A PROTECTED AREA IS NO PLACE FOR OIL AND GAS ACTIVITY

Published on May 03 2018

Recent, past and anticipated announcements

If you have been reading the news related to oil and gas recently, you are probably feeling the same way as I imagine the rock crab featured in this blog post is. Discussion of oil and gas within protected areas resurfaced on April 5th, when the Canada Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Board (CNLOPB) released a Call for Bids on lease areas available for 2018. These areas directly overlap with the Northeast Newfoundland Slope Closure, an area closed to all bottom-contact fisheries due to high concentrations of corals and sponges.

This is not the first time that oil and gas has threatened marine protection in the Maritimes. Almost a year ago, the proposed regulations for the Laurentian Channel Marine Protected Area (MPA) were released and they allowed for oil and gas activity within 80 percent of the area. With support from the public, ENGOs were able to successfully campaign to keep oil and gas out of this MPA. Unfortunately, this may not be the last oil and gas battle that we need to fight. The Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board will be releasing the 2018 Call for Bids off the coast of Nova Scotia and the anticipated lease areas directly overlap with the Western Emerald Banks Conservation Area (formerly known as the “Haddock Box”). The release has been stalled as it is pending federal-provincial review.

Undermining conservation goals and important relationships

There are many reasons why oil and gas activity is not compatible with marine protection. Oil and gas activity completely undermines conservation objectives. For example, the Western Emerald Banks Conservation Area is a fisheries closure that contains important spawning and nursery areas for haddock, spawning areas for Atlantic cod, and populations of winter skate, silver hake, and Atlantic halibut. Oil and gas activity puts these species and their associated habitat at risk. It also undermines important relationships, such as those with the fishing industry. It makes no sense to prohibit certain types of fishing gear, but allow for oil and gas activity. The fishing industry needs reassurance that all types of harmful activity will be prohibited in protected areas, not just certain types of fisheries. Compromising these important relationships is especially concerning given that we are anticipating the release of a network plan for marine protection. As the federal government works toward achieving their international commitment of 10% ocean protection and beyond, building trust with key stakeholders such as the fishing industry, coastal, and Indigenous communities is critical.

A leader in ocean protection?

While we have made good progress in marine protection in recent years, opening ecologically important marine areas to oil and gas undermines these efforts and threatens Canada’s international reputation as an oceans leader. It’s particularly concerning leading up to the G7 summit that Canada is hosting, and has identified ocean protection as a key priority. The Northeast Newfoundland Slope Closure and Western Emerald Bank Conservation Area are both currently being counted towards the 10% target. If oil and gas activity occurs in either or both of these areas, meaningful protection can no longer be achieved and it sets an awful precedent for future protected areas.

Minimum standards for marine protection are needed

Despite all of this bad news, there is some hope. The federal government has established a National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Area Standards. The Panel is travelling across Canada to gain different perspectives and recommendations on protection standards for marine protection in Canada. These standards are absolutely critical for creating consistency among protected areas in Canada, ensuring that biodiversity is protected, and creating confidence in marine protection initiatives among stakeholders. CPAWS is advocating and hoping that oil and gas activities will be prohibited in all protected areas. I think it’s safe to say that we are not alone in this. Polling by WWF Canada shows that 80 percent of Canadians believe MPAs should not allow oil and gas activities.

Stay tuned as this situation continues to unfold.

Best fishes,

Meghan