. Whether it’s the loss of critical ecosystems like cold water corals and sponges, seagrass and kelp or impacts on marine animals from ship dumping, we can reduce threats to ocean health by managing destructive human activities. Canada has committed to ban the most harmful activities in all marine protected areas, these include oil and gas, mining, bottom-trawling, and dumping. When the damage and destruction from these industrial activities is removed, these areas are refuges that better support marine life and whole ecosystems to adapt to other threats, such as warming waters and ocean acidification [5][6].

Right: Photo of ferry and dolphins swimming nearby.
Photo credit: Markus Thompson

4) Benefits far beyond the boundaries

Marine protected areas provide both direct and indirect benefits to local economies and beyond. Marine protected areas help rebuild and sustain fisheries. They’re a proven tool to help enhance community involvement and support marine tourism. Local economies also benefit from creating conservation-related jobs such as monitoring, management, and research [7][8].

Marine protected areas also protect the ecosystem services these areas provide, such as protecting key coastal habitats that reduce the vulnerability of communities to climate change threats such as storm damage, flooding and coastal erosion [9], and protecting and restoring kelp forest and seagrass meadows that help the sequestration of carbon [10]. Moreover, a healthy, safe, and thriving ocean uplifts cultural and spiritual values across generations.

Left: Photo of humpback whale and kayakers
Photo credit: Markus Thompson

5) Supercharge conservation effectiveness!

Establishing a connected network of marine protected areas in the Great Bear Sea will defend and support a diversity of habitats. By establishing a network of marine protected areas rather than creating individual protected areas without considering the connections across the ocean, will supercharge their effectiveness. This is the opportunity to work together across communities and sectors to amplify the benefits of individual protected areas and ensure the large-scale processes that keep ecosystems and wildlife populations healthy will remain.

Right: Photo of Mama Inlet.
Photo Credits: Markus Thompson

What's next?

A healthy ocean full of fish, kelp, and whales, and is part of the legacy we want to leave for our children and grandchildren.

After years of work to develop the draft action plan for the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network, the announcement in February 2023 meant that everyone can continue working on the details to make the plan a reality. Equipped with the long-standing process between Indigenous Nations and governments, input advisory tables with stakeholders, and feedback during the public consultations, we can build on these collaborations.

Debra Sinarta, Marine Research Coordinator
Kate MacMillan, Ocean Conservation Manager

Left: Photo of Mama Inlet.
Photo Credits: Markus Thompson

References
References
- Ban, Natalie C., et al. “Well-being outcomes of marine protected areas.” Nature sustainability 2.6 (2019): 524-532.
- Duarte, Carlos M., et al. “Rebuilding marine life.” Nature 580.7801 (2020): 39-51.
- Jankowska, Emilia, et al. “Climate benefits from establishing marine protected areas targeted at blue carbon solutions.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.23 (2022): e2121705119.
- Marcos, Concepción, et al. “Reviewing the ecosystem services, societal goods, and benefits of marine protected areas.” Frontiers in Marine Science 8 (2021): 613819.
- Micheli, Fiorenza, et al. “Evidence that marine reserves enhance resilience to climatic impacts.” PloS one 7.7 (2012): e40832.
- Murray, S., & Hee, T. T. (2019). A rising tide: California’s ongoing commitment to monitoring, managing and enforcing its marine protected areas. Ocean & Coastal Management, 182, 104920.
- Reid, Mike, et al. “Protecting our coast for everyone’s future: Indigenous and scientific knowledge support marine spatial protections proposed by Central Coast First Nations in Pacific Canada.” People and Nature 4.5 (2022): 1052-1070.
- Roberts, Callum M., et al. “Marine reserves can mitigate and promote adaptation to climate change.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114.24 (2017): 6167-6175.
- Thompson, Andrew R., et al. “Larval abundances of rockfishes that were historically targeted by fishing increased over 16 years in association with a large marine protected area.” Royal Society open science 4.9 (2017): 170639.
- https://www.americanprogress.org/article/marine-protected-areas-help-fisheries-ocean-ecosystems/#:~:text=By%20providing%20a%20refuge%20for,and%20help%20to%20stock%20fisheries.

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CPAWS BC has been working with decision makers and stakeholders, including local communities and fishers, to support the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network for over 10 years , and we want to ensure that you know all about it. Over the next few months, we will be posting blogs about different topics related to this part of the ocean and what’s happening on and in the water.

Learn more about the Great Bear Sea at www.greatbearsea.org

June 27 2022

New Protected Area: Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Declares Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) Marine Protected Area on the central coast

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Klemtu, June 21 2022. The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation declare a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Gitdisdzu Lugyeks. Photo by Tavish Campbell/Moonfish Media (CNW Group/ Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority — Klemtu, June 21 2022. The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation declare a new Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Gitdisdzu Lugyeks. *Credit: Tavish Campbell/Moonfish Media (CNW Group/ Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority*

**New Protected Area: Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation Declares Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) Marine Protected Area on the central coast**

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) celebrates the announcement by the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation last week on the establishment of a new marine protected area (MPA), Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay).

Nestled along the coast of the Great Bear Rainforest, this new MPA will protect 33.5 km²of the ocean. The Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA includes essential marine ecosystems such as tidal lagoons, estuaries, and kelp forests. Seabirds, whales, salmon, herring, and shellfish depend on the area for food and shelter.

“We know these waters better than anyone, Kitasu Bay has been part of our home for thousands of years through to the present day,” says Hereditary Chief Nies’los (Kelly Robinson).

Map shows new mpa boundaries in bay between Wilby Point and Wingate Point (Includes west of Klemtu on Swindle Island and north end of Price Island.) — Map of Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA. *Credit: Draft Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA Management Plan.*

The draft management plan for the MPA outlines the stewardship vision for this marine area to ensure environmental, community, and cultural sustainability. It weaves together traditional Kitasoo Xai’xais knowledge and management practices, and the latest science-based marine research. The waters will continue to be monitored and cared for by the Kitasoo Xai’xais Watchmen, which recently announced a pilot program with BC Parks recognizing guardians with the same legal authority as BC park rangers. The Kitasoo Xai’xais Watchmen continue the work of their ancestors in protecting and managing coastal territories through stewardship, monitoring, and sustainable management.

The Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation is advancing Indigenous-led conservation by protecting these marine waters within their territory, which means they are also protecting their culture and heritage for generations to come. The Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA announcement brings renewed hope for growing marine protection coverage while nurturing Indigenous reconciliation through conservation.

A network of MPAs is also underway in the Great Bear Sea, officially known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion. This network would connect new and existing protections along the north and central coast.

Kate MacMillan
Ocean Conservation Manager, CPAWS-BC

Resources

Press Release: Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) MPA Declaration
Draft: Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA Management Plan
To learn more about Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nation, visit www.klemtu.com

Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation announces the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) MPA.

Background:

An MPA network in the Great Bear Sea will connect new and existing protections. All of these sites will contribute to the ongoing development of the MPA network, working together to safeguard ocean biodiversity:

Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) and Haida Heritage Site, Hecate Strait Glass Sponge Reef MPA, and Scott island marine wildlife area.
Last fall, the Mamalilikulla First Nation declared gwaxdłala (Lull Bay)/‘nalaxdłala (Hoeya Sound) an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) to protect unique marine life, cold-water corals and sponges in their Territory.
The Kitasoo Xai’xais, Nuxalk, Heiltsuk, Wuikinuxv First Nations, Parks Canada, and the BC government are conducting a joint feasibility study for a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) on the central coast.

However, the next phase of development for the MPA network is unclear without a clear timeline for the next critical phase, public consultation. It is vital that a public consultation takes place and British Columbians are given a clear and transparent timeline to have their voices heard. With the dual crises of climate catastrophes and species die-off, the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the provincial government must continue to work with coastal First Nations to complete the network.

Learn more about marine protected areas on the BC coast. Check out our interactive MPA 101 guide.

Learn more

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May 27 2022

Ocean Week 2022: Defending the Great Bear Sea | Join CPAWS-BC Live on Zoom

Skye CPAWS-BC carlo acuna, cpaws, great bear sea, kate macmillan, marine protected area, mpa netowrk, ocean week

Join us for a global celebration of Ocean Week June 6-10 2022!

You’re invited to join CPAWS-BC’s Ocean Conservation Campaign experts for a special launch for our new Great Bear Sea campaign.

The Great Bear Sea, also referred to as the Northern Shelf Bioregion, is found off the north and central coasts of BC next to the famous Great Bear Rainforest.

Join us on Zoom on June 9 to learn about the incredible and unique marine life that lives here. Hear about how coastal First Nations are leading the process with the Canadian and BC governments to create a marine protected area (MPAs) network for the region. Thanks to people like you advocating for strong ocean protection, we have a plan to build on the existing three MPAs here to create a whole network of protected areas to further support important habitats. These connected MPAs increase the resilience to impacts and protect the health of the Great Bear Sea for present and future generations.

Carlo Acuña (he/him), Ocean Conservation Coordinator
Kate MacMillan (she/her), Ocean Conservation Manager

May 10 2022

Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is MPA: A Deepsea Oasis

cpawsadmin Campaigns, FrontPageOurWorkSlider, Ocean Campaigns biodviersity, canadian parks and wilderness society, hydrothermal vent, marine protected area, pacific offshore area of interest

Photo: Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is MPA: A Deepsea Oasis

Thousands of metres beneath the swells of the open ocean west of Vancouver Island is the Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is Marine Protected Area (MPA). This mysterious Deepsea Oasis is teeming with life.

The waters of Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is have enriched the lives of the Haida, Nuu-chah-nulth, Pacheedaht, Quatsino Peoples for millenia. Pronounced Tung – Gwun, huch/khwi/kuk, tsee-geese, the marine protected area (MPA) name consists of a Haida word meaning deep ocean (Tang.ɢwan), a Nuu-chah-nulth and Pacheedaht word meaning deepest part of the ocean (ḥačxwiqak), and a Quatsino word referring to a monster of the deep (Tsig̱is). Whales and seabirds on the ocean surface have long signaled a rich ecosystem below. First Nations are working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect and co-manage their fishing territory.

In these dark waters, seamounts rise 3000 metres above the seafloor, extending higher than Whistler Mountain. These underwater volcanoes are biodiversity hotspots offering a buffet for marine wildlife. Like the Galápagos Islands to the south, each of the nearly 50 seamounts is unique, providing critical habitat for endemic species.

Hydrothermal vents, which are like deep sea hot springs, release superheated water and minerals from under the Earth’s crust. These vents are home to 10 species recorded nowhere else in the world.

Did you know? The such as a sea spider and a microbe that can live here in hot waters reaching as hot as 121°C. Some marine life, like tube worms, have adapted to create energy without sunlight.

Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is would encompass all of Canada’s hydrothermal vents and 75% of its known seamounts.

A Hotspot for Marine Protection

Canada created its first marine protected area (MPA), Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA, in this region in 2003. The proposed Tang.ɢwan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is MPA would give stronger, permanent marine protection for the Deepsea Oasis – an area four times the size of Vancouver Island. It would be the biggest protected area of any kind in Canada, and add a welcome boost toward Canada’s commitment of 30% ocean protection by 2030.

A Hotspot for Marine Protection

TIMELINE

2003 – Endeavour Hydrothermal Vent in BC designated as Canada’s first Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act (was announced as a pilot MPA in 1998)
2009 – Pacific Offshore listed by the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat as one of 13 bioregions which inform marine planning exercises including MPA network development
2017 – Fisheries and Oceans Canada declares the Offshore Pacific Bioregion area of interest for a potential MPA
2017 – Marine refuge declared for the large Offshore Pacific area of interest. The Fisheries closure, categorized as an Other-Effective Conservation Measure (OECM) with partial protections, encompasses a number of seamounts and hydrothermal vents – identified as Ecologically and Biologically Significant Areas (EBSAs)
2023: Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Haida Nation, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Pacheedaht First Nation, Quatsino First Nation, and the Canadian government (MPA) signals final consultation through Canada Gazette to become an MPA

Meeting MPA Minimum Standards

BC’s rich deep sea ocean life is under threat. Bottom-contact fishing such as longlines, trap fishing, and trawling is highly destructive to the seafloor. Deep sea mining could destroy fragile habitats on seamounts and hydrothermal vents.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada designated a large portion of the Deepsea Oasis as a fishing closure in 2017. This prohibits bottom-contact fishing, but it still allows, other harmful industrial activities. A marine protected area would enforce Canada’s MPA minimum standards: banning bottom trawling, dumping, oil and gas exploration and deep sea mining.

More than 60% of BC’s marine protected area waters are not effective at protecting biodiversity. Canada needs to implement its minimum standards to safeguard biodiversity and fight climate change.

Hydrothermal vents expel hot plumes of mineral-rich gases. Photo: Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

ID: white small octopus with elephant -like ears floats on seafloor

Meeting MPA Minimum Standards

More than 60% of BC’s marine protected area waters are not effective at protecting biodiversity. Canada needs to implement its minimum standards to safeguard biodiversity and fight climate change.

Hydrothermal vents expel hot plumes of mineral-rich gases. Photo: Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)

Learn more about the Deepsea Oasis at www.DeepseaOasis.com

Learn More

January 31 2022

Marine Protected Area 101: An introduction to MPAs

Carlo Acuña Blog marine protected area, mpa

The beautiful coast of British Columbia has sustained people for thousands of years. But now fisheries are edging closer to collapse, iconic wildlife is on the brink of extinction, and vital marine ecosystems are disappearing. To keep British Columbia prosperous for our children, grandchildren and future generations, marine protected areas (MPAs) are being created to restore fisheries and fight climate change. Creating marine protected areas in BC today will set the course for coastal communities to thrive and show leadership in ocean conservation for generations to come.

But what’s an MPA? How does it help protect ocean life? And what does CPAWS-BC do to create more MPAs and make them stronger? Dive into our new MPA 101 series to learn the basics.

Subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about our conservation work.

October 28 2021

BC OCEAN CONSERVATION DRAGGING BEHIND

cpawsadmin Blog bc coast, marine protected area, mpa canada, ocean bc, ocean protect bc

BC OCEAN CONSERVATION DRAGGING BEHIND

CPAWS Calls For Urgent Adoption Of Minimum Standards To Prohibit Bottom Trawling In Marine Protected Areas

Today, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) released The MPA Monitor, to assess the quality of Canada’s marine protected areas (MPAs). British Columbians are proud of the coast’s natural beauty and bounty. However, we are shocked and disappointed to find that the MPAs in BC scored quite poorly: over 60% of BC MPA waters do not have the strong, high-quality protections in place that support thriving ocean life and healthy communities, mainly due to destructive bottom trawling.

Bottom trawling causes large amounts of bycatch as everything that happens to be in the way gets swept up in the net, including unwanted and endangered marine species that should not be caught. Corals and sponges and other habitat forming wildlife are destroyed as the heavy net is dragged on the seafloor. Bottom trawling also causes marine life to choke by kicking up large clouds of sediment as the net moves.

Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area

Bottom trawling actively occurs on nearly 15% of the Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area on the northern tip of Vancouver Island. This harms the food sources of seabirds like tufted puffins the MPA was designed to protect.

Glass sponge reef buffer zones

At less than 1km wide in most places, the buffer zones in the Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area on BC’s north and central coasts are too small. New research has shown that bottom trawling from as far away as 6 kilometres can cause glass sponges to choke.

MPA minimum protection standards

But Canada already has a solution to these problems! In 2019, Canada committed to implementing minimum protection standards for federal MPAs that would prohibit bottom trawling, oil and gas, mining, and dumping. In fact, SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area off the coast of Haida Gwaii effectively bans all these activities and scored as strongly protected in the CPAWS analysis.

We now need the federal government to implement their 2019 minimum protection standards for MPAs that would prohibit bottom trawling, as well as oil and gas, mining, and dumping. This would provide a critical basic level of protection for all of BC’s MPAs.

Read the whole CPAWS report: The MPA Monitor (EN) (FR)

You can also explore Canada’s MPAs through this interactive dashboard.

For this report, CPAWS used the recently published MPA Guide – a standardized assessment tool that evaluates the protection level of MPAs based on what activities are allowed within the MPA – to evaluate BC’s MPAs.

Bottom trawling causes large amounts of bycatch and habitat destruction as everything that happens to be in the way gets swept up in the net, The Narwhal.

Hundreds of millions of pounds of untargeted and unwanted fish and other marine animals are killed and wasted, including endangered species such as bocaccio rockfish, CBC News.

Sediment clouds caused by bottom trawling from as far away as 6km can cause glass sponge reefs to “choke” and stop filtering ocean water, study.

New research shows partially protected reserves are largely ineffective, Hakai Magazine.

July 9 2020

Canada joins Global Ocean Alliance: Advocates for protecting 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030

cpawsadmin News #30x30, bc ocean, canadian parks and wilderness society, canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia, coastal first nations, deep sea, deep sea mining, deepsea oasis, global ocean alliance, hypdrothermal vent, IUCN, marine protected area, mpa network, northern bioshelf, offshore pacific, orca, ross jameson, strait of georgia

For interview contact
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia
778-953-2372
ross@cpawsbc.org

Canada joins Global Ocean Alliance: Advocates for protecting 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030

For Immediate Release

July 9, 2020

Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – Today, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, the Honourable Bernadette Jordan, announced that Canada has joined the United Kingdom and other countries in the Global Ocean Alliance. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) applauds Canada’s active role in the protection of at least 30 percent of the global ocean through the establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based marine conservation measures by 2030.

In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, provinces and territories, and environmental and industry organizations, the Canadian government has made huge strides to protect almost 14 percent of our ocean. The bigger task remains to reach their goal of 25 percent ocean protection by 2025 and 30 percent by 2030.

“This is a pivotal moment for Canada as a global leader for ocean action” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. “We look forward to working with the Minister to help Canada reach 30 percent ocean protection by 2030 with effective marine protected areas in BC and beyond.”

Decades of harmful human practices including overfishing, oil and gas activities, pollution (including noise, chemicals, and plastics), and physical disturbance such as ship strikes and bottom trawling threaten ocean life and human well-being. MPA’s offer a natural solution to prevent further destruction and support a healthy ocean that will provide for us for generations to come.

By protecting entire ecosystems, MPAs can protect the full diversity of marine life and their habitats. MPAs can help depleted ocean life recover, and support sustainable fisheries. Kelp forests, eelgrass and other shoreline ecosystems can protect coastal communities and shorelines from erosion and sea-level rise.

BC has been at the forefront of establishing Canada’s MPAs. The Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents MPA west of Vancouver Island was the first MPA created under the Oceans Act in 2003. The Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is a prominent example of Indigenous-led, cooperatively managed MPAs in Canada.

We also have a large part to play in getting Canada to our 30 percent ocean protection by 2030 target with several MPAs in the planning process. The Offshore Pacific Area of Interest or Deepsea Oasis off the west coast of Vancouver Island will protect unique deep sea ecosystems and cover almost 2.5% of Canada’s ocean. The proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve will safeguard important feeding waters for the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Led by Indigenous communities, Canada’s first MPA network along BC’s north and central coasts will protect whales and other migrating ocean animals while also ensuring healthy coastal communities for generations.

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For interview contact
Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia
778-953-2372
ross@cpawsbc.org

Download PDF Copy

Resources:

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. (July 9 2020). CPAWS Celebrates Canada Joining the Global Ocean Alliance [Press Release] Retrieved from: https://cpaws.org/cpaws-celebrates-canada-joining-global-ocean-alliance/
BC’s Marine Protected Areas. Map by Jacob Chila, GIS Analyst, Ocean Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia. 2020.
Explore Canada’s Marine Protected Areas. Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, 2020.
Duarte, C.M., Agusti, S., Barbier, E. et al. Rebuilding marine life. Nature 580, 39–51 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2146-7

Map by Jacob Chila, GIS Analyst, Ocean Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia

About CPAWS-BC

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia Chapter (CPAWS-BC) protects wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. CPAWS-BC supports the creation of large, well-managed, connected protected areas where native plants and animals thrive, now and forever; and where people and communities can live off the land and ocean without impacting the ability of future generations to do the same.

In the past 50+ years, CPAWS has played a lead role in protecting over half a million square kilometres – an area bigger than New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador put together.

June 26 2020

New research prompts call for urgent protection of BC’s glass sponge reefs

cpawsadmin News Angela Stevenson, canadian parks and wilderness society, canadian parks and wilderness society british columbia, climate change, conservation, cpaws-bc, dinosaur bc, fishing closures bc, fossils bc, glass sponge, howe sound, marine protected area, mpa, ocean canada, ocean protection bc, ross jameson, ubc

For interview, please contact:

Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-British Columbia

778-953-2372

ross@cpawsbc.org

New research prompts call for urgent protection of BC’s glass sponge reefs

For Immediate Release

June 26, 2020

Unceded Coast Salish Territory/Vancouver, BC – A new study led by Angela Stevenson at the University of British Columbia indicates that ongoing climate change is a serious and immediate threat to BC’s ancient glass sponge reefs. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) calls for the urgent establishment of marine protected areas (MPAs) for glass sponge reefs in BC.

Glass sponge reef ecosystems shelter rockfish and prawns and are efficient filter feeders. Healthy glass sponge reef marine protected areas can filter out up to 90% of bacteria from ocean water and work to keep carbon locked in the seafloor.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), along with the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS), recently verified five new living glass sponge reefs and one dead reef during scientific surveys in Howe Sound. These reefs need urgent protection if they are to adapt and survive against threats from climate change and human activity.

“Marine protected areas will not only protect glass sponge reefs from physical damage caused by bottom-contact fishing, they will also act as natural climate solutions,” says Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager for CPAWS-BC. MPAs offer long term protection, prevent further damage and absorb carbon to help beat back climate change.

For two decades, CPAWS-BC has worked to establish stronger protection for BC’s known glass sponge reefs. In 2017, Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area protected over 2000 km² of glass sponge reefs off BC’s north and central coast. 17 fisheries closures protect reefs in Howe Sound and the Strait of Georgia. Unprotected glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound and Chatham Sound need urgent attention.

This new study underscores the pressure glass sponges face to adapt quickly to survive in a changing ocean. Protecting these unique biological treasures will not only safeguard economically important marine life, but also ensure the reefs can remain a source of awe and wonder for generations to come.

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For interview, please contact:

Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-British Columbia

778-953-2372

ross@cpawsbc.org

Resources

We would like to recognize the many other organizations who have worked tirelessly to conserve this unique habitat: Marine Life Sanctuaries Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Coastal Ocean Research Institute, Subsea Society of Howe Sound, Canadian Marine Environment Protection Society, and Sunshine Coast Conservation Society.

Stevenson, A., Archer, S.K., Schultz, J.A. et al. Warming and acidification threaten glass sponge Aphrocallistes vastus pumping and reef formation. Sci Rep 10, 8176 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-65220-9

Media Release PDF here.

Additional Images here.

Photo: Delicate white silica glass sponge reef with small crabs — Photo: Sally Leyes

About CPAWS-BC:

In the past 50+ years, CPAWS has played a lead role in protecting over half a million square kilometres – an area bigger than New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador put together.