OTTAWA — The federal government is taking the first step toward declaring the ecologically important Lancaster Sound an Arctic marine sanctuary.
Environment Minister John Baird announced Monday that the government will set up a steering committee to determine the size of the protected area off the north coast of Baffin Island. The exact boundaries will be defined in consultation with Inuit groups and the government of Nunavut.
“Today’s exciting announcement represents an important step forward in delivering on Canada’s commitment to work with the government of Nunavut and the Qikiqtani Inuit Association toward protecting this incredibly important ecological area,” Baird said.
“This will allow us to set the stage for respectful, transparent consultations with our key partners and the public so that all views can be considered before any boundary is finalized.”
Declaring the region a marine sanctuary would ban oil-and-gas exploration and development, but the sound would still be used for shipping.
Baird suggested the government may have to set special rules for sailing through a protected area if ship traffic increases as global warming reduces ice coverage.
The announcement comes as Baird heads off to climate-change talks in Cancun, Mexico — and some suggest it was timed to deflect criticism of the Harper government’s lack of action on greenhouse gas emissions.
The Sierra Club Canada said the announcement doesn’t address the main environmental problem.
“Climate change is already radically altering the habitat in the Arctic,” said John Bennett, the group’s executive director.
“Announcing a marine conservation area is a meaningless, if not cynical, gesture by a government devoid of any real commitment to protecting Canada’s natural heritage.”
Others welcomed the move.
Okalik Eegeesiak, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, which represents native interests in the Baffin region, welcomed the announcement.
“Lancaster Sound is more than a transportation corridor for Inuit, it is our backyard,” she said in a statement. “Inuit seek balance and respect for the land, waters, animals and our cultural history.”
Eric Hebert-Day, national executive director for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, said he’s looking forward to the consultations.
“We are thrilled that Canada is taking these important next steps toward protecting one of the richest northern marine ecosystems in the world.”
Lancaster Sound is the eastern gateway to the Northwest Passage. Baird called it “a globally significant ecological treasure.”
“The region is particularly famous for its marine mammals — walruses and seals, polar bears and narwhals, belugas and bowhead whales,” he said.
“The biological richness of this place calls for the protection of this extraordinary seascape.”
The sound became controversial last summer, when the federal government commissioned a seismic survey of the region.
Local Inuit groups and the government of Nunavut objected strongly. They went to court and the survey was killed.