Fishing restrictions are key to preservation of prehistoric glass sponge reefs, WWF-Canada says <\/p>\n
VANCOUVER, Feb. 16, 2017 \/CNW\/ - WWF-Canada applauds the federal government's decision to create a new marine protected area (MPA) in the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound, southeast of Haida Gwaii, B.C. The area is recognized internationally for its fragile, prehistoric glass sponge reefs, which provide a unique habitat to many marine animals. While MPA regulations protect the sponge reefs, fisheries closures create an essential 200-metre buffer zone to protect the reef from damage due to contact or sediment. <\/p>\n
The initial 2015 proposal for the MPA did not include the 200-metre bottom-contact prohibition. During the public comment period in 2015, WWF-Canada and other environmental organizations demanded stronger protections for the ancient reefs. As a result, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is supplementing Hecate Strait's Oceans Act protections with fisheries closures under the Fisheries Act. While the Oceans Act restrictions are considered permanent, Fisheries Act closures can be changed at any time. <\/p>\n
Protections for Hecate StraitThe area, about 2,400 square kilometres or half the size of P.E.I., has been given the following significant protections: <\/p>\n
Why protections are important <\/p>\n
David Miller, president and CEO of WWF-Canada, said:\"After years of work, WWF-Canada is very pleased that this new designation will protect the fragile glass sponge reefs, which exist nowhere else on Earth. This is a sensitive, significant ecosystem, and it was the right decision to create a buffer zone for the reef through closures under the Fisheries Act. But Fisheries Act closures are not permanent, unlike marine protected area regulations, and WWF-Canada will stay vigilant to ensure this important protection measure remains in place.\" <\/p>\n
About World Wildlife Fund CanadaWWF-Canada creates solutions to the environmental challenges that matter most for Canadians. We work in places that are unique and ecologically important, so that nature, wildlife and people thrive together. Because we are all wildlife. For more information, visit wwf.ca. <\/p>\n
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New MPA in Hecate Strait will protect sensitive ecosystem - Yahoo Finance<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Fishing restrictions are key to preservation of prehistoric glass sponge reefs, WWF-Canada says VANCOUVER, Feb. Continue reading