1. Canada’s Approach to Marine
Spatial Planning – an ecosystem-
based approach
Darren Williams & Danna Campbell
Ocean Policy and Planning Unit
Fisheries and Oceans Canada

2. Geographic Context
• Marine area equivalent to 2/3rds of Canada’s landmass
• Longest coastline and 2nd largest continental shelf in the world
• $39B in economic activity and >326,000 jobs
• Significant social, cultural and spiritual value for First Nations and
Aboriginal communities
• Sparsely populated coastline / few urban centers
• Growing intensity and complexity of marine uses in specific areas
– Multi-generational community dependant fishery
– Offshore oil and gas  85%
– Tourism  41%
– Marine transportation  23%
– Massive offshore wind, wave and tidal energy potential
– Proven mineral, metal and aggregate deposits

3. Legal and Policy Context for Marine Planning
• Oceans Act (1996) and Canada’s Oceans Strategy
(2005) commitments to:
– Integrated Ocean Management (IOM) plans
– National network of Marine Protected Areas
– Marine Environmental Quality guidelines and standards
• Key premise: human activities are dependant on the
health and viability of marine ecosystems
• Integrated Oceans Management:
– Seeks to maintain the integrity of marine ecosystems & minimize
user conflicts by proactively identifying key ecological & human use
values, collaboratively establishing objectives & developing and
implementing plans to ensure the optimal use of ocean spaces

4. IOM vs. MSP
Similarities:
– Ecosystem-based approach to management
– Respond to increasing number and scope of human activities in marine
environment
– Aimed at reducing fragmentation of policies and decision-making
– Follow a logical sequence of planning steps
Differences:
– MSP focused on allocation of oceans space whereas IOM is focused on
establishing an ecological foundation for all marine use sectors
– MSP is focused on the development of a “plan” whereas IOM is focused on
integration of management authorities and tools from across a variety of
marine use sectors to achieve ecological and socio-economic outcomes.
Conclusion:
– MSP is complimentary to IOM planning but not always required

5. Define and Assess Planning Area
Identify & assess available
information & knowledge
Socio-Economic & Cultural Ecosystem Overviews &
Integrated
Overview & Assessment Assessments
- Social demographic data - Geophysical information
- Industry use & potential - Ecological characteristics and
Ocean
- Cultural use and priorities processes
- Existing licenses and rights - What resources exist (e.g.
location, quantity, quality, etc) Work
Completed
Management Identification of Valued
Economic, Social and Cultural
Identification of Key Ecosystem
Components:
e.g. EBSAs,
to Date
Planning
Components:
e.g. VESCAs Significant Species,
Community properties, etc
Process Identification
of Socio-economic Objectives
Identification of Conservation
Objectives
Strategic IOM Plan
(High Level Goals and Objectives)
Priority Setting & Pathways of Effects Development
Risk Assessment
(threats analysis)
Identification of Required Management Measures Current
Priorities
Strategies / Action Plans
Indicators
Monitoring

6. Define & Assess Planning Area
Identify & assess available
information & knowledge
Socio-Economic & Cultural Ecosystem Overviews &
Overview & Assessment Assessments
- Social demographic data - Geophysical information
- Industry use & potential - Ecological characteristics
and processes
- Cultural use and priorities
- What resources exist (e.g.
- Existing licenses and rights location, quantity, quality,
etc)
Work
Completed to
Date
Identification of Key
Identification of Valued Ecosystem Components:
Economic, Social and e.g. Ecologically and
Cultural Components: Biologically Significant
e.g. VESCAs Areas,
Significant Species,
Community properties
Identification of Conservation
Identification of Objectives
Socio-economic Objectives
Strategic IOM Plan
(High Level Goals and Objectives)

8. Evaluation
Х Most products were too general to  Information products & governance
be useful processes promoted stakeholder
engagement
Х Lengthy and resource intensive
 Increased scientific support &
Х Planning process with broad
guidance
expectations
 Identification of significant ecosystem
Х Lack of focus on key issues and
components & functions (e.g. EBSAs)
responsible authorities
 Advanced learning on how to proceed
Х Difficult to demonstrate results
(i.e. Focus on what is ecologically &
socio-economically important)

9. Initial Framework: Large Ocean Management Areas
Characterized by:
• Important living and
non-living marine
resources
• High biological diversity
and productivity
• Many stakeholders
competing for ocean
space and resources

10. Ecologically and Biologically Significant Area (EBSA)
• EBSAs are tools for calling
attention to an area that has
particularly high ecological or
biological significance, to
facilitate provision of a
greater-than-usual degree of
risk aversion in management
of activities in such areas.

13. Current Directions for IOM in Canada:
• A shift away from LOMAs to marine
bioregions and “hot spots”

14. Marine Bioregions of Canada

15. Current Directions for IOM in Canada:
• A shift away from LOMAs to marine bioregions and “hot spots”
• Increased application of risk-based analysis and management
including:
– Identifying & characterizing stressors associated with marine use
activities
– Development of risk assessment models
– Identifying science-based conservation targets and limits
– Establishing operational objectives and guidance for marine use activities

16. Pathways of Effects for marine/coastal activities
Socio-Cultural & Total Socio-
Economic Municipalities
Residential & Fish
Aquaculture Fisheries Industries Mining Forestry Agriculture
Land Marine Tourism &
Oil and Gas
Renewable Cultural &
Commercial Processing Transportation Transportation Recreation Energy
Activities Economic
Dependencies
Values
Mechanism for
Socio-Cultural
& Economic
effects
Supporting Provisioning Cultural Regulating
Aquatic
Services Services Services Services
Ecosystem
Nutrient Agricultural Decompo- Fish Nature Flood
Goods and cycling production sition harvest recreation
Spirituality
attenuation
Others
Services Waste Carbon
Water Photo- Water Water
Aesthetics Cultures assimila- sequestra-
purification synthesis quality source
tion tion
Mechanism for
changes in
goods &
services
Valued Ecosystem Ecological
Ecosystem Component Ecosystem Component Ecosystem Component Ecosystem Component endpoints
Components (VECs)
Mechanism
generating
ecological
impacts
Introduction Sediment Introduction Habitat Nutrient Introduction
Biota Hydrologic Riparian zone Habitat
Pressures of load of connectivity regime of Invasive
changes changes changes changes
contaminants changes pathogens changes changes Species
Mechanism
generating
Potential pressures
mechanism
for impacts
Residential & Fish Land Marine Tourism & Renewable
Drivers Municipalities Aquaculture Fisheries Industries Mining Forestry Agriculture Oil and Gas
Commercial Processing Transportation Transportation Recreation Energy

17. Risk Assessment

18. Current Directions for IOM in Canada:
• A shift away from LOMAs to marine bioregions and “hot spots”
• Increased application of risk-based analysis and management
including:
– Identifying & characterizing stressors associated with marine use
activities
– Development of risk assessment models
– Identifying science-based conservation targets and limits
– Establishing operational objectives and guidance for marine use activities
• Increased use of geospatial analysis and reporting tools

19. Recommendations
Comparative analysis of International and National reports on
marine ecosystem states and pressures
States
* Biodiversity Pressures
Marine life
Habitats
Oceanography
(benthic)
*
* Food webs
Species
*
* Fisheries
* Eutrophication
condition
*
* Contaminants
* Marine Litter
* Energy (noise)
Climate change
Ocean acidification
Wind farms, cables
substances
Radioactive
Offshore oil and gas
Tourism and recreation
Cumulative pressures
seafood
Contaminants in
Reports
Sea floor integrity
Non-indigenous
Hydrographical
M M M M M M M M M M
ESTR M M M
SOTO:
I X M X X X X X M X X
 P, B, G, P*
 ESSIM X X X X X X X C X M X X C C
HELCOM X M M M M X X X X X X X
OSPAR X M M M M X X X X X X X X X X X X M
Legend: • Generally, the focus of Canadian reports has been on describing the states/ecosystem
* PBGB, Beaufort, GOSLIM, PNCIMA features. International reports focus on pressures and visually display the intensity and
* MSFD descriptor location through mapping products.
X= Detailed analysis of component with area
specific data
M= Brief mention of component
I= Indirect
19
C= Coming

20. Current Directions for IOM in Canada:
• A shift away from LOMAs to marine bioregions and “hot spots”
• Increased application of risk-based analysis and management
including:
– Identifying & characterizing stressors associated with marine use
activities
– Development of risk assessment models
– Identifying science-based conservation targets and limits
– Establishing operational objectives and guidance for marine use activities
• Increased use of geospatial analysis and reporting tools
• Increased coordination and use of marine conservation tools
through development and application of marine protected area
network planning and marine environmental quality provisions
(e.g. industrial codes of practice, regulations, etc).

21. MPA networks can protect key life stages of important species
(Bocaccio is
a rockfish
found in the
coastal
waters of the
eastern
Pacific
ocean)

22. Thank you!
Darren.Williams@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Danna.Campbell@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

23. Ecosystem-Based / Integrated Oceans Management
• Taking into account marine ecosystem health in the management of
human activities affecting marine and coastal areas (including land-
based activities)
• Ensuring that significant components (areas, species, properties) which
are key to maintaining ecosystem structure and function are not
significantly impacted by activities (including cumulative effects)
• Significant components become management priorities as they are
translated into conservation objectives and limits in Integrated Oceans
Management plans
• Other development objectives for Integrated Oceans Management
(social, economic, cultural) are set within the bounds defined by
conservation objectives