Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECM) Protection Standard

The OECM Protection Standard is based on a recommendation from the National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Area Standards.

The Panel recommended that:

“When industrial activities are allowed to occur in areas counted as other effective area-based conservation measures, the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard must be satisfied through effective legislation or regulation that risks to intended biodiversity outcomes are avoided or mitigated. 

The recommendation was the result of 6 months of extensive engagement across Canada:

• Panel members travelled across Canada from March to September 2018 and received in-person presentations from a wide range of partners and stakeholders in 8 cities.
• The panel heard from 125 individuals and received 111 submissions. These submissions and the Final Report of the National Advisory Panel on MPA Protection Standards are available here: National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Area Standards

“All activities in marine refuges will continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that . . .the risks to the biodiversity outcomes of the area have been avoided or mitigated effectively. “

The OECM Protection Standard is implemented through the 2022 Guidance for recognizing marine OECMs.