Qikiqtait Marine Protected Area Established

Summary#

The Order Designating the Qikiqtait Marine Protected Area creates a temporary marine protected area in waters around the Belcher Islands in southeast Hudson Bay. It was made under the Oceans Act, signed on March 20, 2026, registered on March 24, 2026, and published in the Canada Gazette on April 8, 2026.

What it does#

• Designates the Qikiqtait area of the sea (around the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay) as the Qikiqtait Marine Protected Area.
• Covers the seabed, the subsoil to a depth of 5 metres, and the water column above it, including sea ice below the low‑water line.
• Freezes the footprint of human activities in the area for up to 5 years. Activities that lawfully took place in the 12 months before designation (or were already authorized) may continue.
• Lists classes of ongoing activities that are allowed to continue, including:
  • hunting and trapping; fishing; harvesting marine plants;
  • temporary structures and travel on sea ice; marine navigation;
  • Department of National Defence activities and Canadian Coast Guard activities;
  • tourism, recreation, education, scientific and community‑based research, and filming.
• Prohibits any other new activity that would disturb, damage, destroy or remove unique geological or archaeological features, living marine organisms, or their habitat.
• Exempts Inuit rights under the Nunavut Agreement and the Nunavik Agreement.
• Allows emergency, public safety, national defence, national security, law enforcement, and marine scientific research activities as already provided for under the Oceans Act.

Who's affected#

• The community of Sanikiluaq and local harvesters who use the area for subsistence fishing and hunting.
• Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and other Inuit organizations involved in regional conservation planning.
• Fishers and businesses with existing activity or interest in inshore fisheries (notably scallops, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers). A Stage I feasibility licence for some species was issued in fall 2024 to the Sanikiluaq Hunters and Trappers Association.
• Researchers and monitoring programs that work in the area.
• Tourism operators, shipping and resupply services that use local navigation routes.
• Federal departments involved in enforcement and management, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Canadian Coast Guard.
• Anyone who would propose new activity in the area while the order is in force.
• Enforcement penalties under the Oceans Act can include fines up to $8,000,000 (summary conviction) or $12,000,000 (indictable offence).

Why it matters#

• Qikiqtait contains recurring polynyas and cold, productive waters that support species such as polar bears, belugas, Atlantic walrus, Arctic char and large bird colonies. Protecting the area helps safeguard important habitat.
• The freeze prevents new activities that could add pressure to an ecosystem already affected by climate change while longer‑term protection options (including an Inuit Protected and Conserved Area) are explored.
• The measure aims to support Inuit leadership, local food security, and stewardship in the region.
• It adds 0.74% toward Canada’s marine conservation contribution to the 2030 target.
• For local people, the short‑term effect is mainly protective: existing, lawful activities continue, but new projects or expansions are generally paused for the order’s duration.