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Archived – Announcement of the Integrated Oceans Management Plan for the Beaufort Sea
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August, 2010
The Integrated Oceans Management Plan (IOMP) is the result of planning efforts undertaken by a partnership of Aboriginal, Territorial and Federal government departments, and northern coastal community residents, private interests, environmental non-governmental organizations, and academia.
Designed to be an effective guide to planning for development in the region, and one that reflects the values and goals of all those who use and live in the area, the Plan covers a wide area of 1.1 million square kilometres of the Beaufort Sea, and includes ocean, island, and coastal areas.
The Plan is not intended to create another layer of regulation; rather, it will provide an opportunity to integrate the goals of the partners. It will also specify the roles and responsibilities of those partners and streamline decision-making processes as they pertain to development in the Beaufort Sea.
The Plan is tangible evidence of the willingness of all those sectors —traditional harvesters, Inuvialuit corporate interests, governments, industry, environmental groups—to work together. All these parties have agreed to cooperate in the decision making processes that will shape the future of the region. It is also a concrete demonstration of Canada’s commitment to sound management of Arctic marine and coastal resources.
The work to-date on the Plan demonstrates that Canada is leading the way internationally with successful integrated approaches to oceans management. It represents the proactive planning that is necessary to take advantage of development opportunities in a sustainable way.
The Plan uses both an ecosystem-based management and a sustainable development approach. Ecosystem-based management recognizes that human activities must be managed in consideration of the interrelationships between all living organisms, their habitats and the physical environment, based on the best available knowledge. Sustainable development ensures any development that meets the needs of the present will not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The Regional Coordination Committee (RCC) is the governance body for the Beaufort Sea Integrated Oceans Management Plan. It is co-chaired by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Inuvialuit Game Council, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The RCC is also comprised of federal departments (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Parks Canada, Transport Canada, and Environment Canada), territorial governments of the Northwest Territories and Yukon, and the Fisheries Joint Management Committee, a co-management organization established under the Inuvialuit Final Agreement. The RCC provides coordinated decision-making, oversight and direction for the ongoing evolution and development of the Plan.
News Release:
B-HQ-10-42(a)
