Post on 07-Dec-2021
Presented to the National
Advisory Panel on Marine
Protected Areas Standards
March 3, 2018
Ottawa, Ontario
National Wildlife Areas &
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
Page 2 – March-8-18
Contents
• Mandate of Environment & Climate Change Canada
• History, evolution and role of the network
• Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
• National Wildlife Areas
• Marie Sanctuaries & Wildlife Areas
• Establishment Process
• Regulations and Prohibitions
• Working Together with Indigenous Peoples
• Budget 2018
• Case Study: Ninginganiq
• Case Study: Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area
Page 3 – March-8-18
Mandate
• Protected Areas established in Key Biodiversity Areas
Spiny Softshell Turtle
Long Point National Wildlife Area (ON)
Snow Geese
Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (QC)
Bighorn Sheep
Vaseux-Bighorn National Wildlife Area (BC)
Species at Risk Migratory Birds Other Wildlife
Page 8 – March-8-18
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
• 1887 - Last Mountain Lake
(SK) established to
protected “wild fowl”.
• 1925 – Betchouane (QC)
established to protect eider
ducks.
• 1939 – Big Glace Bay (NS)
established to protect black
ducks and Canada Geese.
Page 9 – March-8-18
Protecting habitat with Sanctuaries
• 1961 – Queen Maud Gulf
(NU) one of the largest
protected areas in
Canada (62,928km2)
• 1961 – Bylot Island (NU)
established for habitat.
• 1965 – Banks Island (NU)
established to protect
geese habitat (now park
of Aulavik National Park)
Page 10 – March-8-18
National Wildlife Areas
• 1985 – Polar Bear Pass
(NU) 2,636km2.
• 1995 – Portobello Creek
(NB) 22km2.
• 2003 – Canadian Forces
Base Suffield (AB) 458km2.
• 2010 – Akpait, Ninginganiq,
and Qaqulluit (NU)
Page 11 – March-8-18
Authorities in Sanctuaries
The Canada Wildlife Act has become the primary habitat
conservation tool of Environment and Climate Change Canada
Western Sandpipers (Tom Middleton) Horned Lark Nest (Olaf Jensen) Franck Lake (Garry Donaldson)
Page 12 – March-8-18
Legislative Authorities
Limit of the Territorial Sea
Exclusive Economic Zone
Here be Dragons
Page 13 – March-8-18
Selection Criteria
• Supports 1% of the Canadian
population of a species
• Supports an appreciable assemblage
of migratory birds or species at risk
• Marine or terrestrial critical habitat
• Rare or unusual wildlife habitat
• High potential for restoration
Page 14 – March-8-18
Establishment Process
• Site identification
• Feasibility assessment
• Securement
• Designation
Page 15 – March-8-18
Department of Environment Act
• Preservation and
enhancement of the
quality of the natural
environment.
• Coordinate policies
and programs. Pelicans at Last Mountain Lake MBS © Chris Somers
Page 16 – March-8-18
Canada Wildlife Act
• Encourage public
cooperation in wildlife
conservation.
• Initiate conferences
• Wildlife research
• Advisory committees
• Wildlife policy & programs
• Establish agreements CFB Suffield NWA © Olaf Jensen
Page 17 – March-8-18
Canada Wildlife Act
The CWA was amended in
1994 to clarify that the
Governor in Council can
establish protected marine
areas in any area of the sea
that forms part of the internal
waters, territorial seas or
exclusive economic zone of
Canada.
Page 18 – March-8-18
Canada Wildlife Act
• public lands means lands belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada
and lands that the Government of Canada has power to dispose of …
and includes
– (a) any waters on or flowing through the lands and the natural resources
of the lands, and
– (b) the internal waters and the territorial sea of Canada
Page 19 – March-8-18
Wildlife Area Regulations Wildlife Area Regulations 3(1) No person shall, in any wildlife area
(a) Hunt or fish;
(b) Be in in possession of any firearm, slingshot, bow and arrow, shot other than
non-toxic shot or any instrument that could be used for the purpose of hunting
(b.1) be in possession of, while fishing, any lead sinkers or lead jigs that weigh
less than 50 grams,
(c) have in his possession any animal, carcass, nest, egg or a part of any of those
things,
(d) damage, destroy or remove a plant,
(e) carry on any agricultural activity, graze livestock or harvest any natural or
cultivated crop,
(f) allow any domestic animal to run at large,
(g) swim, picnic, camp or carry on any other recreational activity or light or
maintain a fire,
(h) operate a conveyance,
(i) destroy or molest animals or carcasses, nests or eggs thereof,
(j) remove, deface, damage or destroy any artifact, natural object, building, fence,
poster, sign or other structure,
(k) carry on any commercial or industrial activity,
(l) disturb or remove any soil, sand, gravel or other material, or
(m) dump or deposit any rubbish, waste material or substance
Spiers Lake NWA © Olaf Jensen
Page 20 – March-8-18
Conservation of Wildlife
• Activities can be authorized
in a National Wildlife Area so
long as the activity does not
interfere with the
conservation of wildlife.
Page 22 – March-8-18
Guiding Principles
• Protection First
• Science First
• Complementary
• Adaptive
• Ecosystem Management
• Working with Others
Page 23 – March-8-18
Aboriginal & Treaty Rights
Canada Wildlife Act s.2(3)
Migratory Bird Convention Act s.2(2)
For greater certainty, nothing in this Act
shall be construed so as to abrogate or
derogate from any existing aboriginal or
treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of
Canada under section 35 of the Constitution
Act, 1982.
Establishment and management of National
Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird
Sanctuaries respect Aboriginal rights and
traditional practices
- includes access to and traditional harvest
within these areas
Migratory Bird Monitoring © Kim Jones
Page 24 – March-8-18
Protected Areas by Category
Biome IUCN Count Km2 Area Number Terr
estr
ial
Ia 37 2,910 2.8% 30.6%
Ib 17 89,290 85.1% 14.0%
II 6 11,127 10.6% 5.0%
III 19 141 0.1% 15.7%
IV 33 1,273 1.2% 27.3%
V 2 21 0.0% 1.7%
VI 7 109 0.1% 5.8%
Mari
ne
Ia 23 763 3.9% 41.8%
Ib 15 16,939 86.4% 27.3%
II 2 1,777 9.1% 3.6%
III 9 35 0.2% 16.4%
IV 5 79 0.4% 9.1%
VI 1 5 0.0% 1.8%
Page 25 – March-8-18
Budget 2018
• Historic investments totaling $1.3 billion over 5 years
• Contribute $500 million to a $1 billion Nature Fund
• Protect Species at Risk
• Expand National Wildlife Areas & Migratory Bird Sanctuaries
• Increase federal capacity to manage protected areas
• Continue implementation of the Species at Risk Act
• Establish a coordinated network of conservation areas
Page 26 – March-8-18
Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area
Bowhead Whale at Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area (ECCC-CWS)
Page 28 – March-8-18
Scott Islands National Wildlife Area
Page 29 – March-8-18
Scott Islands marine NWA
Pacific Sand Lance (Greg Jones) Common Murre (Mark Hipfner)
Tufted Puffin (ECCC-CWS)
Page 30 – March-8-18
Scott Islands Background
• 1995 – Identified as a candidate site
• 2003 – Canada commits to creating a protected area
• 2010 – Steering Committee & Advisory Group
• 2013 – Regulatory Strategy posted for consultation
• 2016 – Proposed regulations published in CG1
• 2017 – ENGO community outlines conditions
• 2018 –
Page 31 – March-8-18
Regulated Activities
• Canada Wildlife Act
– Fishing for key species
– Anchor a vessel
– Harm habitat or wildlife
– Fly over the islands
• Fisheries Act
– Bottom trawling
– Gill-netting
• Other Measures
– Oil and gas moratorium
– Oceans Protection Plan
Tufted Puffin (Philip Witt)
Page 32 – March-8-18
Scott Islands as a Protected Area
Condition Response
Operational Budget Budget 2018 proposes funding
Minimum Standards National Advisory Panel
Boundary Adjustment Not required based on current science
Science Advice Existing and proposed
Relinquish Oil & Gas Moratorium in place
Shipping & Transportation Oceans Protections Plan
Fisheries Mitigation Research & Mitigation is ongoing
Eradicate Predators Budget 2018 (and ongoing)
Management Plan To be drafted following establishment
Page 33 – March-8-18
Scott Islands as a Protected Area
• Protected Area
– Clearly defined
– Geographical space
– Recognized
– Dedicated
– Managed
– Legal or effective means
– To achieve
– Long term
– Conservation of Nature
Category “VI”
Protected area with sustainable use
of natural resources: Areas which
conserve ecosystems, together with
associated cultural values and
traditional natural resource
management systems.
Page 34 – March-8-18
Concluding Remarks
• ECCC uses and applies the IUCN Protected Areas Categories
Guidelines and the associated IUCN Guidance on Applying the
Protected Areas Categories to Marine Protected Areas.
• National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries play an
important role in marine conservation, and are an important tool in
broader marine protected area networks.