National Wildlife Areas & Migratory Bird Sanctuaries Presented to the National Advisory Panel on Marine Protected Areas Standards March 3, 2018 Ottawa, Ontario Contents • Mandate of Environment & Climate Change Canada • History, evolution and role of the network • Migratory Bird Sanctuaries • National Wildlife Areas • Marie Sanctuaries & Wildlife Areas • Establishment Process • Regulations and Prohibitions • Working Together with Indigenous Peoples • Budget 2018 • Case Study: Ninginganiq • Case Study: Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area Page 2 – March-8-18 Mandate • Protected Areas established in Key Biodiversity Areas Spiny Softshell Turtle Snow Geese Bighorn Sheep Long Point National Wildlife Area (ON) Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area (QC) Vaseux-Bighorn National Wildlife Area (BC) Species at Risk Migratory Birds Other Wildlife Page 3 – March-8-18 2. A Brief History Page 4 – March-8-18 Wildlife & Habitat Conservation Page 5 – March-8-18 Expanding Regulatory Tools Blackburnian Warbler Chris Kolacz Page 6 – March-8-18 IUCN Protected Areas Categories Page 7 – March-8-18 Migratory Bird Sanctuaries • 1887 - Last Mountain Lake (SK) established to protected “wild fowl”. • 1925 – Betchouane (QC) established to protect eider ducks. • 1939 – Big Glace Bay (NS) established to protect black ducks and Canada Geese. Page 8 – March-8-18 Protecting habitat with Sanctuaries • 1961 – Queen Maud Gulf (NU) one of the largest protected areas in Canada (62,928km2) • 1961 – Bylot Island (NU) established for habitat. • 1965 – Banks Island (NU) established to protect geese habitat (now park of Aulavik National Park) Page 9 – March-8-18 National Wildlife Areas • 1985 – Polar Bear Pass (NU) 2,636km2. • 1995 – Portobello Creek (NB) 22km2. • 2003 – Canadian Forces Base Suffield (AB) 458km2. • 2010 – Akpait, Ninginganiq, and Qaqulluit (NU) Page 10 – March-8-18 Authorities in Sanctuaries Western Sandpipers (Tom Middleton) Horned Lark Nest (Olaf Jensen) Franck Lake (Garry Donaldson) The Canada Wildlife Act has become the primary habitat conservation tool of Environment and Climate Change Canada Page 11 – March-8-18 Legislative Authorities Limit of the Territorial Sea Exclusive Economic Zone Here be Dragons Page 12 – March-8-18 Selection Criteria • Supports 1% of the Canadian population of a species • Supports an appreciable assemblage of migratory birds or species at risk • Marine or terrestrial critical habitat • Rare or unusual wildlife habitat • High potential for restoration Page 13 – March-8-18 Establishment Process • Site identification • Feasibility assessment • Securement • Designation Page 14 – March-8-18 Department of Environment Act • Preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment. • Coordinate policies and programs. Pelicans at Last Mountain Lake MBS © Chris Somers Page 15 – March-8-18 Canada Wildlife Act • Encourage public cooperation in wildlife conservation. • Initiate conferences • Wildlife research • Advisory committees • Wildlife policy & programs • Establish agreements CFB Suffield NWA © Olaf Jensen Page 16 – March-8-18 Canada Wildlife Act The CWA was amended in 1994 to clarify that the Governor in Council can establish protected marine areas in any area of the sea that forms part of the internal waters, territorial seas or exclusive economic zone of Canada. Page 17 – March-8-18 Canada Wildlife Act • public lands means lands belonging to Her Majesty in right of Canada and lands that the Government of Canada has power to dispose of … and includes – (a) any waters on or flowing through the lands and the natural resources of the lands, and – (b) the internal waters and the territorial sea of Canada Page 18 – March-8-18 Wildlife Area Regulations Wildlife Area Regulations 3(1) No person shall, in any wildlife area (a) Hunt or fish; (b) Be in in possession of any firearm, slingshot, bow and arrow, shot other than non-toxic shot or any instrument that could be used for the purpose of hunting (b.1) be in possession of, while fishing, any lead sinkers or lead jigs that weigh less than 50 grams, (c) have in his possession any animal, carcass, nest, egg or a part of any of those things, (d) damage, destroy or remove a plant, (e) carry on any agricultural activity, graze livestock or harvest any natural or cultivated crop, (f) allow any domestic animal to run at large, (g) swim, picnic, camp or carry on any other recreational activity or light or maintain a fire, (h) operate a conveyance, (i) destroy or molest animals or carcasses, nests or eggs thereof, (j) remove, deface, damage or destroy any artifact, natural object, building, fence, poster, sign or other structure, (k) carry on any commercial or industrial activity, (l) disturb or remove any soil, sand, gravel or other material, or (m) dump or deposit any rubbish, waste material or substance Spiers Lake NWA © Olaf Jensen Page 19 – March-8-18 Conservation of Wildlife • Activities can be authorized in a National Wildlife Area so long as the activity does not interfere with the conservation of wildlife. Page 20 – March-8-18 Specific Marine Regulations Page 21 – March-8-18 Guiding Principles • Protection First • Science First • Complementary • Adaptive • Ecosystem Management • Working with Others Page 22 – March-8-18 Aboriginal & Treaty Rights Canada Wildlife Act s.2(3) Migratory Bird Convention Act s.2(2) For greater certainty, nothing in this Act shall be construed so as to abrogate or derogate from any existing aboriginal or treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada under section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982. Establishment and management of National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries respect Aboriginal rights and traditional practices Migratory Bird Monitoring © Kim Jones - includes access to and traditional harvest within these areas Page 23 – March-8-18 Protected Areas by Category Biome IUCN Count Km2 Area Number Ia 37 2,910 2.8% 30.6% Ib 17 89,290 85.1% 14.0% II 6 11,127 10.6% 5.0% III 19 141 0.1% 15.7% IV 33 1,273 1.2% 27.3% Terrestrial V 2 21 0.0% 1.7% VI 7 109 0.1% 5.8% Ia 23 763 3.9% 41.8% Ib 15 16,939 86.4% 27.3% II 2 1,777 9.1% 3.6% III 9 35 0.2% 16.4% Marine IV 5 79 0.4% 9.1% VI 1 5 0.0% 1.8% Page 24 – March-8-18 Budget 2018 • Historic investments totaling $1.3 billion over 5 years • Contribute $500 million to a $1 billion Nature Fund • Protect Species at Risk • Expand National Wildlife Areas & Migratory Bird Sanctuaries • Increase federal capacity to manage protected areas • Continue implementation of the Species at Risk Act • Establish a coordinated network of conservation areas Page 25 – March-8-18 Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area Bowhead Whale at Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area (ECCC-CWS) Page 26 – March-8-18 Ninginganiq National Wildlife Area Page 27 – March-8-18 Scott Islands National Wildlife Area Page 28 – March-8-18 Scott Islands marine NWA Common Murre (Mark Hipfner) Pacific Sand Lance (Greg Jones) Tufted Puffin (ECCC-CWS) Page 29 – March-8-18 Scott Islands Background • 1995 – Identified as a candidate site • 2003 – Canada commits to creating a protected area • 2010 – Steering Committee & Advisory Group • 2013 – Regulatory Strategy posted for consultation • 2016 – Proposed regulations published in CG1 • 2017 – ENGO community outlines conditions • 2018 – Page 30 – March-8-18 Regulated Activities • Canada Wildlife Act • Fisheries Act – Fishing for key species – Bottom trawling – Anchor a vessel – Gill-netting – Harm habitat or wildlife – Fly over the islands • Other Measures – Oil and gas moratorium – Oceans Protection Plan Tufted Puffin (Philip Witt) Page 31 – March-8-18 Scott Islands as a Protected Area Condition Response Operational Budget Budget 2018 proposes funding Minimum Standards National Advisory Panel Boundary Adjustment Not required based on current science Science Advice Existing and proposed Relinquish Oil & Gas Moratorium in place Shipping & Transportation Oceans Protections Plan Fisheries Mitigation Research & Mitigation is ongoing Eradicate Predators Budget 2018 (and ongoing) Management Plan To be drafted following establishment Page 32 – March-8-18 Scott Islands as a Protected Area • Protected Area – Clearly defined – Geographical space – Recognized – Dedicated – Managed – Legal or effective means – To achieve Category “VI” – Long term Protected area with sustainable use – Conservation of Nature of natural resources: Areas which conserve ecosystems, together with associated cultural values and traditional natural resource management systems. Page 33 – March-8-18 Concluding Remarks • ECCC uses and applies the IUCN Protected Areas Categories Guidelines and the associated IUCN Guidance on Applying the Protected Areas Categories to Marine Protected Areas. • National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries play an important role in marine conservation, and are an important tool in broader marine protected area networks. Page 34 – March-8-18 .