Canada banning oil, gas and mining from marine protected areas – by Mia Rabson (Canadian Press/National Post – April 26, 2019)

https://nationalpost.com/

OTTAWA — The oil-and-gas industry has worn out its welcome in Canadian marine conservation areas, and Canada’s environmentalists are overjoyed.

Fisheries Minister Jonathan Wilkinson unveiled new standards for marine protected areas in Canada on Thursday, fully prohibiting oil-and-gas activity, as well as mining, waste-dumping and bottom-trawling.

The change implements recommendations made to the government last year by an advisory panel, and brings Canada up to international standards set by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

“The new standards that I’m announcing today will help to ensure that we will be able to provide an environmental inheritance to our children and our grandchildren that includes healthy, sustainable and productive oceans,” said Wilkinson.

He was speaking at an international nature summit Canada is hosting in Montreal this week to push other countries to do more to protect the global environment. Megan Leslie, a former NDP MP from Halifax and now president of World Wildlife Fund – Canada, tweeted a delighted response.

For the rest of this article: https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/canada-banning-oil-gas-and-mining-work-from-marine-protected-areas