Western Lake Superior conservation area praised

“This announcement is an important step in protecting Canada’s freshwater natural heritage,” said Mike Russill, President and CEO, WWF-Canada. “A great deal of consultation with local communities over the past decade has gone into building support for this NMCA and today we are seeing the results. Continued support from these communities in the development of the marine conservation area’s management plan will be crucial to its success and will help ensure that the preservation of Lake Superior’s pristine waters serve as an exceptional contribution to Canada’s fledgling national network of marine and freshwater protected areas. We encourage Parks Canada to continue to work towards a respectful partnership with Northern Superior First nations as well.”

Establishing an NMCA for this area will balance preservation and responsible use, and prohibit non-renewable industrial activities such as mining and oil and gas exploration.

“This long stretch of coastline, coastal islands, wetlands and open water is one of the last remaining portions of the Great Lakes that is still healthy and relatively intact,” said Josh Laughren, Marine Conservation Director, WWF-Canada. “It is an outstanding representation of the physical and biological character of the entire lake and is home to a wide variety of wildlife, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, loons, herons, wolves and the “coaster” brook trout. A National Marine Conservation Area will help keep these values and species for future generations. ”

In recent years, the Government of Canada has made solid progress in modernizing its legislative approaches to oceans management resulting in a world-class oceans policy. The challenge is now to translate this legislation and policy into action on the water. For example, while Canada has protected nearly 8% of its land base, only one half of one percent of marine and Great Lakes habitat is protected despite federal government commitments.

“WWF-Canada looks forward to the completion of other long standing candidate marine protected areas that together are crucial building blocks in meeting our national and international commitments on protecting Canada’s marine environment,” concluded Russill. “There are a number of sites that have long been government priorities that we hope to see protected in the very near future. These include the Bowie Seamount, a rich undersea mountain off the north coast of British Columbia, and Igaliqtuuq, critical habitat for bowhead whales off the east coast of Baffin Island in Nunavut.”