Ottawa, Sept. 29, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today’s announcement of a new partnership between the federal government and the government of Nunatsiavut has the potential to create strong protections for the marine area off northern Labrador, a rich and fragile Arctic ecosystem.
About the agreement:
- The signed Statement of Intent recognizes the rights and interests of the Labrador Inuit, who have lived in the region for thousands of years.
- The marine area covered by the agreement extends to the edge of Canada’s exclusive economic zone, a limit of 200 nautical miles (370 km), along the 17,000 km of Nunatsiavut's coast. Different management plans may be applied to the waters closer to shore, inside the 12-mile (22 km) territorial waters limit, than to the area up to the 200-mile limit.
- The Imappivut (Our Waters) initiative commits the government to exploring the creation of an Indigenous Protected Area in the region.
David Miller, President and CEO of WWF-Canada, said:
“WWF-Canada strongly supports this groundbreaking agreement, which commits the federal and Indigenous governments to work together. We hope this statement of intent sets a precedent for similar agreements in other Arctic regions. The agreement will advance the protection of a huge area off the Nunatsiavut coast, home to marine mammals such as polar bears and seals, and fish such as Atlantic cod and capelin. WWF-Canada supports strong marine protection for this region, including a ban on oil and gas development and extraction, and limits on commercial fishing. Today's agreement commits the federal government to exploring Indigenous Protected Areas, which would give Inuit people the power to protect their marine areas, and WWF-Canada is very supportive of this solution.”
About World Wildlife Fund Canada
WWF-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.
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/2b16cbf4-7211-45b0-9c72-c000115384fa
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b79f0c2f-471c-4fdd-9f81-b27481835ad7