New National Wildlife Areas in Nova Scotia

Summary#

The federal government published a proposal on July 1, 2023 to create three new National Wildlife Areas by amending the Wildlife Area Regulations and the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations. If adopted, the rules would formally protect 588 hectares across Country Island (21 hectares), Isle Haute (89 hectares) and St. Paul Island (478 hectares) in Nova Scotia and allow penalties for people who enter or disturb them without permission.

What it does#

• Adds three new National Wildlife Areas to the Wildlife Area Regulations: Country Island, Isle Haute and St. Paul Island.
• Sets the size of each site: 21 hectares (Country Island), 89 hectares (Isle Haute) and 478 hectares (St. Paul Island); total 588 hectares.
• Restricts public access:
  • Country Island: entry prohibited without a permit (year‑round).
  • Isle Haute: entry prohibited without a permit (year‑round).
  • St. Paul Island: entry prohibited without a permit from April 1 to August 31 each year; limited activities are allowed from September 1 to March 31 (wildlife viewing, hiking, non‑commercial picking of edible plants/mushrooms, and boat landing at the ordinary high water mark).
• Lists common bans inside the areas unless a permit is issued (examples):
  • hunting, fishing or trapping; possession of nests, eggs or wildlife parts;
  • bringing certain pets off‑leash or animals with hooves;
  • camping, swimming, hiking or wildlife viewing where prohibited;
  • flying drones, aircraft landings or other motorized access;
  • lighting fires, digging, dumping or removing artifacts or natural objects.
• Keeps small existing parcels (helipad, lighthouse, islets north of The Tickle) under the administration of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans so some current uses can continue.
• Adds the new areas into the Environmental Violations Administrative Monetary Penalties Regulations so administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) can be issued for violations.
• This item in the Canada Gazette is a proposal. Comments were invited for 30 days after publication.

Who's affected#

• Local visitors, tour operators and boaters who currently visit or land on these islands. Some existing access points (like a helipad) remain outside the NWA boundaries, but operators will need permission from the land administrator.
• People who hike, camp, hunt, fish, collect artifacts, or use drones on these islands — many activities will be restricted or require a permit.
• Indigenous groups (Mi’kmaq) — they were consulted and the department is discussing Indigenous names and possible co‑management. The proposal notes Indigenous rights would be respected.
• The federal agency administering the sites: the Department of the Environment will be responsible for permits, outreach and enforcement.
• The public sector budget will see small additional costs for signage, outreach and enforcement: first‑year costs about $212,000 (including $115,000 for compliance materials and $97,000 for enforcement setup), ongoing annual costs about $153,000, and an estimated present‑value total of $1.4 million over 10 years.
• The text says there are no businesses or mineral activities currently on the islands, so the proposal is not expected to impose costs on local businesses.

Why it matters#

• The islands are important breeding, staging and stopover sites for migratory birds and species at risk. For example, Country Island supports about 25% of Canada’s Roseate Tern nesting population, and St. Paul Island supports about 1% of Canada’s Bicknell’s Thrush population.
• Designating these islands as National Wildlife Areas gives broader, site‑wide habitat protection than laws that only protect specific species or their nests. That can better prevent disturbance, habitat damage, and loss of archaeological sites (notably on Isle Haute).
• The change helps federal targets to protect more land (the proposal notes progress toward conserving 30% of Canada’s lands by 2030) and supports biodiversity and climate resilience goals.
• The new rules allow stronger penalties and enforcement than provincial trespass fines (the document cites provincial fines as low as $500), which the government says would be a better deterrent to damaging activities.