A group of leading marine scientists here Tuesday suggested to create no-take reserves for at least 30 percent of Canadian oceans as well as ensure connectivity among marine protected areas (MPAs) in Canada.
At the 2011 International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC) in Victoria, British Columbia, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) released new guidelines for MPAs in which the scientists urged more decisive actions by governments in Canada to set aside critical areas from fishing and other industrial activities such as oil and gas extraction in designated MPAs.
Prof. Philip Dearden, chair of the Department of Geography at University of Victoria who joined to draft the guidelines, said, "Canada is way behind many other western countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, in protecting its marine ecosystems. In our report, we offer concrete ways in which Canada can become one of the word' s leaders in ocean conservation."
Scientists said that Canada's oceans are suffering from the combined effects of overfishing, pollution, heavy industry and climate change. These global pressures on ocean ecosystems are especially worrisome in Canada, a country with strong maritime traditions and economies in three oceans, the Atlantic, the Pacific and the Arctic, as well as in the Great Lakes.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) defines an MPA as a clearly defined geographical space, recognized, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.
Prof. Isabelle Cote of Marine Ecology at Simon Fraser University said, "We're concerned that the planning and management of marine protected areas in Canada is not incorporating key lessons from international conservation science. For example, so far there are almost no marine protected areas in Canada that are fully protected from fishing."
The CPAWS scientific panel set up certain requirements for conserving biodiversity and supporting sustainable fisheries, including "No-take" reserves spanning no less than 30 percent of each bioregion in Canadian waters to protect critical marine wildlife habitat, exclusion of industrial activities such as exploration and extraction of non-renewable resources, dredging, dumping, and destructive fishing practices, particularly bottom trawling, as well as integration of MPAs into effective networks and more broadly into comprehensive oceans management systems.
More recently, the government of Canada has been developing an approach for the establishment of a national network of MPAs, in collaboration with provincial governments.
Prof. Dearden said, "Current evidence suggests that many declines in marine ecosystem diversity and abundance are irreversible, and we need a more pro-active approach to MPAs creation where they are seen as an input of economic transitions rather than an output."
"Tourism can play a key role in driving these changes, but must be planned and implemented effectively to produce the desired outcomes," Prof. Dearden said.
The IMCC 2011, May 14 to 18, is hosted by the Society for Conservation Biology's (SCB) Marine Section, aiming to advance marine conservation by facilitating discussion among scientists, managers and policy makers and develop science-based products that inform policy change and implementation.