The Haida Nation wants tighter restrictions around a marine protected area that is the site of an ancient undersea volcano from which springs a supernatural being central to some of the nation's traditional stories.

Known as the SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area, it encompasses a grouping of about three volcanoes which rise 3,000 metres from the seafloor to about 24 metres from the surface of the Pacific Ocean.

The Haida Nation wants to restrict shipping traffic in the area. Currently, it is only a "voluntary exclusion zone," said Haida Nation President Kil tlaats'gaa Peter Lantin.

"We want to make sure with all this traffic out there that these areas are to be avoided, that it's not just voluntary," he said.

The seamount, or undersea mountain, sits about 180 km off the coast of Haida Gwaii and is believed to have formed about one million years ago as an active volcanic island.

Haida Nation President Kil tlaats’gaa Peter Lantin (centre with microphone) wants tighter restrictions around the SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie seamount marine protected area. (Haidanation.ca)

The marine protected area has been co-managed by the Haida and Fisheries and Oceans Canada since 2008.

After years of lobbying by the Haida Nation, Ottawa moved this year to shut down the sablefish fishery in the area over concerns it harms the fragile marine ecosystem that flourishes on the seamount, said Lantin.

In the Haida oral tradition, the seamount is home to a supernatural being known as SGaan Kinghlas, which means "supernatural being looking outwards," said Lantin.

"It is very important to the Haida Nation culturally. It is part of our oral tradition," he said.

Area under study

SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie is one of three seamounts, along with the Dellwood and Explorer seamounts, currently the subject of an expedition launched this month in partnership between the Haida Nation, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Oceana Canada and Ocean Networks Canada.

The Dellwood and Explorer seamounts sit in an "area of interest for marine protection" which is part of Ottawa's plan, announced in 2017, to protect 10 per cent of Canada's oceans by 2020.

The Dellwood seamount, which sits off the southern tip of Haida Gwaii, is also within the Haida Nation's territory. The Explorer seamount sits off the western coast of Vancouver Island.

Lantin said there are a lot of concerns about the expected increase in tanker traffic that will follow the construction of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which Ottawa has announced it will buy to complete.

"What this is all about is to get a better understanding on the importance of these areas," said Lantin.

Crimson anemones, orange zoanthids, red coralline encrusting algae, and a grey encrusting demosponge on the SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie seamount. (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

The area targeted for marine protection as part of Ottawa's plan includes 87 per cent of all seamounts within Canada's nautical borders, said Tammy Norgard, chief scientist of the expedition with DFO.

Norgard said there is very little data about seamounts in Canada and the expedition, which began July 5 and runs to July 21, has already gathered potentially previously unknown species of undersea life using high tech remote-operated submarines.

"They are cool volcanoes on the bottom of the ocean," said Norgard.

DFO has surveyed the SGaan Kinghlas-Bowie seamount three times before the current expedition. There had been no previous expeditions to any other seamounts until last year.

"It's a very new program," said Norgard.

Images from from the expedition are being live-streamed from the EV Nautilus ship which was provided by the Ocean Exploration Trust.

"We are learning every step of the way," said Bob Rangeley, science director of Oceana Canada. "It is a true collaboration in the sense that we will all benefit from it." </s> Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore regulator is taking bids for exploration off the east coast of the island, in an area the federal government recently listed as a marine protected area.

While the area is closed to fishing, it remains open to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board — and that is not sitting well with the fisheries union president.

"We cannot ask fish harvesters to accept the closure of an area to fishing activity in the name of conservation while continuing to allow oil and gas exploration in that same area," said Fish, Food and Allied Workers president Keith Sullivan in a news release.

"These closures have shut harvesters out while letting oil and gas in."

In December, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans listed the Northeast Newfoundland Slope — formerly known as Tobin's Point — as a marine refuge, and prohibited all "bottom-contact fishing activities."

The area is home to corals, sponges and fish nurseries, all things the World Wildlife Fund is worried could be destroyed by offshore oil activity.

"We are struggling to understand why Fisheries and Oceans Canada would create a refuge for wildlife in December 2017, only for the Ministry of Natural Resources to sign off of developing oil and gas extraction there four months later," said Megan Leslie, president of WWF Canada.

Leslie questioned if the two federal departments were aware of each other's actions, or if it was "a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing."

The exploration decision was also lambasted by Ecology Action Centre, a conservation group based in Halifax.

Susanna Fuller, marine conservation co-ordinator, said environmental organizations worked with fish harvesters and conservation groups to reach an agreement on protecting the area — only to see it be handed over to oil and gas.

"We have generally supported the efforts of DFO to close areas to all bottom fishing through the more efficient mechanism of the Fisheries Act," she said.

"However, we have also been strongly advocating for no industrial activity in any areas that are to going to be counted towards protection targets."

The Northeast Newfoundland Slope area — which totals 46,833 square kilometres — was part of the Liberal government's initiative to designate 10 per cent of Canada's coasts and waters as marine protected areas.

Conservationists raised similar concerns last summer, when draft regulations for a marine protected area off southwestern Newfoundland showed the area was still open for oil and gas activities.

In an email Friday afternoon, the C-NLOPB said it is committed to the protection of environmentally significant and sensitive areas.



 "We will continue to work closely with DFO, other federal and provincial agencies, fishing interest groups, and other stakeholders in this regard."

The offshore board said it will impose restrictions or measures to mitigate against harm in the approval process for oil and gas activities. </s> Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore oil and gas regulator is taking bids for exploration off the island's east coast, in an area the federal government recently listed as a marine-protected area.

While the area is closed to fishing, it remains open to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) — and that's not sitting well with the president of the fisheries union.

"We cannot ask fish harvesters to accept the closure of an area to fishing activity in the name of conservation while continuing to allow oil and gas exploration in that same area," said Fish, Food and Allied Workers president Keith Sullivan in a news release.

"These closures have shut harvesters out while letting oil and gas in."

In December, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans listed the Northeast Newfoundland Slope — formerly known as Tobin's Point — as a marine refuge, and prohibited all "bottom-contact fishing activities."

Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Friday that he will "carefully scrutinize any activities in a marine refuge that could potentially cause harm to fish or fish habitat."

Keith Sullivan, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers, says the protected area off Newfoundland closed the region for fisheries, but left it open for oil. (CBC )

The area is home to corals, sponges and fish nurseries, all things the World Wildlife Fund is worried could be destroyed by offshore oil activity.

"We are struggling to understand why Fisheries and Oceans Canada would create a refuge for wildlife in December 2017, only for the Ministry of Natural Resources to sign off of developing oil and gas extraction there four months later," said Megan Leslie, president of WWF Canada.

Leslie questioned if the two federal departments were aware of each other's actions; if it was "a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing."

The map on the left shows the Northeast Newfoundland Slope protected area. The map on the right shows the same area with the new exploration areas in dark green. (DFO, WWF Canada)

The exploration decision was also lambasted by Ecology Action Centre, a conservation group based in Halifax.

Susanna Fuller, the group's marine conservation co-ordinator, said environmental organizations worked with fish harvesters and conservation groups to reach an agreement on protecting the area — only to see it be handed over to oil and gas.

"We have generally supported the efforts of DFO to close areas to all bottom fishing through the more efficient mechanism of the Fisheries Act," she said.

"However, we have also been strongly advocating for no industrial activity in any areas that are to going to be counted towards protection targets."

Susanna Fuller, marine conservation co-ordinator for the Ecology Action Centre, says her group is against industrial activity in the protected zone. (CBC)

The Northeast Newfoundland Slope area — which totals 46,833 square kilometres — was part of the Liberal government's effort to designate 10 per cent of Canada's coasts and waters as marine-protected areas.

LeBlanc maintained that commitment "is of the utmost importance" to the Liberal government.

Conservationists raised concerns last summer, when draft regulations for a marine-protected area off southwestern Newfoundland showed the area was still open for oil and gas activities.

In an email Friday afternoon, the C-NLOPB said it is committed to the protection of environmentally significant and sensitive areas.

"We will continue to work closely with DFO, other federal and provincial agencies, fishing interest groups, and other stakeholders in this regard."

The board said it will impose restrictions or measures to mitigate against harm in the approval process for oil and gas activities. </s> A vast area of ocean around the Seychelles will be off-limits to trawlers under the landmark deal

A vast new marine protected area has been created in the Indian Ocean around the Seychelle islands, the government announced Thursday.

The 210,000-square-kilometre (81,000-square-mile) zone—an area equivalent to nearly half of the Black Sea—is intended to protect both the sea and the archipelago's economy, which relies on fishing and tourism.

"Our large ocean brings development opportunities but also responsibility," said Environment Minister Didier Dogley. "Our ocean is central to our development and for the future of generations to come."

Dogley described the initiative as "a paradigm shift on how we manage and use our coastal and ocean resources."

It is the result of a ground-breaking financial deal, brokered in 2016 by American NGO the Nature Conservancy.

Under it, $21 million (17 million euros) of government debt was swapped for conservation funding to protect the low-lying, ocean-dependent nation against the effects of climate change, including warming, rising and acidifying seas.

The deal, which covers roughly 15 percent of Seychelles' exclusive economic zone, was partly funded by a foundation chaired by Hollywood actor and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio.

"This effort will help the people of Seychelles protect their ocean for future generations, and will serve as a model for future marine conservation projects worldwide," said DiCaprio.

"These protections mean that all species living in these waters or migrating through them are now far better shielded from overfishing, pollution, and climate change."

Almost one-third of the new reserve will be off-limits to all fishing. The remaining area will allow small-scale, local fishing but ban trawlers from the country's $300 million fishing industry.

The new protected areas include the remote Aldabra atolls, home to nesting seabirds, hawksbill turtles, giant tortoises and the dugong, or sea cow.

Dogley said that by 2020 close to a third of Seychelles waters will be protected with a new "spatial plan" for ocean use to prevent unregulated and illegal fishing as well as oil and gas exploration, deep-sea mining and dredging.

The Nature Conservancy's president, Mark Tercek, said the Seychelles would be a model for the rest of the world.

"What you see today in Seychelles is what we expect to introduce in the Caribbean and other ocean regions facing the threats of climate change," he said.

Explore further Regulators vote to protect more corals in Atlantic Ocean

© 2018 AFP </s> Boats sit on the beach at Bahia Almirantazgo, in Antarctica, on Jan. 27, 2015. The countries that decide the fate of Antarctica agreed on Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, to create the world's largest marine protected area in the ocean next to the frozen continent.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The countries that decide the fate of Antarctica's waters reached an historic agreement on Friday to create the world's largest marine protected area in the ocean next to the frozen continent.

The agreement comes after years of diplomatic wrangling and high-level talks between the U.S. and Russia, which has rejected the idea in the past.

Proponents of the reserve say it sets a precedent for multiple countries working together to protect a large swath of ocean, which falls outside any single nation's jurisdiction.

The agreement covers an area about twice the size of Texas in the Ross Sea.

The deal was clinched after 24 countries and the European Union met in Hobart, Australia, this week. Decisions on Antarctic fishing require a consensus among the 25 members, a hurdle which has confounded past efforts.

The U.S. and New Zealand have been pushing for a marine reserve for years. They first submitted a joint proposal in 2012, but it was rejected five times before Friday's agreement. Ukraine, China and Russia had expressed concerns in the past, with Russia becoming the final holdout before the deal was made.

The marine protected area covers 1.6 million square kilometers (617,000 square miles). There will be a blanket ban on commercial fishing across about three-quarters of that area. In the remaining ocean zones, some commercial fishing will be allowed.

A small amount of fishing for research purposes will be allowed throughout the protected area.

Several countries fish in the waters surrounding Antarctica for lucrative toothfish, which are often marketed in North America as Chilean sea bass.

Evan Bloom, who led the U.S. delegation in Hobart, said that U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has been a passionate advocate for the reserve and has been pushing for it in high-level talks with Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin.

Bloom said he was "thrilled" with the result.

"We've been working on this for so many years and had so many disappointments trying to get here," he said. "This is a real win for marine conservation."

In a statement, Kerry said the agreement "will safeguard one of the last unspoiled ocean wilderness areas on the planet — home to unparalleled marine biodiversity and thriving communities of penguins, seals, whales, seabirds, and fish."

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Murray McCully said the final agreement included some concessions to Russia, including adjusting the reserve's boundaries and allowing a little more commercial fishing outside the no-take zone.

Nevertheless, he said, he was pleasantly surprised that Russia and the U.S. had managed to reach any kind of agreement, given the current tensions over Syria.

"It goes to demonstrate that you can never jump to conclusions," he said. "Every now and then you get lucky."

Andrea Kavanagh, who directs Antarctic and Southern Ocean work for The Pew Charitable Trusts, said the environment had become a passion project for Putin's former chief of staff, Sergei Ivanov.

"We couldn't be happier about this result," she said. "This is history. This has never been done before."

She said she hoped the agreement represented the first step in what would become a worldwide network of marine reserves that would help protect the Earth's oceans.

The nations are already considering proposals for marine protected areas in East Antarctic waters and the Weddell Sea.

"We are confident that these areas will be protected in the coming years," said Mike Walker, the Project Director of the Antarctic Ocean Alliance.

The agreement will take effect from December 2017 and, for most of the reserve, will last an initial 35 years. </s> Environmentalists and their political allies are trying to scuttle Nickelodeon's plan to build an underwater theme park among picturesque islands in the Philippines.

The attraction is part of a 400-hectare (988-acre) development planned in Palawan, an archipelago rich in pristine beaches and coral reefs.

Environment Secretary Gina Lopez announced Wednesday on Twitter that she opposes the controversial project and "won't allow" construction to go ahead.

As criticism of the plans escalated, the firm partnering with Nickelodeon on the project tried to play down the "undersea" nature of the development.

"The only infrastructure in the water is floating and all developments are on land," Coral World Park said in a statement.

That contrasts with the announcement it made Monday with Nickelodeon's parent company, Viacom (VIA), trumpeting the "world's first undersea attraction to be built in Asia" and a resort featuring "underwater restaurants and lounges."

Related: This industry is freaking out over the Philippine president's anti-U.S. rhetoric

Viacom claims the project will advocate ocean protection. And Coral World Park touts its development as a coral reef conservation program.

"It's quite despicable for them to put up a theme park in paradise," said Vince Cinches, oceans campaigner with Greenpeace Southeast Asia. "The project will basically destroy the marine ecosystem."

Palawan -- which is made up of one main island and smaller groups of islands around it -- is a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve and home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site marine park.

Related: Is the Philippines' outspoken president scaring away investors?

The company behind SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer said its attraction would be located amidst a cluster of white sand islands. Visitors would get to the islands by speed boat, and then drink and dine in underwater lounges and restaurants located 20 feet below sea level.

Building artificial structures underwater will undeniably damage and disrupt Palawan's marine ecosystems, said Save Philippine Seas executive director Anna Oposa. More than 100,000 people have signed a Save Philippine Seas petition opposing the plan.

"Whatever kind of safeguards you put in place, you will disrupt marine life," said Oposa. "If [Coral World Park] were really serious about protecting the sea, they would invest that $150 million in marine protected areas and livelihoods in the community."

In the press release Monday, Viacom touted the new underwater attraction's earnings potential, saying it would provide "a significant business opportunity for our partners across multiple platforms."

A Viacom spokeswoman said Wednesday that design details for the attraction have not been finalized. </s> A leaking gas line in the Cook Inlet does pose safety and environmental risks according to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

A March 3rd Notice of Proposed Safety Order says the underwater pipeline near Nikiski must be repaired or shut down by May 1st.

“PHMSA finds that the continued operation of the Affected Pipeline Facility, without corrective measures, poses a pipeline integrity risk to public safety, property, and the environment,” said the notice.

Hilcorp reported the methane leak to the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation on February 7th. The federal agency’s notice says the leak may have started in late December.

“If they didn’t know about it they should have known about it. If you’re going to be out there in the Cook Inlet you should understand how much gas is going into a pipeline and how much gas is coming out of a pipeline,” said Bob Shavelson with Cook Inlet Keeper.

Seven conservation groups called for the gas line to be shut down Tuesday, including: Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Earth, Natural Resources Defense Council, Defenders of Wildlife, Resisting Environmental Destruction on Indigenous Lands, Greenpeace and the Eyak Preservation Council.

“I’m just afraid that more leaks are going to continue if they don’t figure out how to deal with them now,” said Dune Lankard with Center for Biological Diversity.

The federal notice says winter conditions make a repair too dangerous and states Hilcorp is concerned stopping oil production may allow a pipeline carrying crude oil to freeze and leak.

“They really haven’t shown that they have the engineering and technical wherewithal to stop an active leak which is what they should be able to do if they want to do business in Cook Inlet,” said Shavelson.

A Hilcorp spokesperson declined an interview but offered a statement which read:

“Hilcorp, together with state and federal agencies, is actively working to address a natural gas pipeline leak in the Middle Ground Shoal area of Cook Inlet. Based upon observations to date, the release does not pose a threat to the public nor the environment, however ensuring the safety of our response personnel is our top priority as we proceed. We are pleased that PHMSA’s Proposed Safety Order acknowledges this, recognizing that immediate repair is not a viable option due to current conditions and concerns for the safety of personnel. Hilcorp will continue to work with PHMSA and other state and federal agencies to ensure a thorough and timely response. Hilcorp’s focus right now is addressing the natural gas pipeline leak and ensuring the safety of our responders in the field. An investigation into the timing and cause of the leak is currently underway.”

Hilcorp has until March 8th to provide the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation a plan for sampling the air and water and monitoring for wildlife impacts. </s> Environmentalists and their political allies are trying to scuttle Nickelodeon's plan to build an underwater theme park among picturesque islands in the Philippines.

The attraction is part of a 400-hectare (988-acre) undersea development planned in Palawan, an archipelago rich in pristine beaches and coral reefs.

Gina Lopez, the country's environment secretary, announced Wednesday that she opposes the controversial project. In a tweet posted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Twitter account, Lopez said she "won't allow" the planned construction of the underwater resort and theme park.

Coral World Park, the firm partnering with Nickelodeon on the project, said it was working on a response to Lopez.

"We are sure she will be better informed after reading our official statement," said Coral World Park marketing director Susan Lee.

Related: This industry is freaking out over the Philippine president's anti-U.S. rhetoric

Nickelodeon parent company Viacom (VIA) claims the undersea attraction and resort will advocate ocean protection. And Coral World Park touts its development as a coral reef conservation program.

But environmental groups are crying foul on the companies' claims of protection and conservation.

"It's quite despicable for them to put up a theme park in paradise," said Vince Cinches, oceans campaigner with Greenpeace Southeast Asia. "The project will basically destroy the marine ecosystem."

Palawan -- which is made up of one main island and smaller groups of islands around it -- is a UNESCO designated biosphere reserve and home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site marine park.

Related: Is the Philippines' outspoken president scaring away investors?

The company behind SpongeBob Squarepants and Dora the Explorer said its attraction would be located amidst a cluster of white sand islands. Visitors would get to the islands by speed boat, and then drink and dine in underwater lounges and restaurants located 20 feet below sea level.

Building artificial structures underwater will undeniably damage and disrupt Palawan's marine ecosystems, said Save Philippine Seas executive director Anna Oposa. More than 100,000 people have signed a Save Philippine Seas petition opposing the plan.

"Whatever kind of safeguards you put in place, you will disrupt marine life," said Oposa. "If [Coral World Park] were really serious about protecting the sea, they would invest that $150 million in marine protected areas and livelihoods in the community."

In a press release issued Monday, Viacom touted the new underwater attraction's earnings potential.

"[This] collaboration will add another Nickelodeon themed attraction in Asia, which will in turn give a significant business opportunity for our partners across multiple platforms," Viacom executive Mark Whitehead said.

Viacom did not immediately respond to a request for further comment. </s> Barack Obama has permanently banned new oil and gas drilling in most US-owned waters in the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, a last-ditch effort to lock in environmental protections before he hands over to Donald Trump.

Obama used a 1953 law that allows presidents to block the sale of new offshore drilling and mining rights and makes it difficult for their successors to reverse the decision.

However, Obama’s ban – affecting federal waters off Alaska in the Chukchi Sea and most of the Beaufort Sea and in the Atlantic from New England to Chesapeake Bay – is unprecedented in scale and could be challenged by Trump in court.

The president-elect has vowed to unleash the nation’s untapped energy reserves and exploit fossil fuels. He has previously questioned the science of climate change, threatened to tear up the Paris climate agreement and appointed climate-change deniers in his cabinet.

This has led to a scramble from environmentalists calling on Obama to impose whatever regulations and executive orders he can to protect his climate legacy.

Tuesday’s move came in a joint announcement by Obama and Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, who also put a moratorium on new oil and gas leasing in its Arctic waters, subject to periodic review.

Obama, currently on holiday in Hawaii and with only a month left in office, said in a statement: “These actions, and Canada’s parallel actions, protect a sensitive and unique ecosystem that is unlike any other region on earth. They reflect the scientific assessment that, even with the high safety standards that both our countries have put in place, the risks of an oil spill in this region are significant and our ability to clean up from a spill in the region’s harsh conditions is limited.

“By contrast, it would take decades to fully develop the production infrastructure necessary for any large-scale oil and gas leasing production in the region – at a time when we need to continue to move decisively away from fossil fuels.”

In 2015, just 0.1% of US federal offshore crude production came from the Arctic. A Department of Interior analysis shows that, at current oil prices, significant production in the Arctic will not occur. “That’s why looking forward, we must continue to focus on economic empowerment for Arctic communities beyond this one sector.”

Campaigners welcomed the announcement. Jacqueline Savitz, a senior vice-president at the advocacy group, Oceana, told the Associated Press: “This decision will help protect existing lucrative coastal tourism and fishing businesses from offshore drilling, which promises smaller, short-lived returns and threatens coastal livelihoods.

“The people of the Atlantic coast refused to allow their way of life to be compromised and we commend their hard work making their voices heard in Washington.”

Few energy companies have expressed a wish to drill any time soon off the coasts thanks to abundant cheap shale oil in North Dakota and Texas. Exploratory drilling in the Arctic is costly and risky.

But with Trump in the White House, the obscure law could face a challenge. Dan Naatz of the Independent Petroleum Association of America told the Associated Press: “Instead of building on our nation’s position as a global energy leader, today’s unilateral mandate could put America back on a path of energy dependence for decades to come.”

And Erik Milito, upstream director at the American Petroleum Institute, told Reuters: “We are hopeful the incoming administration will reverse this decision as the nation continues to need a robust strategy for developing offshore and onshore energy.”

Canada will designate all Arctic Canadian waters as indefinitely off limits to future offshore Arctic oil and gas licensing, to be reviewed every five years through a climate and marine science-based life-cycle assessment.
The Haida Nation calls for tighter restrictions around the Bowie Seamount Marine Protected Area, a site of an ancient submarine volcano.