Federal regulationCanada Gazette, Part IComment Period Closed

GI-2024-51-reg8: Order Designating the Sarvarjuaq Marine Protected Area

Sponsoring body: Fisheries and Oceans, Dept. ofIntroduced December 21, 2024Last checked August 25, 2026

Read the official text on gazette.gc.caOfficial version — Canada Gazette, Part I

What this regulation does

This Order designates the Sarvarjuaq area of northern Baffin Bay (approximately 80,000 km²) as a Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act, freezing the footprint of human activities in the area for up to five years while longer-term protection options, including an Inuit-led Protected and Conserved Area, are explored.

Plain-language summary by Legisail.

Business impact

Compliance

The regulation is not expected to impose any meaningful costs on businesses currently operating in the area. Fishing, tourism, shipping, and resource industries that were already lawfully active in the prior 12 months can continue as before — no existing operations need to change. New oil and gas development was already subject to a moratorium until 2028 and is estimated to be at least 30–35 years away from viability anyway, so no costs are anticipated for that sector. Commercial fishing is minimal (only limited Greenland Halibut harvesting has been recorded), cruise ship tourism (10 ships, 12 trips, 1,364 passengers in 2023) and community resupply shipping can continue uninterrupted, and no administrative burden or compliance costs are placed on small businesses.

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Where this regulation is

Proposed

Comment period closed