Canadian Council of Fisheries and Aquaculture Ministers (CCFAM) Report on Canada’s Network of Marine Protected Areas, June 2017

Table of Contents

• Complete Text
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• The Importance of Healthy Oceans
• Benefits of Marine Protected Areas and Marine Protected Area Networks
• Marine Protected Area Network Planning
• Progress in Priority Marine Bioregions
• Marine Conservation Targets: 2017 and 2020
• Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OEABCM)
• Conclusion

Marine Conservation Targets: 2017 and 2020

The international context

In 2010, at the 10^th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN CBD in Aichi, Japan, the Government of Canada agreed to meet 20 global biodiversity targets by 2020. Aichi Target 11 states:

By 2020, at least 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, especially areas of particular importance to biodiversity and ecosystem services, are conserved through effectively and equitably managed, ecologically representative and well-connected systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, and integrated into the wider landscape and seascape.^{Footnote 12}

This global commitment was reconfirmed in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development under Goal 14 to “conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.”^{Footnote 13}

Goal 14.5 specifically reflects the Aichi Target 11 and states:

By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information.^{Footnote 14}

A range of tools to achieve marine conservation targets

Fisheries and Oceans Canada may establish MPAs under the Oceans Act as well as contribute to long-term biodiversity conservation through other effective area-based conservation measures that may be established under the Fisheries Act. These may include fisheries area closures under the Fisheries Act and critical habitat protection under the Species at Risk Act.

Environment and Climate Change Canada contributes to marine protection through marine National Wildlife Areas (NWA) under the Canada Wildlife Act and through marine portions of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS) under the Migratory Birds Convention Act. Similarly, the Parks Canada Agency develops National Marine Conservation areas (NMCA) under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, and several National Parks under the Canada National Parks Act contain significant marine components.

Some provincial and territorial designations also offer marine protection. For example, provinces and territories have various authorities to develop measures that support marine conservation, such as conservancies, ecological reserves, heritage areas, sanctuaries, wildlife management areas and special management areas.

Tracking our performance towards our Marine Conservation Targets

The Government of Canada’s marine conservation targets of increasing protection of marine and coastal areas to five percent by 2017 and ten percent by 2020 are ambitious. The baseline for the 2020 target is Canada’s EEZ which is approximately 5.75 million square kilometres. The ten percent conservation target amounts to 575,000 km²; approximately the area of all Atlantic Provinces combined. Given the level of marine protection at the end of 2015, this leaves a gap of 237,500 km² to protect by 2017, and a further gap of 287,500 km² to protect by 2020.

In June 2017, approximately 1.54 percent (88,398 km²)^{Footnote 15} of Canada’s ocean territory was protected using a range of MPA tools. The following describes the contributions of federal and provincial governments to this level of marine and coastal protection through use of their regulatory authorities (percentages have not been adjusted to reflect areas where two jurisdictions cooperate):

The OTG believes all the responsible agencies should use their mandates, in accordance with each government’s jurisdiction and priorities, in making a meaningful contribution to the 2020 marine conservation target. This effort includes contribution from the five priority bioregions as well as future priority bioregions in the country.