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Oceans Marine Protected Areas Federal Marine Protected Areas Strategy
Federal Marine Protected Areas Strategy
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Printable Version
PDF VersionThe Oceans Act provides the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans with
a leadership role for coordinating the development and implementation of a
federal network
of marine protected areas. The responsibility for the network is shared between
three federal departments and agencies with mandated responsibilities to establish
and manage marine
protected areas – Fisheries
and Oceans Canada 
, Parks
Canada Agency and
Environment Canada .
Canada’s federal marine protected area network is comprised of three core programs including:
- Oceans Act Marine Protected Areas established by Fisheries and Oceans Canada to protect and conserve important fish and marine mammal habitats, endangered marine species, unique features and areas of high biological productivity or biodiversity.
- Marine Wildlife
Areas established by Environment Canada to protect and conserve habitat
for a variety of wildlife including migratory birds and endangered species.
- National Marine
Conservation Areas established by Parks Canada to protect and conserve
representative examples of Canada’s natural and cultural marine heritage
and provide opportunities for public education and enjoyment.
The Federal Marine Protected Area Strategy outlines how
these departments and agencies will work together to establish a comprehensive
network of marine protected areas that will conserve
and protect Canada’s natural and cultural marine resources.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Protecting Our Marine Environment
A Time For Action
Building a Network – An Innovative Approach
Benefits of a Marine Protected Areas Network
International Agreements and Commitments
Linkages to Federal Initiatives
Guiding Principles for Implementation
The Strategic Framework
Appendix 1: Federal Tools for Establishing and Managing Marine Protected Areas
Appendix 2: Roles and Responsibilities of Other Government
Departments in Marine Protected Area (MPA) Establishment and Management
Appendix 3: The Federal Approach to Building a Marine Protected Area Network
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, 2005
Cat. No. Fs23-472/2005E-HTML
ISBN 0-662-40570-6
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