This dataset contains area-based management measures that have been recognized as 'other effective area-based conservation measures' (OECMs). It also contains basic information about OECMs, specifically their names, size, objectives, associated prohibitions, and DFO region.  Spatial data for OECMs will be evaluated regularly, taking the most recent available information into account. In addition new 'OECMs will be identified over time. Therefore, this dataset may change over time.

Mapping and characterization of the Special Ecological Development Zones (ZAEP) which are found in the 2nd draft revised land use and development plan for the City of Laval, adopted in March 2017. A ZAEP is a vast planning territory integrating sectors of potential development as well as areas for the conservation and enhancement of large areas of high ecological value. This territory has a high density of elements of interest (woods, rivers, exceptional forest ecosystem, wetlands, etc.). **This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

This product presents a polygonal layer of wetlands of interest (MHI) located on the domain of the State and designated under the Sustainable Forest Development Act (LADTF, chapter A-18.1). The wetlands of interest are wetlands of high ecological value or of great importance for maintaining biological diversity. Their management is under the responsibility of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests (MRNF). Forest management activities are prohibited on the territory of a wetland of interest, with few exceptions. Legally designated wetlands of interest are exempt from industrial activities, which allows them to be registered on the Register of protected areas and AMCE* in Quebec maintained by the Ministry of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks. This data comes from the MRNF's Forest Territorial Subdivisions (STF) product, which is the official source of this geographic information. *AMCE: other effective conservation measures**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

Produced as part of the St. Lawrence Action Plan, the Atlas of Territories of Conservation Interest in the St. Lawrence Lowlands shows the sites where conservation needs are the most pressing. The conservation targets selected (coarse filter) are forest environments, wetlands, open environments (wastelands, perennial crops) and aquatic environments to which are added elements of the fine filter such as exceptional aquatic environments associated with the St. Lawrence corridor (e.g. spawning grounds), alvars, bird colonies, wildlife elements (e.g. nesting sites of Bank Swallows and Chimney Swift, etc.) and important floristic occurrences. Our objective is to determine the sites of interest until a representative threshold of 20% is reached. The geospatial data associated with sites of interest for conservation, the user guide, the methodological report, the metadata as well as the detailed mapping of land use in the St. Lawrence Lowlands, which was an essential basic data for producing this atlas, are available for download. Users can therefore more accurately consult the spatial distribution of sites of interest and the conservation value associated with each plot of habitat for conservation targets (forest environments, wetlands, wastelands, perennial crops, aquatic environments) using geographic information systems (e.g. ArcGIS). Users can also adapt the analysis of this data to their territorial reality and according to specific objectives specific to their interests. Since the conservation of natural environments and species in precarious situations is a shared responsibility, this Atlas will make it possible to meet the priorities of the many organizations involved in the conservation of natural environments in the St. Lawrence Lowlands.**This third party metadata element was translated using an automated translation tool (Amazon Translate).**

This entry provides access to spatial layers that feature in the Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) Science Advice Report titled ‘Delineation of Significant Areas of Coldwater Corals and Sponge-Dominated Communities in Canada's Atlantic and Eastern Arctic Marine Waters and their Overlap with Fishing Activity’ and CSAS Research Document titled ‘Analysis of the overlap between fishing effort and Significant Benthic Areas in Canada's Atlantic and Eastern Arctic marine waters’. These spatial layers show cumulative fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters for the years 2005-2014. Production of the spatial layers was based on vessel monitoring system (VMS) and commercial logbook data sources. Fishing effort is provided in standardized spatial layers for various fisheries groupings: all fisheries combined, aggregations of gear type, and fisheries classes as defined in the CSAS reports. Cette ressource donne accès aux les couches spatiales du document de recherche du SCCS intitulé ' Délimitation des zones importantes de communautés dominées par les coraux et les éponges d'eau froide dans les eaux marines du Canada atlantique et de l'est de l'Arctique et chevauchement avec les activités de pêche’ et ‘Analyse du recoupement entre l'effort de pêche et les zones benthiques importantes dans les eaux marines canadiennes de l'Atlantique et de l'Arctique de l'Est’. Ces couches spatiales montrent l’effort de pêche cumulatif dans les eaux de l’Atlantique et de l’est de l’Arctique canadien pour 2005 à 2014. La production des couches spatiales était fondée sur le Système de surveillance des navires (SSN) et des sources de données des journaux de bord commerciaux. L’effort de pêche est présenté sous forme de couches spatiales normalisées pour divers regroupements de pêches : toutes les pêches combinées, agrégations de types d’engins et catégories de pêches, telles qu’elles sont définies dans les documents de recherche.

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are one among a number of spatial management tools, and are defined as areas that are established for the long-term, and managed through legal or other effective means, to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. Currently, Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a number of MPAs designated under the Oceans Act and Areas of Interest for new MPAs at various stages of progress towards designation. These areas are ecologically significant, with species and/or features that require special management consideration.  An Oceans Act MPA can be established for any of the six conservation purposes outlined in the Act: • The conservation and protection of commercial and non-commercial fishery resources, including marine mammals, and their habitats;  • The conservation and protection of endangered or threatened marine species, and their habitats;  • The conservation and protection of unique habitats;  • The conservation and protection of marine areas of high biodiversity or biological productivity; • The conservation and protection of any other marine resource or habitat as is necessary to fulfill the mandate of the Minister; and • The conservation and protection of marine areas for the purposes of maintaining ecological integrity

In 2009, Fisheries and Oceans Canada published the Policy on Managing the Impacts of Fishing on Sensitive Benthic Areas. To support the implementation of this policy, a Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) process was initiated to: assess the distribution of fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters from 2005-2014, evaluate the overlap between fishing effort and Significant Benthic Areas (SiBAs), and identify areas of potential conservation concern. Although Research Document 2018/15 (Koen-Alonso et al. 2018), detailing this work, has not been updated since publication, the methodology outlined within it is still used to generate updated fishing effort layers as new data becomes available. This record illustrates cumulative fishing effort in Canada’s Atlantic and Eastern Arctic waters from 2005-2023, and is based on commercial logbook and vessel monitoring system (VMS) data. Fishing effort has been standardized into percentiles, whereby the top 20th percentile of intensity (cell values ≥20) represent cells containing the most intense fishing activities.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has worked with partners and ocean users to develop a draft conservation network plan for the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion. This work led to the 2017 draft conservation network plan. The draft plan was updated after targeted consultations from 2021 to 2022. The latest draft reflects new science information on climate change, updated human-use activities (such as fisheries data), and feedback from consultations. This dataset includes the latest existing and proposed conservation sites in the Scotian Shelf-Bay of Fundy Bioregion. Existing sites: -Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) -Marine refuges -Migratory bird sanctuary, National Wildlife area and National Park with marine components Proposed sites: -Areas of Interest (AOIs) and their lead agency -Tier 1 sites are a higher priority for implementation because of their ecological characteristics and/or feasibility considerations, such as interest from Rightsholders, other levels of government, marine users and stakeholders. Some of these sites could be selected for advancement by 2030. The lead federal agency is specified for most Tier 1 sites. -Tier 2 sites are also important contributions to the conservation network, but will not be considered for advancement by 2030. Most of these sites require more research and information on ecological features and human uses before implementation. Proposed conservation sites: 1 Cobequid Bay 2 Southern Bight 3 Chignecto Bay 4 Salmon Rivers 5 Bay of Fundy Horse Mussel Aggregations 6 Maces Bay 7 Deadmans Harbour 8 Bocabec Bay – Midjic Bluff 9 Oak Bay 10 Tongue Shoal 11 Pendleton – Little L’Etete Passage 12 Simpsons Island – White Horse Island 13 Head Harbour Passage 14 Western Passage North 15 Western Passage South 16 South Campobello 17 The Wolves – Wolves Bank 18 Northwest Grand Manan 19 Long Island Bay – Great Duck Island 20 North of Nantucket Island 21 Grand Harbour 22 Seal Cove – Long Pond Bay 23 Southern Head 24 Three Islands 25 Old Proprietor Shoal – The Prong 26 Brier Island 27 Lurcher Shoal 28 Chebogue 29 Eel Bay 30 McNutts Island 31 Pemsɨk 32 LaHave Islands 33 Sambro Ledges – Prospect 34 Martinique Beach and Musquodoboit Harbour 35 St. Mary’s (Napu’saqnuk) River and Estuary 36 Country Island 37 Canso Ledges – Sugar Harbour Islands 38 MacNamaras Island 39 Fleur-de-Lis Coast 40 Bird Islands 41 Ingonish Bays 42 Aspy Bay 43 Bras d’Or Lake 44 Southwest Bank 45 Western Jordan Basin 46 Georges Bank 47 LaHave Basin 48 Scotian Gulf 49 Central Scotian Slope, Rise and Abyss 50 Emerald Basin Extension 51 Inner Shelf Sea Pen Field 52 Sable Island Bank North 53 Sable Island Bank South 54 Logan Canyon 55 Canso Bank and Channels 56 Misaine Bank and Laurentian Channel 57 Eastern Shoal 58 Cold Seeps Boundaries are preliminary and subject to change following public consultation.