Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area (MPA)

Phonetic pronunciation: Ung-u-niak-via Ni-kig-e-um

Note:

Charts, diagrams and contact information on this website are provided for information purposes only and should not be used for fishing, navigation or other purposes. Please refer to the MPA Regulations or contact your regional Fisheries and Oceans Canada office for official coordinates.

At-a-glance

Map of Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA.

Dataset for all MPAs available.

Video: Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Area

Location

Northwest Territories, within the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), as defined by the Western Arctic Claim - Inuvialuit Final Agreement.; Western Arctic Bioregion.

Size (km²) contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

About 2,358 km²

% coverage contribution to Marine Conservation Targets

About 0.04%

Date of designation

October 2016

Conservation objectives

to maintain the integrity of the marine environment offshore of the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary so that it is productive and allows for higher trophic level feeding
to maintain the habitat to support populations of key species (such as beluga whales, Arctic char, and ringed and bearded seals)

Prohibitions

Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA (AN MPA) Regulations prohibit activities that disturb, damage, destroy, or remove from this Area, living marine organisms or any part of their habitat, unless listed as exceptions in the Regulations or approved by the Minister.

Environmental context

The AN MPA has been identified as an ecologically important area that provides critical habitat for:

Arctic char
cod
beluga whales
ringed and bearded seals
polar bears
sea birds

It is also culturally important for the Inuvialuit, as it supports subsistence harvesting of Arctic char, beluga, birds and other species.

In the open-water season, near-shore waters provide migratory and feeding habitat for Arctic char and other fish species that migrate from the sea to fresh water to spawn. Offshore waters support a variety of marine invertebrates, fish, marine mammals and birds.

During winter, the sea ice in the AN MPA provides breeding and feeding habitat for polar bears and seals. Areas of open water within the sea ice (polynyas) offer critical feeding areas and promote aggregations of marine mammals and their prey.

Ecosystem

In the open-water season, near shore waters in the AN MPA provide migratory and feeding habitat for Arctic char and other fish species that migrate from the sea to fresh water to spawn. Offshore waters in the AN MPA support a variety of marine invertebrates, fish, marine mammals and birds.

The AN MPA is also culturally important for the Inuvialuit, as it supports subsistence harvesting of Arctic char, beluga, birds and other species by the community of Paulatuk, Northwest Territories (NT). The community also utilizes portions of the AN MPA for travel, education and other traditional activities.

The Arctic climate is experiencing rapid environmental changes resulting in new socio-economic opportunities and challenges for the Arctic region. For example, warming may result in an extended shipping season or create new shipping routes. This may make access to mining, oil and gas exploration and development, increased commercial fishing opportunities, research, and tourism easier across the Arctic. Increased accessibility for these types of activities poses a risk to the habitat, biodiversity and ecosystem functions within the Arctic, generally, and within the AN MPA, specifically.

The AN MPA has been identified as ecologically important by both science and Inuvialuit traditional knowledge. MPA designation provides early, long-term and comprehensive protection to this ecologically important marine area, consistent with the purposes of Section 35 of the Oceans Act.

For more information on the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam ecosystem please read the Ecological Assessment and overview report (PDF, 8.6 MB, 2013).

Management and conservation

The vision for co-management for the AN MPA

Our purpose is to:

protect Inuvialuit Traditional Cultural Identity and Values
conserve and enhance the adaptability and resilience of key species and ecosystem services in the AN MPA in a changing northern climate

We intend to do so while ensuring continued equitable and meaningful collaboration in MPA management and monitoring processes.

The conservation objectives of the MPA are:

to maintain the integrity of the marine environment offshore of the Cape Parry Migratory Bird Sanctuary so that it is productive, allows for higher trophic level feeding, and minimizes impacts from human activities on polynya/sea ice
to maintain the habitat to support populations of key species (such as beluga whales, Arctic char, and ringed and bearded seals). This is the first conservation objective to be based solely on Indigenous traditional and local knowledge

An AN MPA management plan is being developed to guide the day to day management, governance, and monitoring of the AN MPA. It will also guide reporting on the area. The management plan will describe management goals and guiding principles, enforcement and compliance initiatives, as well as regulatory and non-regulatory measures. The inclusion of regulatory and non-regulatory measures is essential to ensuring the continued support of other legislation, regulations and policies that contribute to the protection of this area.

The management plan will address conservation priorities and needs identified by the community of Paulatuk, co-management partners, such as Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Fisheries Joint Management Committee, Inuvialuit Game Council and DFO, on aspects related to the governance and the management responsibilities of the area. The plan will also describe the roles and responsibilities of the Western Arctic MPA (WAMPA) Steering Committee and the AN MPA WG, which make decisions and implement MPA management and monitoring alongside all partners.

As the lead federal authority for the AN MPA, DFO has the overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with, and enforcement of, the Regulations. This will be undertaken through the Department's enforcement responsibilities under the Oceans Act and the Fisheries Act, and other departmental legislation regarding fisheries conservation, environmental protection, habitat protection and marine safety. Enforcement officers designated by the Minister according to Section 39 of the Oceans Act would enforce the management actions and Regulations for these areas. Enforcement of the Regulations would be dealt with under Section 37 of the Oceans Act, as would any offences.

For more information on the Anguniagvia niqiqyuam management and conservation, please read the Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam Marine Protected Areas Regulations and Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement.

Activity application for Anguniaqvia niqiqyuam MPA

Scientific research or monitoring, educational or commercial marine tourism activities may be carried out in the AN MPA if a proponent submits an activity plan to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and receives Ministerial approval.

Learn more about the activity plan process

Publications

Date modified:: 2025-04-17

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