World Ocean Day 2025: A Spotlight on Marine Protected Areas
June 8th is World Ocean Day.
Observed by all United Nations member states, World Ocean Day is a day to appreciate our ocean and recognize its importance to our communities by supporting sustainable ocean stewardship and fostering public interest in protecting this environment that is vital to life on Earth.
World Ocean Day was proposed during the 1992 “Earth Summit” in Rio de Janeiro. The “Earth Summit”, also known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, was a major international conference focused on taking global action on environmental and development issues that resulted in several generational environmental agreements, including the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Rio Declaration.
The annual celebration of the ocean also has Canadian roots: it originated as a proposal from Canada – specifically the Oceans Institute of Canada – and supported by the Government of Canada at an event during the Earth Summit called “Oceans Day at Global Forum – The Blue Planet”.
The Blue Planet
It was only during the 1960s, when space exploration became technologically possible, that humans were first treated to coloured images of our blue planet: a tiny dot in the vast universe, its surface covered by our great ocean – approximately 71% of that surface, in fact. Images beamed down to earth from satellites and spaceships showed a planet covered by vast hues and shades of blue quickly captivated an entire generation – and generations to follow.
There is good reason to be captivated by the ocean. It contains approximately 97% of the total water on our planet and is responsible for around half of the total oxygen produced on Earth each year. It is home to most of our planet’s biodiversity, contains entire ecosystems and seascapes that have never been explored, and is likely where life on earth originated. Without the ocean, we would not exist.
Beyond the inherent value of the ocean, there are other important reasons to protect and conserve it: it plays a central role in the daily ways of life and cultures of many societies and peoples around the world, particularly those of Indigenous peoples; it provides sources of food and nourishment; and, it helps to regulate Earth’s climate.
Sustaining What Sustains Us
The theme of World Ocean Day 2025 is Wonder: Sustaining What Sustains Us.
Recognizing the importance of the ocean, Canada has already committed to protecting 25% of the ocean by 2025 and 30% by 2030. As we move towards those goals, marine protected areas will be a critical part of the work.
A marine protected area (“MPA”) is an important measure that can be used to achieve ocean conservation goals. MPAs can generally be described as areas of the ocean that are protected, using the law or other means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature. What distinguishes MPAs from other marine management or protection measures is their focus on the long-term conservation of nature. Aside from this, MPAs can take many different forms, be vastly varying shapes and sizes, and seek to achieve many kinds of objectives and goals. In Canada, there are currently three key laws that create what we understand to be MPAs.
The first law is the Oceans Act, which allows for designation of “marine protected areas”. Created under section 35, these MPAs are created for conservation and protection of fishery resources, endangered or threatened species, unique habitats, biodiversity, or the maintenance of ecological integrity. The Gully was the first Oceans Act MPA and celebrated its 20th birthday last year.
Each Oceans Act MPA is created individually through a similar process. First, an area that meets one or more of the objectives under the Act is identified and assessed by the federal government. The proposed boundaries of the MPA are created, and an advisory committee is formed. The government will consult with Indigenous groups, the public, and other stakeholders. Next, regulations are developed: each MPA is designated through its own regulation that sets out its protections and other necessary details. Once an MPA is designated, a management plan is developed to guide the ongoing management and monitoring of the MPA.
The second law is the Canada Wildlife Act. It allows for designation of “National Wildlife Areas” (“NWAs”), which are protected terrestrial areas with marine components, and “protected marine areas”. Created under sections 4 and 4.1, these MPAs are created for research, conservation, or interpretation. They are often used to preserve habitat for migratory birds or other species, as well as listed species with special protection under the federal Species at Risk Act or the Migratory Birds Convention Act.
Each NWA or protected marine area is selected following identification by the Canada Wildlife Service as an area that meets established biological criteria. Once an area is identified, it is assessed to determine its final boundaries. Once an area is ready to be designated, it is established using an order made by the Governor in Council. The Scott Islands Marine NWA is the only protected marine area in Canada and has its own regulation. Following designation, a management plan is created, and the site is managed accordingly.
The third law is the National Marine Conservation Areas Act, which allows for designation of “National Marine Conservation Areas” and National Marine Conservation Reserves (“NMCAs and reserves”). Created under section 4, NMCAs and reserves are established for the purpose of protecting and conserving representative marine areas for the benefit, education, and enjoyment of people of Canada and the world. NMCAs and reserves must be managed in a sustainable manner that meets the needs of present and future generations without compromising ecosystem integrity.
NMCAs and reserves are designated through an order of the Governor in Council and are established by being listed in Schedule 1 or 2 of the Act. They are designated based on guidance from the Policy on the Establishment and Management of National Marine Conservation Areas. Parks Canada, the agency responsible for administering NMCAs and reserves, has a goal to conserve marine areas that are representative of Canada’s diverse ecosystems and its 29 identified marine regions. Once an NMCA or reserve is designated, Parks Canada or its Indigenous partners take the lead on managing the protected area as guided by a dedicated management plan.
Although MPAs in Canada can differ depending on how they are created under law, they share features in common with one another, and with many MPAs created around the world. In addition to being focused on the goal of conserving nature for the long-term, most MPAs are created following early identification of ecologically or biologically significant features, a process of scientific or other assessment of the identified area, and consultation with stakeholders and rightsholders to create clear boundaries and conservation objectives. All successful MPAs require ongoing management and monitoring, which are usually guided by management plans and committed management structures.
Most MPA practitioners would likely tell you there is no one-size-fits-all approach to creating and managing MPAs. This means that we still face challenges and opportunities to stewarding the ocean using MPAs. It also means that there is a lot to learn about how to improve MPAs so that they can better conserve nature now and in the future.
What is Next?
During the fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress, which was jointly hosted by the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, and the IUCN in Vancouver in February 2023, I had the privilege of hearing Sylvia Earle, a world-renowned marine biologist, give a keynote speech in which she acknowledged commitments to ocean protection during the congress but cautioned that only approximately 3% of the ocean was well protected. Pointing to the 30% by 2030 goal, she noted that the ocean is like the heart of the earth and asked: “How much of your heart do you want to protect? 30%?”
That question is a reminder that we have a long way to go. All of the people on this blue planet are connected by the ocean and there is a pressing need for better coordination, capacity sharing, and relationship building in order to sustainably steward the ocean.
World Ocean Day is an important opportunity to learn more about the ocean and to advocate for strong laws that protect and steward it for us and future generations. I hope you will join East Coast Environmental Law in celebrating the ocean this June 8th and find an opportunity to reconnect with the ocean.
