[1] They are protected from dumping, undersea mining and oil and gas exploration and development, which may damage the aquatic or terrestrial ecosystems in the conservation area.
At that time, Canada's National Parks Act[5] was designed to guide conservation and protection only on land.
So that year, Nature Canada began advocating for new legislation that would enable the creation of national marine conservation areas.
met with federal government policy decision-makers, gave testimony at hearings, and conducted a public awareness campaign about marine conservation areas.
[7] As of 2020[update], established NMCAs and NMCA Reserves protect 14,846 km2 (5,732 sq mi) of waters, wetlands, and coastlines, representing five of the 29 identified marine regions with studies underway for protected areas in three additional regions.