Marine Protected Areas

Fisheries and Oceans Canada designates marine protected areas under the Oceans Act in order to protect and conserve important, unique, diverse or endangered species and habitats. These include:

The Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area (MPA) covers approximately 1,800 square kilometres of the Mackenzie River Delta and estuary in the Beaufort Sea.
The Anuniaqvia Niqiqyuam Area of Interest (ANAOI) in Darnley Bay “is a highly productive region, supporting a variety of Arctic species year-round.”

###Importance

The Tarium Niryutait MPA is designed to conserve and protect biodiversity within the area– especially the beluga whale populations that feed, raise calves and moult in the area. It is also an important area forthe Inuvialuit who depend on marine species for traditional andsubsistence uses.

The Anuniaqvia Niqiqyuam Area of Interest is Canada’s first MPA to have conservation objectives based on traditional knowledge and values.

###Potential impact of an oil spill

An oil spill could damage protected areas valuable to both wildlife and local residents, and an essential part of Canada’s National identity. These regions are remote, with challenging environmental conditions and sensitive habitats, which would make any cleanups particularly challenging.

Copy Sources

Map Sources

Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 2008
Conservation Areas Reporting and Tracking System (CARTS) - Canadian Council on Ecological Areas (CCEA), 2010 / International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), 2010

Adapted from: Selected records from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Oceans Program), Marine Species Distribution and Marine Protected Areas Database.

This product has been produced by the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Oceans Program) for use in marine planning initiatives. Reproduced with permission of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (Oceans Program).