MPA Progress Report Card

Canada is often held up as a global leader alongside Australia and the United States when it comes to establishing MPAs, and many Canadians believe that we are among the best when it comes to protecting our national ocean treasures and resources. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and Canada is failing when it comes to establishing federal MPAs.

A recent report card produced by Living Oceans Society shows that Canada has a dismal record compared to Australia and the United States when it comes to the amount of ocean area protected and investing financial resources to establish federal MPAs. All three countries were evaluated in four subjects, and Canada only received a passing grade in one of them! Australia and the US, whose total areas of federally designated MPAs are 32 and 16 times larger than Canada’s, received passing grades.

Download MPA Repord Card 1.5 MB (PDF)

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 Report Card Summary
  • Canada received an overall F grade by failing mathematics, economics, and geography. It received a grade of C in law.
  • Australia and the US’ total area of federally designated MPAs is 32 and 16 times larger than Canada’s, respectively.
  • Less than .5% of Canada’s ocean area is protected by the federal government within an MPA. This is substantially less than Australia (10%) and the US (5%).
  • Canada has the laws, policies and regulations in place to establish MPAs but they lack measurable objectives, targets, timelines and mechanisms for measuring success.
  • Canada’s annual federal spending on MPAs ($11.35 million) pales in comparison to Australia ($33 million), and especially to the United States ($274 million).
  • Canada does not have a national eco-regional classification system in place for all types of federal MPAs making it impossible to assess the degree to which each habitat type is protected.
To improve its grades, the Government of Canada must:
  • Immediately resource and launch comprehensive marine planning processes designed to establish networks of MPAs as well as ecosystem-based management in the Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMAs) identified in Canada’s Oceans Strategy. These are the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA), Eastern Scotian Shelf (ESSIM), Beaufort Sea, Placentia Bay, and Gulf of St. Lawrence (GOSLIM).
  • Set clear and measurable timelines and targets for MPA establishment and adhere to them.
  • Provide adequate human and financial resources to the departments and programs responsible for establishing a network of MPAs.
  • Create a national classification system to identify each eco-region that needs protection, track the extent of eco-regions that are currently protected and evaluate priority areas for protection within these regions.
  • Develop the necessary governance agreements with First Nations, Inuit, Provincial, and territorial governments in order to move forward with marine planning and MPA designation.
  • Improve access to information and transparency of existing information regarding the status and extent of Canada’s MPAs.
Living Oceans Society is calling on the government to immediately launch comprehensive and well resourced marine planning processes designed to establish networks of MPAs throughout Canada’s oceans. These processes should include clear and measurable timelines and targets for MPA establishment.