DFO has been leading collaboration with Parks Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Service to develop Canada’s ocean conservation system, that includes Oceans Act MPAs, National Marine Conservation Areas and marine National Wildlife Areas, as well as Marine Refuges. TC, NRCan, and CIRNAC are partners in this work.
Previous investments in MCT has led to the protection of over 14% of Canada’s ocean territory in marine protected areas and marine refuges, with planning underway to establish a number of other protected areas in collaboration with Indigenous peoples, stakeholders and other governments.
MPA planning is an integrated and inclusive process that requires considerable investment to ensure effective stakeholder engagement, science support, capacity building, engagement of partner organizations (including other federal agencies, Indigenous, provincial and territorial governments), and new governance arrangements. This investment is critical to ensuring that Canada will meet its target of protecting at least 30% of its ocean territory by 2030, as committed to under Target 3 of the 2030 Nature Strategy.
Recommended Investment:
$1 billion over five years, then $200 million per year, ongoing [DFO, ECCC, PC, NRCan, TC, CIRNAC]