Lancaster Sound
Lancaster Sound is the eastern entrance to the Northwest Passage, the legendary corridor through Canada’s Arctic archipelago. It is an area of critical ecological importance to marine mammals, including seals, narwhal, beluga and bowhead whales, as well as walrus and polar bears, and it is bordered by some of the most important seabird breeding colonies in the Arctic, with populations totalling in the hundreds of thousands.
Several fjords border Lancaster Sound and its adjacent waterways and tidewater glaciers reach the ocean along the northeastern coast. The dynamic oceanography of the area ensures that portions of Lancaster Sound remain comparatively ice free throughout the year, providing critical habitat for large concentrations of birds and mammals, as well as crucial feeding areas when access to ice-covered waters to the west is impossible.
Human occupation and use of the Lancaster Sound region can be traced back to the Dorset and Thule cultures that preceded Inuit for whom the region is now home. European exploration for the Northwest Passage brought several expeditions to the region, including the fabled Franklin expedition. Remnants of whaling and trading posts at a number of locations along the shores of the region are evidence of later whaling and trading activities.
As climate change continues and year-round marine transport through the Northwest Passage becomes increasingly likely, it is important to take appropriate protective measures to safeguard this significant and diverse region in the Canadian Arctic. Working with other federal departments, the Government of Nunavut, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Qikiqtani Inuit Association, and local communities, Parks Canada will undertake a study of the feasibility of establishing a national marine conservation area in Lancaster Sound. The feasibility study will determine whether the establishment of a marine conservation area under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act is a practical approach to the protection and ecologically sustainable use of this region.
National Marine Conservation Areas
National marine conservation areas are marine protected areas managed for ecologically sustainable use. They include the seabed, the water above it and all living resources. They may also take in wetlands, estuaries, islands and other coastal lands.
National marine conservation areas focus on ecologically sustainable use, which means harmonizing conservation practices with human activities such as fishing, shipping and recreation. Waste dumping, mining, and oil and gas exploration and exploitation are prohibited throughout these special areas.
This approach involves working closely with others who use the lands, waters, and living resources striving to reach common goals ¯ most importantly a healthy, sustainable ecosystem.
