Southern Gulf Islands Marine Protected Area
Jan 19, 2016
Southern Gulf Islands Marine Protected Area
Federal Level National Marine Conservation Area Proposed Sites in BC Southern Gulf Islands National Park
Bill C-10 National Marine Conservation Areas Provides for Marine Protected Areas
Bill C-10
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) Oceans Act Size Connections Representative Areas
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 Sites1. 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
SquareSquare = No Take Zone
(NTZ)
LineLine = links (connection
between zones)
MPA LINKS
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
Percentage 20-50% of each
ecosystem type should be protected for long-term viability
Ecosystem Identification
Topography / ocean features
Exposure 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
First Nations Culture
Public Participation and
Education
Economic benefits Fisheries Ecotourism
Stake-holders Study on local involvement in Mediterranean
(Badalamenti, 2000)
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
AdjacentAdjacent FishingFishing AreasAreas
Florida Florida (Taylor et al. 2000)(Taylor et al. 2000) Tagged fish left MPA to enter fishing groundsTagged fish left MPA to enter fishing grounds Several world records set near MPASeveral world records set near MPA
Caribbean Caribbean (Taylor et al. 2000)(Taylor et al. 2000)
Greater abundance, size, and biomass near MPAGreater abundance, size, and biomass near MPA
California California (Thompson 1997)(Thompson 1997) Median catch close to MPA significantly greater than median catch far Median catch close to MPA significantly greater than median catch far
from MPAfrom MPA
Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico (Jones 1998)(Jones 1998) No increase in yield, but compliance by fishers only 65%No increase in yield, but compliance by fishers only 65%
MPAs in BC Whytecliff Park:
Above average lingcod spawning in MPA Large coppers, quillbacks, and lingcod in MPA
Porteau 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: Biodiversity Culture Ecotourism Fisheries