Marine Protected Area Network partners endorse plan to protect British Columbia’s North Coast

The blueprint for a vast network of marine protected areas (MPAs) across the northern third of Canada’s West Coast is being unveiled after more than a decade of work. Today, 15 First Nations, the Government of Canada, and the Government of British Columbia (B.C.) are jointly announcing the endorsement of the Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan (the Action Plan) for the Northern Shelf Bioregion (NSB).

The Action Plan is a model of collaborative governance and provides a planned approach to the establishment of new MPAs in the NSB. It includes a proposed design for the network, and recommendations for potential designation tools, conservation objectives and implementation timelines for the protection of future sites. The completion of the Action Plan represents the output of a truly collaborative partnership by Indigenous governments, the Province of British Columbia, and the Government of Canada working closely with industry and community stakeholders. The process has been guided by Indigenous knowledge and robust science to inform the identification of sites and their ecological and cultural conservation objectives.

In addition to endorsing the Action Plan, the partners will work together to advance the establishment of a sustainable conservation finance arrangement – using the internationally recognized Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) model to support long-term funding for ongoing network implementation, management and stewardship.