Marine protection

Nature Canada explores conservation designation

Photo: John Brebner

A National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) designation, if established within the waters surrounding Prince Edward County, would not only ban any future oil and gas extraction through lakebed drilling and mining, but also lake bottom trawling, as well as dumping. And while it would not ban outright the establishment of industrial development, such as offshore wind turbines, a NMCA designation would ensure any attempt would be made more difficult for anyone considering the idea.

In a presentation to the Committee of the Whole meeting last Thursday, Kelsey Scarfone, Policy and Campaign Manager, Conservation with Nature Canada, provided a high-level overview about the proposed NMCA designation, an idea in its very early stages being initiated and advocated by Nature Canada to protect the waters and safeguard the marine history of Prince Edward County. Nature Canada is a national conservation charity, one of the oldest in the country, with over 100,000 members and supporters engaged in a network of over 1,000 nature clubs and groups.

The idea behind the NMCA, a federal designation managed by Parks Canada, is to protect marine and freshwater eco-systems and representative marine eco-regions. Scarfone says a NMCA is like a national park for the water. “They bring in federal investment and long-term stewardship dollars to protect the nature that thrives there today and continually ensure that freshwater habitats are protected and restored.”

Nature Canada is no stranger to the local area and is a long-standing partner of the South Shore Joint Initiative and has played a supportive role in the protection of the South Shore. Comments from the audience were received from Amy Bodman, President of the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists and Cheryl Anderson, Vice-President of the South Shore Joint Initiative, who both indicated support of the NMCA. “Designating the waters around Prince Edward County as a NMCA will recognize the significance and economic and cultural contribution made to Prince Edward County by the commercial fishery over the last two centuries,” said Anderson.

While the designation will prevent the misuse of the lake through the restriction of certain activities, not much will change for the average resident. Fisher people, both recreational and commercial will be unaffected and nothing will change for them. “An NMCA allows for the sustainable use of waters, including for commercial and recreational fisheries,” says Scarfone. “Since Ontario already has a comprehensive regulation for fisheries, the NMCA would not need to bring along changes to the fishing activities in the region.” She says other recreational use interacting with the lake (such as diving and surfing) is a promoted activity because it has minimal impact on species and habitat.

Scarfone notes the designation will also protect and preserve the County’s cultural heritage in perpetuity, including the many discovered, and as yet undiscovered, shipwrecks in these parts, as well as the area’s lighthouses. She speaks to an area that is home to thriving nature, but also one that critically needs to be conserved. “We really see the NMCA as a way to celebrate how far we have come in stewarding the Great Lakes and provide long-term investment for their future.”

She said there are several benefits the region would enjoy by bringing an NMCA to the region and she spoke to how far the Great Lakes have come in the past 50 years. “There’s been wonderful progress and that’s thanks to cooperation between countries, between the provincial and federal government, and the action by local First Nations,” said Scarfone. “There has been a lot of progress to recover the lakes from some of the challenges they have faced over the last 50 years, but there is still a long way to go.”

Councillor Ernie Margetson asked about any implications to the terrestrial environment, the shoreline or the land associated with the boundary of the lake. Scarfone noted the NMCA policy has the ability to protect a certain buffer zone, noting it would be part of the feasibility assessment process. She further noted where there are terrestrial protected areas along the shoreline, such as national wildlife areas, and conservation reserves being proposed, “we would like those protections to match up, so the NMCA would meet where those terrestrial protections end into the waterway to provide that habitat connectivity.” She said for private land along the shoreline, those private landowners would be directly consulted by Parks Canada, but she also noted the NMCA designation would not infringe on property rights.

Councillor Stewart Bailey asked how the rights of the designation affect the First Nations who have treaty rights to all the waters around the shoreline. “Parks Canada NMCA policy is very clear that these sites are places where treaty rights and inherent rights are respected for Indigenous peoples and that would apply to First Nations in the region,” clarified Scarfone.

Initial thoughts on the area to be designated would reach west to include the important birding areas around Presqu’ile towards Brighton, extending east towards Wolfe Island and the western side of the Thousand Islands National Park and dip south of Prince Edward County. “All along in this region is really critical habitat for a lot of migratory species, as well as the aquatic species at risk,” she said. “This is an important region for many species like migratory birds, turtles, and there is a real stronghold of biodiversity in southern Canada where nature is under the most pressure. In a world where one million species are facing extinction, conserving nature that is close to where people live is really important now more than ever.”

Councillor Phil St-Jean questioned including the inland waters of East and West Lakes, separate bodies of water connected to Lake Ontario. “If it were to extend into those two inland lakes, it’s going to have a very large impact on not only our residents and their uses of the area, but also on our economy if it’s not handled properly,” said St-Jean. “There may be some considerable pushback from a lot of areas.” While Scarfone stresses it is very early days in the entire process, one that is expected to take a several years, it will ultimately include public meetings and consultations.

Right now, they are in the site identification phase, and would then move to get the federal and provincial governments on board, for which it is anticipated there is high-level interest. Next would be the feasibility assessment phase, which is expected to begin this fall. “That would be a year to a year-and-a-half where there is detailed consultations with local communities, First Nations, as well as stakeholder groups, and so that would be where we get everybody’s opinions on how we can best protect the region,” she said. Following the assessment, there would be a negotiated agreement to establish the site, with final approval for the designation. “We want to highlight that we see this as a really positive opportunity to protect and invest in these waters surrounding the County for their longterm health.”

The March 24 Committee of the Whole meeting is available for viewing on the County’s YouTube channel (bit/.ly/LiveStreamPEC), with associated documentation available as part of the agenda package found on the County’s website.