Feasibility Study for the Proposed Southern Strait of Georgia National Marine Conservation Area Reserve

Background

How are new National Marine Conservation Areas Identified and Established?

National marine conservation areas ( NMCA s) are established under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act . Their intent is to protect and conserve representative marine areas for the benefit, education and enjoyment of the people of Canada and the world.

There are five main steps to establishing a National Marine Conservation Area:

Step one: Identify areas representative of a marine region using scientific criteria

Step two : Select a preferred candidate site

Step three : Study the feasibility of establishing an NMCA in the study area - is this practical and desirable?

Step four : Negotiate a federal-provincial agreement that sets out terms and conditions for establishing and managing a national marine conservation area

Step five : Formally establish the NMCA under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act .

The National Marine Conservation Areas Policy provides more information on each of these steps.