photo by Zack Kruzins

Encouraging Sustainable Multi-Use

by Tiffany Jarva

In 1995, the Minister of Canadian Heritage unveiled the marine conservation areas system plan “Sea to Sea to Sea” which describes 29 marine regions and several potential marine conservation areas. This plan was reaffirmed by former Prime Minister, Jean Chrétien, when he committed to conserving Canada’s diverse marine ecosystems at the Congress of the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The system of National Marine Conservation Areas (NMCAs) is envisioned to represent ocean and Great Lakes ecosystems and include zones of high protection. Other areas of NMCAs are cooperatively managed and allow activities such as fishing and shipping but prohibit waste dumping, mining, and oil and gas exploration.

Currently there are two operating NMCAs: Fathom Five in Georgian Bay, Ontario and Saguenay-St.Lawrence in Quebec. There are also four proposed NMCAs in various stages including Lake Superior.
“What people need to bare in mind is that there is a difference between national parks and national marine conservation areas,” says Sharon Ostberg. “Parks are primarily about protection; NMCAs are more about sustainable use.” As Parks Canada’s new program manager of the Lake Superior national marine conservation area (NMCA), Ostberg, in consultation with board members representing community members and regional stakeholders, must finalize an interim management plan that outlines intended operations of the Lake Superior NMCA for the next five years. She hopes to complete the interim plan within the next 18 months.
“Right now we have a signed agreement with the federal government. Once the interim plan goes to parliament and is approved, then the NMCA will be officially proclaimed. At that point, a full-blown long-term management plan that covers the next 15-20 years will have to be developed,” says Ostberg. ”There is much to be done.”
When asked about the specific ways the NCMA will protect the ecosystem, Ostberg states, “It’s difficult to talk about ‘specifics’ until we have an interim management plan in place.” Obviously, trying to minimize the impact of camping in eco-sensitive areas would be one goal. “For instance, if while doing the interim plan we find out from a user group that there is a lot of camping by kayakers on a specific island we will take a look at whether or not we need to include pit privies or solar composting.”

A new vision statement and NMCA website are in the works. Ostberg imagines Lake Superior NMCA will be managed very similarly to the Fathom Five NMCA; it includes some 20 islands and a deep subsurface ecosystem. It’s well-known for great scuba diving and the preservation of shipwrecks. But that said, Ostberg stresses the uniqueness of the Lake Superior area and the need for more in-depth research and analysis of the area.

There are some concerns that as a result of the NMCA announcement, more people will be attracted to, and thus disrupt, an already pristine area. Ostberg says that from her former experience as a manager at Pukaskwa Provincial Park, these kinds of announcements generally do not bring out “hordes” of people. She believes that Lake Superior will continue to be a very special place unique to recreational kayakers and canoeists who are already very respectful of the area. And if there should be more people that want to visit the area, she says it shouldn’t be a concern. “Parks are for people. People are our customers. We expect them to come. Our job is to ensure that when they use them, they do so in a sustainable way.”

Read more about the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation in the Summer 2008 issue of Superior Outdoors.