Labrador Inuit have stewarded the lands, waters, and ice of Nunatsiavut for millennia.
Johannes Lampe, President of Nunatsiavut, Pita Aatami, President of Makivvik, and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to begin negotiations to create a new Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area in northern Labrador. This announcement follows the successful completion of a feasibility study announced in March 2024.
The proposed Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area is located in the Labrador Sea adjacent to Torngat Mountains National Park. The area is a transition between Arctic and Atlantic habitats and is home to polar bears, whales, dolphins, seals, breeding and migrating seabirds, waterfowl, and a variety of fish species. Ranging from highly scenic fjords to long beaches and mudflats, the area is a cultural and ecological treasure. For the Inuit of Labrador and Nunavik, it offers sustenance and cultural richness and serves as a vital connection to the land and sea. If established, the Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area designated under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act will protect up to 17,000 square kilometres of the coastal and marine waters of Nunatsiavut, helping to ensure a healthy marine ecosystem that supports the Inuit of Labrador and Nunavik in being prosperous now and for generations to come.
The proposed Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area initiative recognizes and respects Inuit stewardship, emphasizes the importance of Inuit Knowledge in conservation planning and implementation, and further supports the Nunatsiavut Government’s Imappivut Marine Plan that safeguards the marine environment and Inuit interests, rights, and priorities. This ensures that the protection of the marine environment aligns with the cultural, spiritual, and economic values of the Inuit people.
“The signing of this Memorandum of Understanding with the Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, and the Government of Canada is an important milestone and one that we have worked hard to reach. We are glad to see this achievement that will see the establishment of this Inuit Protected Area become a reality. Labrador Inuit culture, knowledge, livelihood and health is directly connected to the ocean. We look forward to continued progress towards managing the waters off the coast and in safeguarding Labrador Inuit culture and identity, as well as the fish and animals that we rely on for food. We are proud to take this next step forward in ensuring our true Labrador Inuit way of life is maintained for future generations,” said Johannes Lampe President of Nunatsiavut.
This MOU highlights each party’s commitment to advancing reconciliation and to implementing treaty rights and obligations through renewed nation-to-nation and government-to-government relationships. Inuit Knowledge and scientific knowledge will continue to play a central role in the negotiations for the new Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area. The Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, and Parks Canada, with support from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, will now focus on refining the final boundary and co-management structure, and continuing consultations with rights holders, partners, stakeholders, industry and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.
If established, this proposed protected area will contribute up to 0.29 per cent, an area nearly three times the size of Prince Edward Island, to the Government of Canada’s ambitious target of protecting biodiversity and conserving 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.
“The creation of a new Indigenous Protected Area/national marine conservation area in northern Labrador is a clear example of how the Government of Canada continues to support the conservation of biodiversity and the fight against climate change. I look forward to the progression of this project as the Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, and Parks Canada continue to advance this important initiative to protect these treasured marine ecosystems for future generations,” said The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada.
