Transcript Marine Protected Areas

Southern Gulf Islands
Marine Protected
Area
Federal Level
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National Marine Conservation Area
Proposed Sites in BC
Southern Gulf Islands National Park
Bill C-10
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National Marine Conservation Areas
Provides for Marine Protected Areas
Bill C-10
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Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)Proposal for Bill C-10 Canada National Marine
Conservation Areas Act, October 2000.
Provide Canadians with special places to connect with
the rich and diverse environments on our shores, and
ensure lasting benefits to our coastal communities and
the ecological integrity and healthy proliferation of the
valuable marine environments.
Biodiversity
 Marine
Protected Areas (MPA)
= No Take Zones (NTZ)
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Oceans Act
Size
Connections
Representative Areas
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references - (Mosquera et al. 2000, Polacheck
1990, Russ et al. 1989, Roberts 1997; 1998,
Ballantine, 1997)
Oceans Act
 MPA
Criteria:
 (1) High biodiversiy
 (2) Fish and habitat
 (3) Threatened
 (4) Unique habitat
 S.
Gulf Islands:
 (1) Nutrients upflow
 (2)Rockfish,lingcod
 (3) Killer whales
 (4) Sponges, sea
anenomes
Proposed MPA
Sites
1. Southern Gulf Islands
2. Gwaii Haanas
3. Scott Islands
4. Queen Charlotte Strait
5. Hakai
6. Gabriola
7. Race Rocks
8. Bowie Seamounts
9. Endeavour Hot Vents
Southern Gulf
Islands
Map
Size of No Take
Zones (MPA)
 Small
areas - few kilometers wide, for
small animals (Roberts and Haukins 2000)
 Large areas - tens of kilometers wide,
for larger animals and bird colonies
(Mosquera et al. 2000)
 Borders
- low surface area (Roberts et al.
2001)
 Buffer
zones - to protect core NTZ
centers
MPA Connections
 Distance
- No take zones should be 10 to
50 km apart to maximize biodiversity
protection
 Currents - link no take zones
 Upstream - need to be protected to
conserve downstream areas
 Arrange - to maximize links between No
Take Zones
MPA LINKS
Square = No
Take Zone
(NTZ)
Line = links
(connection
between
zones)
As the number
of no take
zones increase,
the conections
double and
triple between
these protected
areas
The overall
protected areas
increase in size
because of the
increased
number of links
between
protected sites
Representational
Areas - types of MPAs
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Percentage
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Ecosystem
Identification
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20-50% of each
ecosystem type
should be
protected for longterm viability
Topography /
ocean features
Exposure
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High and low tidal
exposed areas
consist of different
species
Biodiversity Protection
Summary
 Small
- few kilometers for nonmoving
species
 Large - 10-20 kilometers for mobile
animals
 20% - of each habitat type
 Research - a survey over time to
identify best design for
maximum biodiversity
People Benefit
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First Nations
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Public
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Culture
Participation and
Education
Economic benefits
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Fisheries
Ecotourism
Stake-holders
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Study on local involvement in Mediterranean
(Badalamenti, 2000)
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Success is proportional to the involvement of the
local community
LSP
Kelp bed ecology
Fisheries
 Adult
Recruitment
 Species Recovery
 Life Stage Protection
 Genetic Reservoirs
 Insurance Against Uncertainty
Adjacent Fishing
Areas
 Florida (Taylor et al. 2000)
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Tagged fish left MPA to enter fishing grounds
Several world records set near MPA
 Caribbean (Taylor et al. 2000)
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Greater abundance, size, and biomass near MPA
 California (Thompson 1997)
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Median catch close to MPA significantly greater than median catch far
from MPA
 Gulf
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of Mexico (Jones 1998)
No increase in yield, but compliance by fishers only 65%
MPAs in BC
 Whytecliff
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Above average lingcod spawning in MPA
Large coppers, quillbacks, and lingcod in MPA
 Porteau
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Park:
Cove:
Greater lingcod spawning than in controls
Southern Gulf
Island Fisheries
 Migration
route for salmon
 Bottom fishery for halibut
 Shellfish
 Crabs and prawns
 Rockfish
 Ecotourism
Conclusions
 NMCA in
Southern Gulf Islands will
benefit:
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Biodiversity
Culture
Ecotourism
Fisheries