MPA Network // Why our coast needs a Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network.
Our Coast Needs your Help.
Industrial overfishing, bottom draggers, poachers, and foreign fleets are plundering the wealth of BC’s coast.
More than half the fish stocks in British Columbia are considered unhealthy, including numerous groundfish, as well as different salmon and herring populations.
The good news is there’s a proven way to protect our coast from these threats.
Marine Protected Area Networks are an extremely effective tool for rebuilding fisheries and food systems, recovering ecosystems, and ensuring coastal communities thrive into the future.
The Great Bear Sea MPA Network will not only protect 30 percent of the Great Bear Sea but will also supercharge abundance for commercial fishing because recovering fish populations spill out of the protected areas into adjacent fishing grounds. A Marine Protected Area Network on our coast is the solution.
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Two humpbacks tangled in fishing gear rescued
Rescuers found and freed humpback whales Raza and Mogul, tethered together in fishing gear, after a kayaker reported their plight.
Halibut Master Caught Fishing In Protected Glass Reef Fined $33,596
Commercial fisherman Brent Belveal landed a $33,596 fine for illegally operating his halibut vessel Gypsy Soul in the fragile and legally protected glass sponge reef near Bella
New BC Marine Protected Area Safeguards Unique Hydrothermal Vents and Seamounts
In a landmark collaboration, First Nations along British Columbia’s coast and the Canadian government have announced the designation of the country’s largest marine protected area (MPA).
Unlocking Ocean Wealth: New Study Finds That Marine Protected Areas Boost Fisheries and Eco-Tourism
A new study has found that marine protected areas are key to boosting fisheries’ success and growing ecotourism opportunities.
Recently Discovered Rare Coral Reef on BC’s Central Coast is Now Protected
Lophelia reef in the Finlayson Channel is the only live coral reef in Canada’s Pacific.
How Marine Protected Areas Benefit Fisheries
MPAs present a science-backed solution that promises not only to protect marine biodiversity but also to enhance the productivity and sustainability of fisheries.