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01
Introduction

Protected Areas (PAs) are a tool to protect culture and nature.

  • Traditional ways

  • Nature

VS

  • Climate change

  • Development

  • Transport

Nature is integral to traditional practices, each influences the other

  • Strong coast line can better resist rising water levels and erosion

  • As ice melts we might see more use of arctic ocean, Hudson bay and James bay by big ships

  • Need eelgrass for geese, hunting and people

Stop this.

  • QC protects 50% of boreal forest in 2011

  • For the next 25 years

  • Protection is vague because development projects reach way further than the area they take up

  • They don’t agree to stay off traplines or culturally important spots

  • Whabouchi lithium mine built before 2017, it operated for a couple years, closed & they want to re-open it

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03
Protected Areas

What are Protected Areas?

 

Protected areas (PAs) in Canada follow the IUCN definition:

“A clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed, through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values”

​

But do they work?

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05
Marine Protected Areas

Canadian Protected Conserved Areas Database (CPCAD)

  • This is what it looks like to report to the database

  • These aren’t even full PAs yet, they’re just reserved

  • They do get interim protection until its decided

  • PAs might be accepted strategically, although the government obviously wouldn’t say that

  •   â—‹   LGA development

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07
Barriers

Problems Chisasibi & Indigenous proponents should consider.

3 kinds of barriers:

  • Colonial System

  • Relationships

  • Using resources

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Barriers

Relationships

Respect:

  • Government needs to honor commitment to improving relationships with Indigenous people

Partnership:​

  • Co-management is the most robust option

  • Must be mutually beneficial and respectful

Traditional knowledge:​

  • Indigenous peoples are known to be the best stewards

  • Must trust partners to share knowledge with them

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11
Enhancement

How can we make PAs better?

  • The DFO uses similar criteria to assess the overall effectiveness of MPAs

  • First step is to set out criteria against which to evaluate results

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Enhancement

Example

Eastport - Newfoundland

  • Goal: sustainable fishing

  • Supported community goals and participation

  • Overall success for the community

Local fishers used to catch groundfish until the population collapsed in the 90s so they turned to lobster

  • They noticed they were overfishing the lobsters too so they created a protection group

  • Then the fishers recruited a university, the DFO, Parks Canada and even had a local high school class help collect data

  • At first they completely stopped all fishing in the area, waited 2 years when they saw the lobsters were healthy again then opened it up as an MPA where they could still fish enough to support themselves

  • This worked so well because the MPA is part of the community, they built it and truly wanted it to succeed and they involved people with a history/relationship to the sea. Fishers were in charge, not the government

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Alternatives

Example: OECM Criteria

  • The area has defined boundaries-you can point to it on the map

  • Governing authorities are able to control activities within the boundaries

  • Governing authorities have the obligation to perform activities that lead to conservation in the area and restrict activities that are incompatible with conservation

  • Conservation is year round and will be maintained in the long term

  • Site goals will lead to conservation and biodiversity

  • Conservation objectives are not threatened by other site objectives

  • Governing authorities follow the management plan that is creating positive biodiversity outcomes, and no governing authorities threaten onsite conservation

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Chisasibi

How do we do it?

Steps

  1. Set goals

  2. Research PA types & choose one to suit your goals

  3. Apply for funding

  4. Studies

  5. Plan & design

  6. Apply to government body to establish PA

Implications:​

  • If you can place a PA before there’s mining claims, you can stop them from happening in the first place

  • Nature doesn’t stay in a box

  • â—‹Working with your neighbors protects nature better than trying to do it alone

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02
Protected Areas

What is a PA, how do they work and why would we want one?

Basically 3 levels:

  • International

  • Federal

  • Provincial

  • â—‹   Each level has many types

  • â—‹   Sometimes overlapping controls

  • â—‹   They didn’t create it with IP in mind so they’re trying to make categories to include them now but it’s messed up

  • This is what the government sees, what the colonial system sets up

  • â—‹   No matter who you are you’re working within one of these if you choose to set up a PA, even ones that are designed specifically for IP

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04
Marine Protected Areas

Canada says (2022)

  • 14.66% oceans protected

  • 14 MPAs, 3 NMCAs, 1 National Wildlife Area, 59 Marine refuges

Experts say (2021)

  • 0.1-0.4% strongly protected nationally

  • Only talking about formal MPAs

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Marine Protected Areas

Problems with MPAs

Not allowed:

  • Bottom trawling

  • Dredging

  • Mining

  • Oil & gas

  • Dumping

Allowed:

  • Treaty rights

  • Science

  • Dumping ballast water

  • Transport

Grandfathered in:

  • Trawling

  • Oil & Gas

  • Dumping

  • Enforcement:​

  • Poor management

  • Not meeting protection standards

Implications:

  • No standard evaluation methods

  • Exceptions to each rule if it aligns with research or conservation or it goes with the specific goals of that Marine Protected Area

  • Prior to 2019 there was not a clear definition of “dumping”, wastewater from ships is a common culprit

  • Not meeting protection standards means that either these activities are happening or they’re unable to stop other ones over fishing

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Barriers

Colonial System

Legislation:

  • Power imbalance

  • Inadequate processes

  • Indigenous involvement

Limits:​

  • Enforce regulations

  • Expertise

  • Finances

Implications:

  • “System” means any colonial government, their laws and the way they’ve tried to set up the world

  • Minister has to approve activity application before MPA can be implemented and they have final decision making power

  • Requirements for indigenous involvement depend on the treaty/recognition of their legitimacy to claim

  • Capacity to hire or train locals or even get experts in to help from outside the community

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Barriers

Management: Power dynamic

  • Who controls what

  • Who has the final say

  • â—‹What is there to stop certain ppl or groups from doing something stupid

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12
Enhancement

Governance

  • Co-management

  • Sharing responsibilities

Everything stems from governance

  • Governance does not solely refer to government structures, it includes laws, regulations, institutions, formal and informal arrangements and other decision-making systems and processes that direct resource use

  • When we’re thinking of creating any PA it’s essential to understand the limitations and benefits of the governance structure in charge of each type of PA

  • There’s so many kinds of PA's and conservation strategies, however a common theme in the literature is that co-management; is the most powerful kind

  • Holistic, well-rounded perspective, decentralize power, give power to local people who understand the lands/waters the best

  • Employ the correct governance and everything else will fall into place

Good Governance

  • Nature, the people & livelihood

  • Offset negative impacts

  • Create what you can manage, administer & enforce

  • Community involvement

  • Collaborate beyond boundaries

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Alternatives

Useful types

  • Sometimes you have to report OECM and IPCA to CPCAD to get funding but you may be able to create one without reporting

  • â—‹Not necessary to report, but is helpful to legally protect an area

  • â—‹If no one knows about it, they’re going to be more likely to plan for development

  • The reporting gives the government access to the boundaries which they may report

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Chisasibi

CERRI’s work so far

Studies

  • Protected areas

  • Water contamination

  • Risks from transport on the Bay

  • Meat quality

  • Eelgrass

  • Geese

  • Applying for funding

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