HALIFAX — Oil and gas exploration and bottom-trawling fishing should be prohibited in the marine protected areas off Canada’s coasts, a federal advisory panel says. In a final report released Tuesday, the panel says Ottawa should adopt standards developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which prohibits industrial activities in marine protected areas. “There is an increased potential for protected areas overlapping with areas that have economic potential,” the report states. “Clear guidelines about the activities allowed and prohibited in protected areas can help to curtail the conflicts we see emerging from these overlaps.”The report also calls for First Nations to become fully integrated in the development of marine protected areas, saying “Indigenous protected areas” should be recognized in law and provided with long-term funding. “By appropriately recognizing Indigenous Protected Areas, Canada has a unique opportunity to uphold and support Indigenous peoples in a transformative way.

Source: National Post October 16, 2018 18:11 UTC