Oceans management forum best chance to restore the Eastern Scotian Shelf ecosystem – WWF-Canada

The Eastern Scotian Shelf Integrated Management (ESSIM) Forum Workshop, led by the Oceans and Coastal Management Division of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, will bring close to150 people from government, industry and other sectors together to discuss a draft management plan for the area.

“This forum and the planning process behind it provide a real opportunity to restore the health of this marine ecosystem and achieve a balance between conservation and commercial uses,” said Dr. Robert Rangeley, Atlantic Director, WWF-Canada.

Overfishing on the Eastern Scotian Shelf led to the collapse of once-abundant commercial groundfish populations by the early 1990s. Species such as cod were severely depleted, which changed the structure of the ecosystem. Despite more than a decade long moratorium, cod populations and the ecosystem have not recovered. The more recent expansion of the offshore oil and gas industry has introduced a new set of pressures on the already stressed Eastern Scotian Shelf ecosystem.

“WWF-Canada has been an active participant in the ESSIM initiative since the beginning and we recognize that continued government leadership and stakeholder participation are required to finalize and implement the plan,” said Rangeley.

The draft management plan to be presented at the forum outlines a process to ensure that industrial activities on the Eastern Scotian Shelf, such as commercial fishing and oil and gas development, coexist while minimizing their impacts on the ecosystem. If an action plan can be agreed upon by stakeholders and implemented, it may be possible to return the Eastern Scotian Shelf to the healthy productive ecosystem it once was.

“Globally we have not done a great job managing activities and impacts on our oceans,” concluded Rangeley. “Here in Nova Scotia, through this process, we have an opportunity to set an example for the world in how to properly balance conservation and development. If we miss this opportunity, the continual decline in the health of Canada’s oceans and the economic hardship inflicted on the residents of coastal communities will continue. By working together to rebuild a healthy ecosystem, we can help these communities regain their vibrancy.”