Lake Ontario in the Prince Edward County area could be deemed a National Marine Conservation Area.
Nature Canada’s Kelsey Scarfone says they are very early in the planning stages but are proposing a marine conservation area that would span the lake from Brighton to the Wolfe Island area and to the U.S. border.
“It is such a special place for migratory birds, for many species at risk. And so we see the NMCA opportunity as a way to continue with those protection efforts, but this is something that’s specific for the water. And so it really complements a lot of the nature protection that’s already happened on land.”
Scarfone says Parks Canada currently has five NMCAs in both freshwater and saltwater across the country including one established in Lake Superior in 2015.
For the most part, establishing the area as an NMCA would not change how most people enjoy the lake.
“National Marine Conservation Areas protect the marine ecosystems and features while also ensuring sustainable uses of resources. So there’s certainly the ability for sustainable activities like fishing and recreational use and so those are activities that can continue in an NMCA.”
Oil and gas extraction, lake bed mining, bottom trawling and dumping would not be allowed.
Scarfone says this is something local nature groups have long identified for the region.
In the coming weeks Nature Canada will be releasing a report with more information about why they would like to see the area protected.
Scarfone adds that Nature Canada is hopeful that a government feasibility assessment involving the federal and provincial governments as well as local First Nations can begin later this year.
It will likely take up to three years to complete the entire process.
