Marine Protected Areas: Safeguarding Our Great Bear Coast
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are vital ocean sanctuaries established to protect and conserve marine life and habitats.
Located along the Great Bear Coast, these areas are crucial for safeguarding the unique biodiversity and ecological balance of this pristine coastal heritage for future generations.
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What Are Marine Protected Areas?
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are designated ocean zones where human activities are managed to ensure the long-term conservation of marine ecosystems.
MPAs are underwater sanctuaries providing vital havens for marine life to thrive.
MPAs protect more than just fish populations; they conserve entire ecosystems, including coral reefs, kelp forests, and the countless species dependent on these habitats. They also safeguard areas of cultural significance to coastal communities.
Levels of Protection
Different protection levels serve various conservation goals while balancing human needs, but stronger protections yield greater ecological benefits.
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Lightly Protected
These areas allow multiple uses but still provide important habitat protections and management measures to ensure ecological sustainability and preservation of marine resources.
2
Highly Protected
These areas allow very limited sustainable activities while prohibiting industrial uses like oil and gas exploration, mining, dumping, and bottom trawling as mandated by Canada's MPA Protection Standard.
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Fully Protected
The highest level of protection prohibits all extractive activities. These areas serve as reference points for understanding healthy marine ecosystems and provide maximum conservation benefits.
The Great Bear Coast: A Natural Treasure
An Ecosystem Teeming with Life
The Northern Shelf Bioregion, encompassing the Great Bear Coast, stands as one of Earth's most ecologically rich marine environments.
Its interconnected ecosystems are essential habitats for diverse species including wolves, bears, whales, and salmon, along with countless other creatures that define this unique wilderness.
A Living Cultural Legacy
Beyond its natural beauty, this coastal wilderness embodies a profound, living legacy. For millennia, ecological relationships have shaped it.
And for just as long, Indigenous peoples have been, and remain, the dedicated stewards of these waters, their cultures inextricably woven with the marine resources of the region.
Threats Facing Our Coastal Waters
Salmon Habitat Destruction
Critical estuaries and river mouths are being degraded by industrial development, threatening the survival of wild salmon populations that form the backbone of the entire ecosystem.
Illegal Fishing and Poaching
Unsustainable and illegal harvesting practices deplete fish stocks faster than they can recover, disrupting food webs and threatening traditional fisheries that coastal communities depend on.
Bottom Trawling Damage
Industrial fishing methods like bottom trawling devastate seafloor habitats, destroying ancient coral and sponge gardens that may take centuries to recover, if they recover at all.
The Value of Marine Protection
MPAs don't just shelter nature - they safeguard our future. Research shows that well-managed marine protected areas can increase fish biomass by over 400% and boost biodiversity by 21% compared to unprotected areas.
Protected marine environments serve as nurseries that replenish surrounding waters, supporting local, sustainable fisheries and providing economic benefits through tourism, recreation, and ecosystem services like carbon sequestration.
400%
Increase in fish biomass within well-managed MPAs
21%
Higher biodiversity compared to unprotected areas
29%
Increase in size of fish populations in adjacent fishing grounds
Our Vision: Protection Through Partnership
A New Model of Conservation
Effective marine protection requires collaboration between Indigenous communities, government agencies, scientists, and local stakeholders. The Great Bear Coast MPAs represent a new model of conservation that honors traditional knowledge alongside scientific research.
Building Resilient Ecosystems
By establishing a network of connected marine protected areas, we can create resilient ecosystems capable of withstanding climate change and other pressures while supporting sustainable human activities for generations to come.
Ready to make a difference?
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Make Your Voice Heard
Participate in public consultations and tell your elected representatives that strong marine protection matters to you and your community.
Support Local Initiatives
Join beach cleanups, citizen science programs, and other community efforts to protect our coastal waters and build a network of ocean advocates.