Proposed Sarvarjuaq Marine Protected Area

Summary#

The government published a proposal called the Order Designating the Sarvarjuaq Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act on December 21, 2024. If made, the Order would temporarily “freeze” new activities in the Sarvarjuaq (North Water Polynya) area for up to 5 years while allowing existing uses and several specific exceptions; public comments were invited for 30 days from the publication date.

What it does#

• Creates a proposed marine protected area (MPA) covering the Canadian side of the North Water Polynya (called Sarvarjuaq) in northern Baffin Bay / Nares Strait. The area includes the seabed, the water column and sea ice, and the subsoil down to 5 metres.
• Freezes the footprint of human activities in the area for up to 5 years. That means no new activities that could damage habitat would be allowed there during that time, except where explicitly allowed.
• Allows activities that were lawfully occurring in the 12 months before designation (or already authorized) to continue for the duration of the Order.
• Explicitly does not affect Inuit harvesting and other rights as provided under the Nunavut Agreement.
• Lists allowed exceptions, including:
  • Inuit harvesting and community-based activities;
  • marine scientific research and Inuit knowledge-based research;
  • activities for public safety, national defence, national security, law enforcement, or emergency response;
  • the laying, maintenance and repair of cables and pipelines by a foreign state.
• Sets up co‑management and monitoring arrangements to guide the MPA while longer-term protection options (including an Inuit Protected and Conserved Area, or IPCA) are explored.
• Notes enforcement penalties for contraventions under the applicable law, including fines up to $8,000,000 (summary conviction) and $12,000,000 (indictable offence).

Who's affected#

• Local Inuit and nearby communities that use the area for food, travel and culture: Grise Fiord, Resolute Bay, Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Pond Inlet, and Qikiqtarjuaq.
• Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and the Government of Nunavut (GN), who are partners in planning and consultations.
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), which is leading the designation and will oversee management and enforcement.
• Fishers (notably Greenland halibut and authorized shrimp areas such as SFA0), tourism and cruise operators, research teams, the Canadian Coast Guard, and other vessel operators. The government’s analysis says the proposed Order is unlikely to create new economic costs because many activities are explicitly allowed to continue.
• International and federal actors involved in safety or infrastructure work (e.g., defence, cable maintenance), since certain exceptions apply.
• Broader public who value Arctic biodiversity and cultural heritage; the document notes that most ecological benefits are long‑term.

Why it matters#

• Sarvarjuaq (the North Water Polynya) is an ecologically rich and culturally important area. It supports species such as bowhead whales, narwhal, polar bear, walrus, seals, large seabird colonies (including the endangered ivory gull), and the largest aggregation of dovekies/little auks on Earth. Protecting it helps preserve food sources and travel routes important to Inuit communities.
• The Order is a short-term protective step to pause new damaging activities while more permanent, Inuit-led protection (an IPCA) and a negotiated impact‑benefit agreement are explored.
• It contributes 1.28% toward Canada’s marine conservation targets, which aim to conserve 25% of Canada’s oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030.
• The proposal supports further scientific research and monitoring that can inform longer-term decisions. The government’s own analysis expects limited immediate economic impacts because most ongoing activities would continue under the Order.