The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) commends the
Governments of Canada and Newfoundland and Labrador for coming together to
identify measures to protect not only the livelihood of provincial residents
but also the ecologically rich region of the Laurentian Channel.
The joint decision to not allow oil and gas activities in the proposed Laurentian
Channel marine protected area (MPA) shows the government took into
consideration the overwhelming public view, expressed by over 70,000 people,
that oil and gas should not be permitted in this area.
While the final regulations from the Government of Canada have not yet
been released, CPAWS is optimistic about what this agreement means for the
Laurentian Channel, which could be the largest fully protected MPA in Canada.
CPAWS has been striving for the protection of the Laurentian Channel
since it was first announced as an Area of Interest on World Oceans Day in June
2010. It is a biodiversity hotspot, located off the southwest coast of
Newfoundland and Labrador, covering an area of 11,619km2.
The Laurentian Channel also provides a critical migration route for
many species – including 20 species of whales, including endangered North
Atlantic right whales and blue whales – is an important spawning, nursery and
feeding area for species such as Atlantic cod, redfish and smooth skate, and
habitat for rare species such as porbeagle sharks, leatherback sea turtles and
Northern wolffish.
CPAWS will continue to advocate for the full protection of this
incredibly important area and welcomes the opportunity to work with governments
as the final regulations are developed.
CONTACTS:
Sabine Jessen CPAWS National, Ocean Program Director 604-657-2813 (cell) sjessen@cpaws.org
Tanya Edwards CPAWS Newfoundland and Labrador, Executive Director 709-726-5800 tedwards@cpaws.org
Mary Alliston Butt CPAWS Newfoundland and Labrador, Marine Coordinator 709-726-5800 mabutt@cpaws.org
March has been an exciting week for CPAWS, and marine conservation work across the country! On March 6, 2019 Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the Banc-des-Américains MPA in the Quebec region, as well as EIGHT Marine Refuges in BC.
Marine Refuges (globally termed OECMs) are “A geographically defined space, not recognised as a protected area, which is governed and managed over the long-term in way that deliver the effective in-situ conservation of biodiversity, with associated ecosystem services and cultural and spiritual values (IUCN WCPA, 2018).”
CPAWS-BC Chapter have been working towards the protection of glass sponge reefs for many years, please read below their news release on the release of the eight marine refuges.
“Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is very pleased to see the eight new marine refuges announced today, protecting nine of Howe Sounds newly discovered Glass Sponge Reefs from all bottom-contact fishing, by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard.
“The Howe Sound glass sponge reefs are an ecological treasure on the door step of one of Canada’s largest cities. They are a very important ecological feature in Howe Sound, that provide both habitat for many species and ecological services including filtering of ocean water,” said Sabine Jessen, National Director of the Ocean Program for CPAWS.
“CPAWS has been involved in the protection of glass sponge reefs on the BC coast for almost two decades, since the first reefs were discovered in Hecate Strait in the late 1980s,” said Jessen. “Living glass sponge reefs date back to the Jurassic era, and are living dinosaurs on our Pacific Coast. We have a global responsibility to ensure their long-term survival.”
“In order to ensure their survival, we are pleased to see that the Minister has announced a number of protection measures, including a 150 metre buffer zone to prevent bottom trawling from both destroying the reefs and from smothering them with sediment, as well as prohibitions on all bottom contact fishing, which can have a severe impact on fragile glass sponges,” noted Ross Jameson, Ocean Conservation Manager, CPAWS-BC.
“We remain concerned that anchoring has still not been addressed in the protection measures for these reefs, and the previous nine glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia that were previously protected,” noted Jessen. “CPAWS will continue to work with DFO and other agencies to ensure that all threats to the reefs are addressed.”
“CPAWS would also like to take this opportunity to recognize the efforts of local groups in Howe Sound who have worked tirelessly to document the Howe Sound glass sponge reefs and to advocate for their long-term protection,” noted Jessen. “We would especially like to recognize Glen Dennison for his many years of work, and to commit to him to assisting with the protection of the additional glass sponge reefs that he has identified in Howe Sound.”
“While we are pleased to see the glass sponge reefs in Howe Sound, like those before them in the Strait of Georgia, being designated as marine refuges, we hope that in future they will form the backbone for a network of MPAs in this region,” added Jameson. “
CPAWS-NL is thrilled of the establishment of Canada’s newest MPA: Banc-des-Américains, Quebec! Please read below the statement from CPAWS’ Quebec Chapter (SNAP) about its release and information of the area.
Montreal, March 6, 2019 – The Society for Nature and Parks (SNAP Québec) is pleased with the official announcement of the establishment of the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area (MPA) in Gaspésie, the result of several years of consultation and consultation between various actors. This is the first Marine Protected Area (MPA) set up in Quebec under Canada’s Oceans Act.
An area of ecological and biological importance Located off the Gaspé Peninsula and covering an area of 1,000 km2, the Banc-des-Américains Marine Protected Area aims to promote the protection of an exceptional and fragile marine habitat that is home to a rich biodiversity, including species at risk such as the leatherback turtle and the Atlantic right whale.
The area is indeed frequented by many species of waterfowl, marine mammals and fish such as blue whales and Atlantic wolves. The American Bank also offers significant potential as a refuge for several populations of economically valuable fish, including the southern Gulf cod stock.
The regulations include significant restrictions on fodder fish, which are prey to carnivorous species, which should assist in the recovery of species at risk that frequent the MPA.
An encouraging announcement for the achievement of conservation targets With this new marine protected area, Québec is moving up to 1.9% of its protected marine territory and is taking a first step towards creating an integrated and representative network of marine areas. protected areas in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence region.
“With a Canada-Quebec Agreement on Marine Protected Areas now signed and many fine plans underway, we are confident that Quebec and Canada will meet their commitments by the end of 2020”says Alain Branchaud, biologist and director general of SNAP Quebec. “A few months ahead of schedule, we invite governments to involve community organizations and create the conditions for collaboration. “
While there is still some way to go to achieve the international target of 10% of marine protected areas by 2020, this announcement sends a very positive signal about the determination of governments to respect their commitments and to put in place a network of effective marine protected areas.
The St. Lawrence still threatened by oil activities The protected marine area of Banc-des-Américains becomes the only place, across the entire Gulf of St. Lawrence, to permanently prohibit any oil and gas activity. While industrial activities pose many risks to the health of marine ecosystems, the St. Lawrence is still under threat.
“The protected marine area of Banc-des-Américains will prohibit, within its perimeter, any activity of exploration or exploitation of oil and gas. This good news should not make us forget that an exploration license is still in effect at the Old Harry site, not far from the Magdalen Islands, and could potentially endanger the integrity of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. . Only a complete moratorium on oil and gas activities on the entire Gulf could ensure long-term protection, “ says Sylvain Archambault, biologist at SNAP Quebec and spokesperson for the St. Lawrence Coalition.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-NL) is concerned about a mineral exploration access road that is now under construction on the Avalon Peninsula in the area of Big Triangle Pond, less than an hour’s drive from St. John’s. The area of land in question measures about 50 square kilometres. It is bounded by the Hawke Hills Ecological Reserve in the east, the Salmonier Line in the west, the Trans Canada Highway in the north, and the Avalon Wilderness Reserve and Salmonier Nature Park in the south. The region contains within it portions of two watersheds, the Salmonier River watershed and the North Arm River watershed, both of which are well-known salmon bearing rivers. Not far to the south of this area are the calving and wintering grounds of the Avalon Caribou Herd, whose numbers have been dangerously low for some years now.
There are many who value this land for its wilderness qualities. The value that Eagle Ridge International places on this land requires the transformation and destruction of its wilderness qualities. Eagle Ridge’s construction of a mineral exploration access road, which could eventually lead to the construction of a mine and associated infrastructure, infringes upon the value this land has for many other people.
It is important to recognize that a significant number of people who value this area and have a history with it were not properly consulted regarding the construction of the road. The people who value this land for its natural wilderness qualities justly deserve an opportunity to provide input and express their concerns regarding this development. Such consultation would be possible if the provincial government were to require an Environmental Impact Statement for the construction of the road.
In 2014, the former provincial Progressive Conservative government allowed the construction of the road without an Environmental Impact Statement. In 2016 the newly elected provincial Liberal government required an Environmental Impact Statement for this development. Then, at the end of August 2018, a Supreme Court ruling reinstated the former Progressive Conservative government’s decision and released the proposal by Eagle Ridge International from the requirement of an Environmental Impact Statement.
In response to the Big Triangle Pond road development and planned mineral exploration activities of Eagleridge International Limited within the central Avalon Peninsula region, we at the Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS-NL) are concerned about the lack of appropriate assessment of environmental impacts. In particular, we are troubled by the lack of due diligence exercised by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador to oblige Eagleridge International to develop a management plan that would mitigate their impacts on one of the most endangered lichens in the world, Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum). We believe that Eagleridge has underestimated the impacts of their activities on this region’s valued ecological components.
Boreal Felt Lichen (Erioderma pedicellatum)
Historically, Boreal Felt Lichen was abundant in the forests of Norway, Sweden, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. Due to land use changes, including forestry activities and road development, and declining air quality, populations of Boreal Felt Lichen have disappeared from most of Europe and North America. The island of Newfoundland contains the largest known populations of Boreal Felt Lichen in the world.
Today, Boreal Felt Lichen is red listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and considered “critically endangered,” one listing away from “extinct in the wild.” As well, Boreal Felt Lichen is designated by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and listed by the Federal Species at Risk Act as Special Concern in Newfoundland and Labrador and Endangered elsewhere in Canada. Although Boreal Felt Lichen is not afforded additional protections under the N.L. Endangered Species Act, it is irresponsible to ignore opportunities to protect important habitat and to employ current best available practices for protection.
If conservation mishaps have taught us anything is that to conserve a species we need to protect important habitat properly. This last remaining Boreal Felt Lichen habitat on the Avalon Peninsula is critical to the global survival of the species.
Most urgently, there is a need to re-examine the work outlined in the 2015 Lichen Survey Report supplied by Eagleridge in their Environment Protection Plan document. At the time, Eagleridge’s methods followed an accepted standard survey protocol. Since then, however, new methods have been developed that increase the probability of detecting Boreal Felt Lichen. Current research published in the peer-reviewed journal Forest Ecology and Management compared different survey methods of detecting Boreal Felt Lichen. Notably, the methods used by Eagleridge had considerably less effective detection rates compared to new methods. The 2014-2015 lichen surveys performed by Eagleridge along the 11 km proposed road located five individuals of Boreal Felt Lichen in nine days. In comparison, using improved survey methods in 2019, researchers from Memorial University of Newfoundland located an additional three individuals of Boreal Felt Lichen along the road in only three hours.
We urge the provincial government to enact precautionary measures that limit the impact of Eagleridge International Limited on Boreal Felt Lichen habitat.
More specifically, we think all road construction and mineral exploration work should halt until a comprehensive survey using new methods for the detection of Boreal Felt Lichen is completed.
Written by: Aaron O’Brien and Travis Heckford CPAWS-NL Directors
HALIFAX, January 22, 2019 – A new report from SeaBlue Canada reveals that more than half of Canada’s marine refuges (also termed Other Effective Conservation Measures – OECMs), a form of marine protected area in Canada, do not meet international standards. While Canada has made significant progress to protect its marine and coastal environment, the report shows stronger standards are required to effectively conserve biodiversity.
Since 2015, Canada has designated 7.9 per cent of the ocean as protected areas. However, with more than half of that protected under Fisheries Act measures – areas referred to as marine refuges – many harmful industrial practices can still continue. Fisheries Act measures restrict fishing impacts and some other harmful activities but cannot protect against many other significant threats to the marine environment.
“We want to ensure that Canada’s efforts to protect marine wildlife are meaningful and effectively preserve biodiversity and habitats,” says Susanna Fuller of Oceans North, a co-author of the report. “Right now, there are several areas where improvements need to be made and we urge decision-makers take our recommendations seriously.”
Using publicly available information, the report reviewed all 51 areas protected through the Fisheries Actand assessed how these areas met criteria set out by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as well as guidance recently adopted at the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), to which Canada is a signatory. Meeting CBD criteria determines if sites can count as “protected” at an international level. Canada has committed to revisiting its marine refuges following the adoption of international guidance.
The majority of current fisheries closures prohibit all bottom fishing activities and have been put in place to protect fragile sponge and coral communities. Some were designed to protect a single species or prohibit only a single type of fishing gear.
“When assessed according to new international guidelines, only 40 per cent of the total area closed under the Fisheries Act met this guidance,” says Travis Aten, lead author of the report. “The remaining 60 per cent need a variety of improvements to meet globally accepted standards, and we provide specific recommendations for these improvements.”
“The bulk of Canada’s protected ocean areas, known as marine refuges, are at risk from oil and gas exploration and development,” says Sigrid Kuehnemund, vice president of oceans conservation at WWF-Canada. “These activities cannot be prohibited by the Fisheries Act, and as a result, supposedly protected sensitive habitats remain vulnerable to oil and gas impacts such as disturbance of the seabed, exposure to drill muds and of potential oil spills. We need minimum standards for all protected ocean areas. Biodiversity depends on it.”
The fishing industry has worked with government and conservation organizations to set aside areas for protection. SeaBlue Canada recommends that in order to maintain the trust of the fishing industry and Canadians, it is imperative these areas be protected from other industrial activities that threaten fish and fish habitat, including oil and gas.
Major recommendations of the report include:
Update national guidance to align with international standards, particularly as Canada can set an example for other countries by improving marine refuges to more fully align with international standards.
Pass the amended Fisheries Act, currently in second reading at the Senate of Canada, to ensure these areas become permanently protected through ecologically special areas provisions.
Clearly identify monitoring and management for each marine refuge to ensure biodiversity is being effectively conserved.
Smaller areas that only protect a single species should be removed from consideration as marine refuges when they do not contribute to the overall protection of biodiversity, despite being important fisheries management measures.
Review the Atlantic Offshore Accord Agreements so that oil and gas exploration and development is restricted from areas closed to protect fish and fish habitat.
SeaBlue Canada is a coalition of six national conservation organizations including Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, David Suzuki Foundation, Ecology Action Centre, Oceans North, West Coast Environmental Law, and World Wildlife Fund Canada. Together, they are working to ensure that Canada’s marine and coastal protected areas are well protected and set an example for ocean conservation globally.
On December 4, 2018, an agreement was signed by P.J. Akeeagok of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, and the Canadian Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, on what will be the largest protected area in Canada – Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area. This National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) should become official March 2019, with an area spanning over 109,000 squared kilometres.
Since the 1960s, the Inuit peoples of the area have been trying to protect these waters, as it is an incredibly productive habitat, home to narwhals, bowheads, and beluga whales, walruses, polar bears, and millions of seabirds. This agreement goes beyond protecting marine life, but to benefit the people of the area, including jobs for the Inuit as guardians throughout the five Nunavut communities, and food facilities and the first small-craft harbour all to support local hunters and increase food security to the region.
Northern waters of Canada are highly productive, and facing new vulnerabilities with climate change and melting ice, including oil and gas exploration, mining, and increase of marine traffic. It’s imperative to protect these waters now. The Federal Government has also announced their consideration to protected the region off the Northern Coast of Ellesmere Island. The Canadian Government, Nunavut, and Inuit Indigenous Groups will begin these discussions of this new protected area called High Arctic Basin or Tuvaijuittuq — Inuktitut for “the ice never melts.”
CPAWS and Gros Morne National Park want to hear from you!
Gros Morne National Park is currently reviewing and drafting the park’s next Management Plan – an important document that will guide park management in making the right decisions for the next 5 to 10 years!
Canada’s national parks are places where nature is protected first and foremost, and where people can enjoy and appreciate nature in ways that leave the parks “unimpaired” for the benefit of future generations. Increasing tourism and infrastructure development demands can sometimes put pressure on protected areas to shift the focus away from nature conservation as the top priority – this puts our wildlife and wilderness at risk.
The Park is calling on all members of the public to participate in their online public consultation process to help guide the future direction of the park. This is your opportunity to tell Parks Canada that you want our national parks protected for the future.
Tell Gros Morne Park Management that:
You want nature conservation to remain the park’s top priority;
All Park ecosystems merit rigorous monitoring and protection, including Gros Morne’s freshwater and wetlands;
National Parks should not be developed to accommodate private, commercial business and tourism; and
You want thorough, effective public consultation on all major development proposals.
Learn more about Management Planning in national parks and read the Gros Morne National Park Management Plan Review discussion paper here.
Ottawa – October 16, 2018 – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) welcomes the recommendations released today by the National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Area Standards, which partially address the lack of consistent protection standards in ensuring the long-term health of ocean ecosystems. We are also pleased to see the Panel provide important recommendations on Indigenous Protected Areas, the need for long-term, stable funding for marine protected areas (MPAs), as well as the need for transparency in both MPA consultation processes and the provision of MPA information.
Over the years, CPAWS has highlighted the problems with MPA protection, and the lack of information about the standards for each site. We welcome the recommendations made in this report as a much needed first step and urge the government to adopt and implement them for both existing and future sites to safeguard Canada’s ocean ecosystems for generations to come.
“We are pleased to see that the panel has recognized the importance of the global IUCN MPA protection standards and categories, and the need for Canada to adopt these standards,” said Sabine Jessen, National Director, CPAWS Ocean Program. “International consistency on protection categories and standards is very important to ensure that areas established meet the primary intent of nature conservation. However, CPAWS encouraged the panel to incorporate the ‘ecological integrity’ standard, which is used in Canada for national parks, to guide protection of MPAs and OECMs in Canada.”
While CPAWS applauds the recommendation to prohibit industrial uses such as oil and gas and bottom trawling in MPAs in an effort to conserve ocean ecosystems, we are concerned that the report did not consider the impacts of other types of fishing on ecosystems and the scientific benefits of no-take areas. While we are pleased that the panel recognized the important role of Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs), we are also concerned that action is sufficiently precautionary to maintain the conservation contribution they provide.
“The international consensus has been that OECMs should be protected to the same standard as MPAs,” said Jessen. “However, we are pleased that the Panel identified the need to advance a more comprehensive approach to ocean planning and management, including MPA networks, and marine spatial planning to guide ocean uses and conservation in all of our ocean territory.”
Other positive recommendations from the report include integrating indigenous knowledge in MPA planning, design and management, and recognizing the role of Indigenous Peoples as full partners in all aspects of MPAs and OECMs. The report also highlighted the need for long-term, permanent and stable funding for MPAs, Indigenous Protected Areas and other ocean protection measures, an initiative CPAWS and the Green Budget Coalition are currently advocating for within their budget recommendations to government.
Have Your Say: Public Consultation on Terra Nova Management Plan is Open
Photo courtesy of Parks Canada
CPAWS and Terra Nova National Park want to hear from you!
Terra Nova National Park is currently reviewing and drafting the park’s next Management Plan – an important document that will guide park management in making the right decisions for the next 5 to 10 years!
Canada’s national parks are places where nature is protected first and foremost, and where people can enjoy and appreciate nature in ways that leave the parks “unimpaired” for the benefit of future generations. Increasing tourism and infrastructure development demands can sometimes put pressure on protected areas to shift the focus away from nature conservation as the top priority – this puts our wildlife and wilderness at risk.
The Park is calling on all members of the public to participate in their online public consultation process to help guide the future direction of the park. This is your opportunity to tell Parks Canada that you want our national parks protected for the future.
Tell Terra Nova Park Management that:
You want nature conservation to remain the park’s top priority;
National Parks should not be developed to accommodate private, commercial business and tourism; and
You want thorough, effective public consultation on all major development proposals
Have your say now!
Our Canadian great outdoors inspire and define who we are. It’s time to make YOUR voice heard for the future of Terra Nova National Park.
Learn more about Management Planning in national parks and read the Terra Nova National Park Management Plan Review discussion paper here.
Over the past several weeks, many have spoken out in traditional media and on social media regarding the changes to the boardwalk trail at Western Brook Pond in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Over the course of the winter, Parks Canada removed the boardwalk trail at Western Brook Pond and replaced it with a 4.8m wide hardened gravel road. This change was made without extensive public consultation and with only a Basic Impact Assessment conducted – a brief project assessment conducted by Parks Canada with no requirement to seek input from Canadians.
These changes have resulted in outcomes beyond simple rehabilitation of existing infrastructure: the development footprint of the trail has increased significantly, irreparably altering the character of the site and one of the park’s most iconic experiences.
These changes are not in keeping with Parks Canada’s commitment to all Canadians to protect the natural and cultural heritage of our special places.The Canada National Parks Act states that “Maintenance or restoration of ecological integrity, through the protection of natural resources and natural processes, shall be the first priority of the Minister when considering all aspects of the management of parks.” The drastic nature of the changes to the trail without a fulsome environmental assessment demonstrate little consideration for ecological integrity at Western Brook Pond.
The Act further states that, “The national parks of Canada are hereby dedicated to the people of Canada for their benefit, education and enjoyment, subject to this Act and the regulations, and the parks shall be maintained and made use of so as to leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.” Going forward with such dramatic changes to the trail without any public consultation demonstrates poor regard for public input, transparency, and accountability by Parks Canada.
In addition to changes at Western Brook Pond, Parks Canada continues to proceed with other infrastructure upgrades and developments in Gros Morne National Park without adequate consultation with the public.
It is the responsibility of Parks Canada to maintain or restore our national parks’ ecological integrity and to keep park ecosystems unimpaired for the benefit of both current and future generations.
Gros More National Park, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is globally valued for its outstanding universal value as an area with exceptional natural beauty. Infrastructure changes with the potential to impact this outstanding universal value require Parks Canada to proceed with the utmost caution in their planning and management. As such, extensive stakeholder consultations – with both local community members as well as with Canadians in general – should have been held to thoroughly assess the impacts at a local, national, and global scale.
CPAWS continues to work with Parks Canada to improve their management of our national parks and continues to push Parks Canada to engage Canadians on decisions of park management. The Canada National Parks Act provides legal protection for the property but strategies to address management vulnerabilities and noncompliance must be developed in cooperation with area residents as well as with other stakeholders and user groups.
CPAWS is requesting that Parks Canada:
Halt further road development into Western Brook Pond until a detailed impact assessment and thorough public consultation has been conducted;
Publicly release all documents which detail what research, decision-making, and evaluation processes were conducted leading up to the onset of infrastructure changes at Western Brook Pond;
Publicly release a detailed project list showing all projects being undertaken in Gros Morne National Park that utilize federal government infrastructure monies; and
In the future, inform and involve local residents, visitors, and interested Canadians in development projects throughout the planning, development and construction phases.
About the changes at Western Brook Pond Parks Canada has invested more than $3 million in infrastructure changes at Western Brook Pond over 2017-2019. These changes include facilities upgrades, expansion of the parking lot beside Route 430 by 50%, and re-construction of the iconic Western Brook Pond 3km access trail.
Western Brook Pond trail has been widened to a 4.8-metre-wide road, nearly double its original width, and hardened to allow for multi-use activities (walking, cycling, strollers, wheelchairs, etc.), transport of supplies for the boat tour operations, and emergency vehicle access. Parks Canada staff have stated that the old trail could not meet the needs of park visitors in terms of accessibility and capacity; in 2017, boat tour users accounted for 40,000 hikers on this trail, a 46% increase since 2013.
