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Marine Protected Areas under the Oceans
Act
The Oceans Act defines a marine protected area as an area of the sea that forms part of the internal waters of Canada, the territorial sea of Canada (12 nautical miles) or the exclusive economic zone of Canada (to 200 mile nautical miles); and
that has been designated for special protection under the Oceans Act for one or more reasons. Table 1 describes the reasons for which MPAs can be established under the Oceans Act. The designation of MPAs will complement existing conservation and
protection measures under the Fisheries Act.
Table 1. Reasons for Establishing MPAs under the Oceans Act
Section 35 (1) of the Oceans Act defines an MPA as:
an area of the sea...(that) has been designated ... for special protection
for one or more of the following reasons:
- the conservation and protection of commercial and non-commercial fishery
resources, including marine mammals, and their habitats;
- the conservation and protection of endangered or threatened marine
species, and their habitats;
- the conservation and protection of unique habitats;
- the conservation and protection of marine areas of high biodiversity
or biological productivity; and
- the conservation and protection of any other marine resource or habitat
as is necessary to fulfill the mandate of the Minister (of Fisheries and Oceans).
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