Establishing Effective Marine Protected Areas: Proposed Amendments to Bill C-55

Subject
Oceans Act, Marine Protection
Author
West Coast Environmental Law Association
CPAWS
Ecology Action Centre
David Suzuki Foundation
WWF-Canada
East Coast Environmental Law
Conservation Council of New Brunswick
Summary

In June 2017, the federal government tabled Bill C-55, proposing changes to Canada’s Oceans Act. Unfortunately, Bill C-55 does not go far enough in providing effective protection for marine protected areas (MPAs) under the Act. There is an urgent need to make essential amendments to Bill C-55 that include minimum protection standards in all MPAs, that allows for Indigenous governance or co-governance, and that speeds up protection of marine areas through MPA network planning and broad designations.

This brief summarizes the key amendments to Bill C-55 requested by West Coast Environmental Law Association and other environmental organizations, in order to ensure lasting protection for ocean species and the habitats on which they depend.

Publication Date
Publication Pages
2
Publication Format
PDF