Sarvarjuaq Marine Protected Area Designated

Summary#

The federal government made the Order Designating the Sarvarjuaq Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act to protect a part of northern Baffin Bay and Nares Strait. The order came into force when it was registered on March 24, 2026 and freezes the footprint of human activities in the area for up to five years while longer‑term protection is worked out.

What it does#

• Designates a stretch of the Arctic Ocean (part of Baffin Bay and Nares Strait) as the Sarvarjuaq Marine Protected Area. The protected area includes the seabed, the subsoil down to five metres, and the water column including sea ice.
• Freezes the footprint of human activities in the area for up to five years. That means no new activities that could harm habitat or species are allowed, except for specified ongoing or exempted uses.
• Keeps a long list of existing or allowed activities in place, including:
  • hunting and trapping; fishing; harvesting marine plants; tourism and recreation;
  • marine navigation and community resupply; temporary structures on sea ice;
  • scientific research and Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit or community-based research and stewardship;
  • national defence activities by the Department of National Defence and operations by the Canadian Coast Guard;
  • filming and educational activities.
• Explicitly does not apply to Inuit harvesting and other rights protected by the Nunavut Agreement.
• Allows the laying, maintenance and repair of cables and pipelines by a foreign state (an explicit exemption).
• Prohibits activities that would disturb, damage, destroy or remove unique geological or archaeological features, living marine organisms, or their habitat — unless they fall into the allowed classes above.
• Notes enforcement measures under the Oceans Act, including fines of up to $8,000,000 (summary conviction) or $12,000,000 (indictable offence).

Who's affected#

• People and groups who already use or rely on the area, especially residents of Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Pond Inlet, and Qikiqtarjuaq — these communities were consulted and supported the designation.
• Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and the Government of Nunavut (GN), which are partners in planning and long‑term options.
• Fishers and outfitters who already operate in the area (commercial and subsistence), cruise and tourism operators, and researchers — many of their current activities are explicitly allowed to continue.
• Federal agencies involved in navigation, safety, defence and enforcement (e.g., Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Canadian Coast Guard, Department of National Defence).
• Other parties with potential future interests (shipping, research, and oil and gas) — the order limits new activities for the five‑year period. The source says oil and gas potential is estimated as low to medium in parts of the area and that a moratorium on new exploration licences applies until 2028.

Why it matters#

• Sarvarjuaq (the Canadian portion of the North Water Polynya) is a highly productive Arctic area. It supports whales, narwhal, walrus, seals, large seabird colonies (including the endangered ivory gull), and important Inuit hunting and travel routes. Protecting it helps sustain wildlife and food security for nearby communities.
• The order is a short‑term tool to “freeze” the mix of activities while governments, Inuit organizations and partners develop a long‑term plan, including the possibility of an Inuit Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).
• It responds to growing pressures from climate change, shipping, tourism and the possibility of industrial development by preventing new potentially harmful activities for up to five years.
• The protection adds 1.28% toward Canada’s marine conservation progress and supports commitments to Inuit leadership and international cooperation on the North Water Polynya.
• Practically, the order is designed to cause little immediate disruption because many ongoing uses are explicitly allowed to continue; its main effect is to limit new, potentially damaging activities while more permanent decisions are made.