Canada’s existing and proposed marine protected and conserved areas

In 2022, Canada agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a global target to protect 30% of the world's lands and oceans by 2030. Protecting the ocean within the Exclusive Economic Zone is a vital contribution if the world is to reach that collective goal.

As of March 30, 2026

On this page

• Types of marine protected and conserved areas
• Establishment, recognition and management processes for marine protected and conserved areas
• Proposed marine protected and conserved areas (DFO)
• Existing marine protected and conserved areas (DFO)
• Map of Canada’s existing protected and conserved areas
• Related information

Types of marine protected and conserved areas

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) include:

• Oceans Act MPAs established by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO)
  • MPAs established under the Oceans Act can be designated either by a ministerial order regulation (with protection for up to 5 years) or by regulations made by the Governor-in-Council (for long-term designation). Learn more about establishing MPA
• National Marine Conservation Areas established by Parks Canada (PC)
• Marine National Wildlife Areas and National Wildlife Areas with marine components established by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
• Provincial protected areas

Other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), including marine refuges

• OECM is a term used for area-based measures other than MPAs that provide long-term biodiversity outcomes. To date, all areas that qualify as OECMs have been fisheries closures. Fisheries closures that meet OECM criteria are known as marine refuges.

Please consult the About federal marine conservation tools for detailed information about the types of federal marine protected and conserved areas.

Establishment, recognition and management processes for marine protected and conserved areas

DFO, PC and ECCC work to identify marine areas that need protection or areas where long-term conservation outcomes can be achieved through effective management measures. To do this, DFO, PC and ECCC work in collaboration with the following partners:

• provincial and territorial governments
• Inuit and Indigenous governments and communities
• industry
• stakeholders
• environmental organizations
• other interested Canadians

When an area needs protection, an MPA can be established under the Oceans Act or the area may be recognized as a marine OECM.

A series of steps are taken to establish and manage MPAs under the Oceans Act, whether designated by ministerial order (MO) or by Governor‑in‑Council (GiC) regulations. Similarly, the process to recognize and manage OECMs involves five steps. Consultation and engagement occur at each stage of the process.

Proposed marine protected and conserved areas (DFO)^{Footnote 1}

The proposed sites listed in the table below are areas that are actively being considered for marine conservation through consultation with Indigenous Peoples, partners and stakeholders. To support Canada’s commitment to protect 30% of its oceans by 2030, additional sites may be considered prior to 2030. This table will be updated on a regular basis to reflect new and pending proposals as they emerge.

Proposed marine protected and conserved areas (DFO)

Ocean	Name	Type of site	Size (km2)	Proposed % contribution to marine conservation target	Current step of establishment process
Arctic	Southampton Island	Proposed MPA (GiC)	93,087	1.6	Step 2: Site design and policy development
Arctic	Tuvaijuittuq	Proposed for long-term protection (currently designated as a ministerial order MPA)	319,411	0.00Footnote 2	Step 2: Site design and policy development
Arctic	Qikiqtait	Proposed for long-term protection (currently designated as a ministerial order MPA)	42,700	0.00Footnote 2	Step 2: Site design and policy development
Arctic	Sarvarjuaq	Proposed for long-term protection (currently designated as a ministerial order MPA)	73,700	0.00Footnote 2	Step 2: Site design and policy development
Atlantic	Eastern Shore Islands	Proposed Governor-in-Council Oceans Act MPA	2,000	0.03	Step 2: Site design and policy development
Atlantic	Fundian Channel-Browns Bank	Proposed Governor-in-Council Oceans Act MPA	6,270	0.11	Step 3: Regulatory development
Atlantic	Northern Gulf of St. Lawrence	Proposed Governor-in-Council Oceans Act MPA	7,802	0.00Footnote 3	Step 2: Site design and policy development
Pacific	Kitkatla Inlet	Proposed Governor-in-Council Oceans Act MPA	400	0.007	Step 2: Site design and policy development

Existing marine conservation areas (DFO)^{Footnote 1}

DFO's existing marine conservation areas

Ocean	Name	Type of site	Size (km2)	Current % contribution to marine conservation targets	Current step of establishment process
Arctic	Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam	MPA (GiC)	2,358	0.04	Step 4: Management planning
Arctic	Davis Strait Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	17,298	0.30	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Arctic	Disko Fan Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	7,485	0.13	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Arctic	Hatton Basin Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	42,459	0.74	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Arctic	Qikiqtait	MPA (MO)	42,700	0.74	The footprint of human activities is frozen and additional analysis and consultations are underway to determine the long-term conservation approach.
Arctic	Sarvarjuaq	MPA (MO)	73,700	1.28	The footprint of human activities is frozen and additional analysis and consultations are underway to determine the long-term conservation approach.
Arctic	Tarium Niryutait	MPA (GiC)	1,750	0.03	Step 5: Ongoing management
Arctic	Tuvaijuittuq	MPA (MO)	319,411	5.55	The footprint of human activities is frozen and additional analysis and consultations are underway to determine the long-term conservation approach.
Atlantic	Banc-des-Américains	MPA (GiC)	1,000	0.02	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	Basin Head	MPA (GiC)	9	<0.01	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	Bay of Islands Salmon Migration closure	Marine refuge	218	<0.01	Step 3: Establishment of area-based measure & subsequent OECM recognitionFootnote 5
Atlantic	Beaugé Bank Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	215	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 3
Atlantic	Central Gulf of St. Lawrence Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	1,284	0.02	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Corsair and Georges Canyons Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	8,797	0.15	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Division 3O Coral closure	Marine refuge	10,422	0.18	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	East of Anticosti Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	939	0.02	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Eastern Canyons Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	43,976	0.76	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Eastern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coral Conservation Area	Marine refuge	423	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Eastern Honguedo Strait Coral and Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	2,338	0.04	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Eastport	MPA (GiC)	2	<0.01	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	Emerald Basin and Sambro Banks Sponge Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	260	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Funk Island Deep closure	Marine refuge	7,274	0.13	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 3
Atlantic	Gilbert Bay	MPA (GiC)	62	<0.01	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	Hawke Channel closure	Marine refuge	8,837	0.15	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Hopedale Saddle closure	Marine refuge	15,411	0.27	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Jacques-Cartier Strait Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	346	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Jordan Basin Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	49	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Laurentian Channel	MPA (GiC)	11,580	0.20	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	Les Demoiselles nursery (Plaisance Bay), Magdalen Islands closure	Marine refuge	0.3	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Lobster Area closures (Trout River, Shoal Point, Penguin Islands, Gooseberry Island, Glovers Harbour, Mouse Island and Gander Bay)	Marine refuge	95	<0.01	Step 3: Establishment of area-based measure & subsequent OECM recognitionFootnote 5
Atlantic	Magdalen Island Lagoons Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	136	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Miramichi Bay closure	Marine refuge	1,468	0.03	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Musquash Estuary	MPA (GiC)	7	<0.01	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	North of Bennett Bank Coral Conservation Area	Marine refuge	821	0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Northeast Channel Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	391	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Northeast Newfoundland Slope closure	Marine refuge	55,353	0.96	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Parent Bank Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	530	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Saguenay Fjord Upstream closure	Marine refuge	109	<0.01	Step 3: Establishment of area-based measure & subsequent OECM recognitionFootnote 5
Atlantic	Scallop Buffer Zones (SFA 21, 22, 24)	Marine refuge	5,425	0.10	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Slope of Magdalen Shallows Coral Conservation Area	Marine refuge	335	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	South-East of Anticosti Island Sponge Conservation Area	Marine refuge	845	0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	St. Anns Bank	MPA (GiC)	4,364	0.08	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	The Gully	MPA (GiC)	2,363	0.04	Step 5: Ongoing management
Atlantic	Western and Emerald Banks Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	10,234	0.18	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Atlantic	Western Honguedo Strait Coral Conservation Area	Marine refuge	496	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Pacific	Banks Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	436	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Pacific	G̱aw Ḵaahlii Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	22	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Pacific	Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala (Lull/Hoeya) Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	21	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Pacific	Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs	MPA (GiC)	2,410	0.04	Step 4: Management planning
Pacific	SG̲áan K̲ínghlas-Bowie Seamount	MPA (GiC)	6,103	0.11	Step 5: Ongoing management
Pacific	Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reefs (17 fisheries area closures)	Marine refuge	33	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4
Pacific	Tang.ɢ̱wan – ḥačxwiqak – Tsig̱is	MPA (GiC)	133,017	2.31	Step 4: Management planning
Pacific	X̲aana K̲aahlii Marine Refuge	Marine refuge	7	<0.01	Step 4: Management planningFootnote 4

Map of Canada’s existing protected and conserved areas

Related information

• Establishing new Marine Protected Areas
• Marine Protected Areas across Canada
• Marine refuges across Canada
• About federal marine conservation tools