Canada's Atlantic

WWF's Role
WWF-Canada's vision for the NWAE is a diverse, healthy ecosystem that supports fisheries and communities over the long-term. Our efforts to ensure this vision becomes a reality include:

Ecoregion Planning

This large-scale initiative will produce a plan to conserve biodiversity and restore ecosystem health throughout the NWAE. As a first step, we assessed the conservation needs of the NWAE and identified a preliminary suite of priority species and habitats around which conservation efforts should be focused if healthy ecosystems are to be restored. This suite of priorities will be refined over time through discussions with managers, resource users and other interests. The revised suite of conservation priorities will be featured in a conservation plan that is supported by key players and sets the bar for conservation throughout the NWAE.

WWF Expert

/ ©: WWF-Canada
Robert Rangeley
VP, Atlantic Region
/ ©: J. D. Taylor / WWF-Canada
Small boats tied to a wharf in a small fishing village in the Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, Canada.
© J. D. Taylor / WWF-Canada

Habitat Protection

WWF-Canada is working to protect special areas and representative samples of all habitat types in the NWAE through the establishment of networks of marine protected areas (MPAs), which are recognized as an effective tool for biodiversity conservation, ecosystem recovery and maintaining healthy fisheries. Progress on MPAs has been slow in Canada despite an international commitment to establish a national network by 2012. Some of our recent and ongoing activities include:
  • Mapping priority areas for conservation – such as areas that are important to juvenile fishes and whales – in the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank and Scotian Shelf areas, working with the US-based Conservation Law Foundation.
  • Conserving biodiversity by testing an innovative approach to identify protected area network design options that would minimize impacts on the commercial fishing industry and other users who rely on the ocean's resources.
  • Examining global MPA experiences and making recommendations on how Canada can put MPAs in place.
  • Working with government, fishermen, and others to design candidate protected area networks that produce benefits for everyone.
/ ©: Loblaw
© Loblaw

Commitment to Sustainable Seafood

Loblaw makes responsible, sustainable sourcing of seafood top priority. more...

Free Email Newsletter

Get the latest news on WWF successes and upcoming events delivered straight to your inbox every month.

Sustainable Fisheries

WWF-Canada’s sustainable fisheries work is currently focusing on reducing bycatch – a pervasive threat in the NWAE. Our specific bycatch reduction efforts include:
  • Reducing bycatch of southern Grand Banks cod by 50% by working with government and the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) – the international agency responsible for managing fisheries on the high seas portion of the NWAE.
  • Protecting cold-water coral hotspots on the Grand Banks by helping to identify areas that provide habitat for commercial fish species and are most sensitive to bottom fishing activities.
  • Reducing whale entanglements in fishing gear in the outer Bay of Fundy, especially the endangered North Atlantic right whale, by teaming up with scientists, other NGOs and the fishing industry to find alternatives.
  • Developing more selective fishing nets and lines through our International Smart Gear Competition.
  • Providing consumers with a sustainable seafood choice in the marketplace, by promoting Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified seafood.

Building a future in which people and nature thrive.

© All photos, graphics and images on this site remain the copyright of WWF, unless otherwise noted, and should not be downloaded without prior permission. © 2011 WWF-Canada; © 1986 Panda symbol WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature (also known as World Wildlife Fund); ® "WWF" and "living planet" are WWF Registered Trademarks.  .