Ottawa, 5 February 2013—Over the past 20 years, the federal government has made limited progress on its commitments, both international and domestic, to protect Canada’s marine biodiversity, says Scott Vaughan, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, in his report tabled today in Parliament. In Canada, marine protected areas are intended to protect and conserve threatened marine species and habitats, enhance the ability of marine areas to resist or recover from ecosystem disturbances, and support Canada’s long-term economic interests through sustainable fisheries and tourism.
“We noted several areas of progress in establishing marine protected areas across Canada,” said Mr. Vaughan. “However, the level of protection falls well short of what the Ocean Act calls for, and at the current rate, it could take many decades to reach the goal of creating a network of marine protected areas.”
Under the Oceans Act, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a long-standing responsibility for leading the development of a national network of marine protected areas. However, the audit found that the Department is still gathering information and conducting analysis to determine what areas need to be protected to create a functioning network.
While Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Parks Canada have made some progress and established a number of marine protected areas, neither has identified all the areas that need to be protected to fulfill their respective mandates.The slow rate of progress in establishing a network of protected areas in Canada needs to be addressed.
“The government needs to complete the network of marine protected areas to safeguard Canada’s marine species and ecosystems,” said Mr. Vaughan.
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The chapter “Marine Protected Areas” is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website.
