CPAWS-NL Criticizes Province for Walking Away from Conservation, Federal Funding, and South Coast Communities
The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Newfoundland and Labrador Chapter (CPAWS-NL) is deeply disappointed by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador’s reckless and unilateral decision to terminate the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the feasibility assessment of a proposed South Coast National Marine Conservation Area and the potential redesignation of Sandbanks Provincial Park as a National Park.
By pulling out of the agreement, the province has thrown away potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal funding which would have directly benefitted communities, including Burgeo, Ramea and Conne River. This decision is short-sighted, based on false information, and fundamentally at odds with long-term economic health and community wellbeing. It puts large corporate interests ahead of the people who live and work in South Coast communities.
The province has abandoned a collaborative process specifically designed to provide a long-term shared vision for the area that would reduce uncertainty and balance conservation with sustainable economic activity and community needs. In doing so, they have destroyed the potential for a guaranteed significant federal investment in coastal communities that desperately need resources, infrastructure, and a boost to the local economy.
In June 2023, the Provincial Government publicly celebrated the signing of this MOU as a significant milestone and a momentous step toward safeguarding one of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most ecologically and culturally significant coastal regions. Yesterday’s decision represents a clear reversal of that commitment and signals an unwillingness to follow through when evidence‑gathering becomes politically inconvenient.
For more than 20 years, CPAWS-NL, Miawpukek and Qalipu First Nations, communities, scientists, and partners have engaged in good faith to explore what conservation on the South Coast could mean for livelihoods, local economies, and future generations. A National Marine Conservation area could have brought immediate federal investments, significantly boosted local tourism, and supported sustainable local fisheries.
In 2021, Parks Canada committed $109.6 million over 11 years to establish a National Marine Conservation Area in remote coastal British Columbia. Meanwhile, the Saguenay-St Lawrence Marine Park in Quebec generated approximately $90 million in tourism spending in 2017 alone, demonstrating the real and positive economic impact of NMCAs.
The MOU explicitly guaranteed that existing licenses and authorizations would continue and the proposed study boundary had already been significantly reduced to explicitly accommodate all existing and potential aquaculture operations. This was in direct response to industry concerns.
By terminating the process prematurely, the province has cut communities out of the conversation. It has chosen to disregard years of work and ignore the long‑term interests of coastal communities in favour of industry lobbyists.
Recent polling commissioned by CPAWS-NL showed strong public support for marine conservation and for the proposed National Marine Conservation Area. Newfoundlanders know that a healthy ocean is essential to the long‑term strength of fisheries, coastal economies, and communities. Ending the South Coast process prematurely disregards not only decades of work, but also the clearly expressed will of the public to see informed, balanced planning for the future.
“For more than 20 years, people have worked in good faith to understand what conservation on the South Coast could mean for communities and livelihoods. The feasibility process explicitly protected existing licenses, adjusted the boundaries to avoid conflict, and was meant to gather facts, not make final decisions. By ending this work, the Province is choosing short-term thinking over long-term prosperity, and walking away from evidence, collaboration, and public trust.”
— Tanya Edwards, Executive Director, CPAWS Newfoundland and Labrador
The South Coast fjords remain an ecological gem of national significance, home to sensitive marine habitats, rich biodiversity, and deep cultural connections. At a time of accelerating biodiversity loss and climate impacts, stepping away from a feasibility assessment sends a troubling signal about the Province’s willingness to plan responsibly for the future.
CPAWS remains committed to working with Indigenous governments, communities, and partners to advance conservation solutions that respect local knowledge, support sustainable livelihoods, and protect the natural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador. We urge the Provincial Government to reverse course and allow the full, transparent feasibility process — the very process designed to answer these questions — to proceed.
Media Contact:
Tanya Edwards
Executive Director
CPAWS Newfoundland and Labrador
Phone: (709) 726-5800
Email: tedwards@cpaws.org
