Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area

Backgrounder

As part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to creating a national network of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) under the Oceans Act (1996) and plan to reach its domestic and international marine conservation targets supported by Budget 2016, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) designated Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam as the newest official marine protected area on November 16, 2016.

Located on the Beaufort Sea in the western Canadian Arctic, the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam (Ung-u-niak-via Ni-kig-e-um) MPA represents 2,361 km² of aquatic territory near the community of Paulatuk, Northwest Territories. The area is highly ecologically productive and provides a critical habitat for a number of marine species such as Arctic char, beluga whales, polar bears, ringed seals, cod, bearded seals, and various birds. The area is also home to the only thick-billed murre bird colony in the western Canadian Arctic, as well as a feeding ground for the nearby Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary.

The Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA is likewise culturally important to the Inuvialuit population who continue to rely on the land and sea for their traditional harvests, travel, recreation and traditional practices.

The regulations of the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA prohibit any activity that disturbs, damages, or destroys living marine organisms or habitat within the allocated area, with the exception of some activities that are vital for the long-term prosperity of the local community, such as navigation activities and dredging for the purpose of resupplying goods to the community.

Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam’s Process to Become an MPA

In 2009, DFO, along with territorial government organizations and local communities, nominated the Paulatuk/Darnley Bay area for consideration as an MPA. It is one of 18 ecologically and biologically significant regions identified by DFO scientists as potential areas for marine conservation within the Beaufort Sea. The following year, in October 2010, the area of Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam was formally identified as an Area of Interest (AOI) due to its ecological significance, which enabled the process of protecting the area to officially begin.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada initiated extensive consultations with local communities following Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam’s appointment as an AOI. A workshop, conducted in March 2011, collected traditional and local knowledge on the area from 12 Inuvialuit residents of Paulatuk. They were selected by the Hunter’s and Trapper’s Committee (HTC) based on their knowledge of the area. Participants ranged from young adults to elders, thus representing current and past users of the area.

In June 2016, the proposed Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA Regulations were pre-published in Canada Gazette Part I, launching the 30-day public consultation period.

Our Commitment to Marine Protected Areas and Our Oceans

This new MPA demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to collaboration and to increasing environmental protection of Canada’s marine and coastal areas. Budget 2016 proposed $123.7 million over five years to support marine conservation activities, which includes the designation of new Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) under the Oceans Act and continuing work on developing new national parks and national marine conservation areas, including Lancaster Sound in Nunavut and other potential protected areas.

Through this investment, the Government of Canada will work with partners to increase the amount of Canada’s protected marine and coastal areas to 5% by 2017 and 10% by 2020. The Government is dedicated to continuing to work with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous peoples, industry, academia, and environmental non-governmental organizations to meet its 2020 commitments.

November 2016


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