Coasts and Ocean, Parks and Protected Areas

MPA Monitor, Assessing Canada’s Marine Protected Areas

Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society | 2021

As the result of more than 100 years of industrial use and over-exploitation, the ocean is facing a biodiversity crisis that will have far-reaching impacts, not just for nature but also for human health and well being the world over. In Canada, fisheries are edging closer to collapse, iconic species are teetering on the edge of extinction, and vital ecosystems like eelgrass and deep-sea coral and sponge reefs are disappearing. Science tells us that if we are going to reverse these declines, we must act now. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are recognized as one of the most effective tools to protect ocean ecosystems, rebuild biodiversity, and help species adapt to climate change.