Marine refuges contributing to marine conservation targets

On June 7, 2017, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, P.C., Q.C., M.P., Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, announced the operational guidance that will identify how “other measures” will contribute to Canada’s marine conservation targets. He also announced existing fisheries management measures in Canadian waters that provide refuge to fish, mammals and their habitat, contributing to Canada’s 2017 marine conservation targets.

There are five criteria that a conservation measure must meet in order to contribute to Canada’s marine conservation targets: geographic location must be clearly defined; stock management or conservation objective need to directly relate to an important species or habitat; the area must contain an important species and important habitat; the measures must be long term; and, the measures need to protect the important species and its habitat from both existing and foreseeable pressures.

Based on these criteria, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has evaluated existing fisheries management measures and species at risk critical habitat. Measures that currently meet the criteria represent about 26,600 km² and an additional 0.46% of protected marine territory in Canada. These marine refuges are intended to be in place for the long-term and therefore, will make a lasting contribution to marine conservation. The objectives and prohibitions for these existing area-based fisheries closures are described below.

• British Columbia – Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef: 9 area closures to protect glass sponge reefs. Prohibits all bottom-contacting commercial, recreational, and food for social and ceremonial fishing activities.
• New Brunswick – Scallop Buffer Zone – SFA 21: to protect juvenile lobster habitat. Prohibits scallop dragging.
• New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia – Scallop Buffer Zone – SFA 22: to protect juvenile lobster habitat. Prohibits scallop dragging.
• Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia – Scallop Buffer Zone – SFA 24: to protect juvenile lobster habitat. Prohibits scallop dragging.
• Newfoundland and Labrador – Division 3O Coral: to protect coral and sponges. Prohibits all bottom fishing activities.
• Newfoundland and Labrador – Bay of Islands Salmon Migration: to protect Atlantic salmon migratory area. Prohibits all pelagic fixed gear fisheries.
• Newfoundland and Labrador – 7 Lobster Area closures in Trout River, Shoal Point, Penguin Islands, Gooseberry Island, Glovers Harbour, Mouse Island and Gander Bay:  to increase lobster spawning and egg production. Prohibits all lobster fishing.
• Nova Scotia – Jordan Basin Conservation Area: to protect cold water corals. Prohibits all commercial bottom-contact fishing gear.
• Nova Scotia – Corsair and Georges Canyons Conservation Area (Restricted Bottom Fisheries Zone): to protect cold water corals. Prohibits all commercial bottom-contact fishing gear.
• Nova Scotia – Northeast Channel Coral Conservation Area (Restricted Bottom Fisheries Zone): to protect cold water corals. Prohibits all commercial bottom-contact fishing gear.
• Nova Scotia – Emerald Basin and Sambro Bank Sponge Conservation Areas: to protect globally unique concentration of Vazella pourtalesi, a structure-forming species of glass sponge. Prohibits all commercial bottom-contact fishing gear.
• Nova Scotia – Lophelia Coral Conservation Area: to protect the only known living Lophelia pertusa coral reef in Canada’s Atlantic waters. Prohibits all commercial bottom-contact fishing gear.
• Quebec – Magdalen Islands lagoons (6 overlapping closures): to protect lobster habitat and conserve herring spawning areas. Prohibits hydraulic dredging fishing for the Atlantic razor clam and the Atlantic surf clam, gill net and square net fishing for winter flounder, gill net fishing for Atlantic herring, pelagic trawling, Danish and Scottish seine fishing for the yellowtail flounder and winter flounder, and American lobster trap fishing.
• Quebec –Les Demoiselles nursery (Plaisance Bay), Magdalen Islands: to protect habitat used as a nursery ground for juvenile lobster. Prohibits hydraulic dredging for Atlantic surf clam and Atlantic razor clam, otter trawling, and Danish and Scottish seine fishing for the winter flounder, witch flounder, yellowtail flounder, and American plaice.
• Quebec –Saguenay Fjord Upstream: to protect habitat for the beluga whale, a mammal designated as endangered and listed as threatened in the Species at Risk Act, and to avoid stirring up contaminants contained in the river’s sediments. Prohibits otter trawl fishing for all species.  

Fisheries and Oceans Canada will continue to evaluate existing and new fisheries management measures that meet the criteria to be considered as contributions to Canada’s marine conservation targets.

June, 2017