National Marine Conservation Areas
In Canada, the federal agency Parks Canada has committed to establishing a National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs) in 29 marine regions across the country, of which one is the Bay of Fundy. An NMCA is a legislated Marine Protected Area which aims to balance conservation with sustainable use. NMCAs provide legal protection from industrial activities that could impact marine life, while being compatible and beneficial to tourism operators and local and low impact fishing, such as lobstering.
CPAWS-NS believes the Digby Neck and Islands regions would be the ideal candidate site as the Bay of Fundy NMCA. This area has high conservation value and community outreach work conducted by CPAWS-NS has shown some indications of local support for the idea. CPAWS-NS is working to further engage local communities, as well as Parks Canada officials, to help develop the Digby Neck and Islands area as a candidate NMCA for the Bay of Fundy region.
