Renew Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protection

Summary#

This is a proposed ministerial order, Order No. 2 Designating the Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area, under the Oceans Act. It would repeal the 2019 ministerial order and replace it to continue temporary protection of the Tuvaijuittuq area for up to five more years (through 2029) while long-term protection options are worked out. The Canada Gazette notice was published on December 23, 2023 and invites comments for 30 days.

What it does#

• Repeals the existing 2019 ministerial order (designating Tuvaijuittuq) and replaces it with a new one that renews the temporary protection for up to five years.
• Keeps the “freeze the footprint” rule that prohibits new activities that would disturb or remove geological features, living marine organisms, or habitat inside the MPA.
• Continues to allow certain ongoing activities that were active or authorized in the 12 months before the 2019 designation, including:
  • marine scientific research and
  • national defence activities by the Department of National Defence.
• Maintains exemptions that allow:
  • marine navigation by foreign nationals, foreign ships or foreign states, and
  • the laying and maintenance of cables and pipelines by a foreign state.
• Does not affect Inuit wildlife-harvesting rights in the Nunavut Settlement Area, as set out in the Nunavut Agreement.
• Covers an area of about 319,411 km² (waters off northern Ellesmere Island, including seabed, subsoil to 5 m and the water column, including sea ice).
• Federal cost to manage the MPA is estimated at $14 million over five years (about $3.4 million per year).

Who's affected#

• Local and regional Inuit organizations and communities involved in consultations, especially the Qikiqtani Inuit Association (QIA) and the Government of Nunavut.
• Residents of nearby communities consulted during the process: Arctic Bay, Clyde River, Grise Fiord, Pond Inlet, and Resolute Bay.
• Federal departments leading the work, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Parks Canada.
• Industries that might operate in the high Arctic (shipping, fisheries, oil and gas), though the notice says there is little current activity in this area and new commercial use is unlikely during the five-year period.
• Researchers and national defence operations, which are identified as ongoing activities that would continue.

Why it matters#

• Tuvaijuittuq is a rare part of the High Arctic that still holds multi‑year pack ice. Protecting it matters because it can act as a refuge for ice‑dependent species and under‑ice communities as sea ice declines from climate change.
• Extending the temporary protection keeps the current human activity limits in place while governments and Inuit partners finish longer-term planning, including exploring an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).
• The MPA contributed 5.55% toward Canada’s marine conservation targets and helps Canada work toward broader goals such as conserving 25% by 2025 and 30% by 2030 of lands and waters.
• The federal government expects to spend $14 million over five years to manage and monitor the area; the notice says most economic impacts on businesses and communities are expected to be low because the area is remote and not currently used for commercial activity.
• This is a proposed order (not yet final). The government is seeking public comment for 30 days after the Canada Gazette publication.