Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, and Government of Canada advance to next step toward establishing an Inuit Protected Area in the waters of northern Labrador

NationTalk: Parks Canada – Labrador Inuit have stewarded the lands, waters, and ice of Nunatsiavut for millennia.

Today, 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.

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.

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Quotes

“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.”

Johannes Lampe
President of Nunatsiavut

“Today marks an important day for the Inuit of Nunavik and for Makivvik. We are pleased and honored to partner in the establishment process for the Torngat Area of Interest – Inuit Protected Area. This land bares a particular significance to Inuit, and this project will help preserve our way of life, rights, and interests. It will also reinforce our important partnership with Labrador Inuit in a unique environment. This Memorandum of Understanding marks a meaningful advancement toward Inuit self-determination and the importance of Inuit governance principles. We look forward to pursuing this work and bringing it to fruition with both our Inuit and federal partners.”

Pita Aatami
President of Makivvik

“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.”

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

“The signing of this MOU between the Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, and Parks Canada to create an Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area in northern Labrador is fantastic news. Fisheries and Oceans Canada looks forward to ongoing collaboration to formally establish this new protected area that will benefit the environment, the species that call it home, and future generations of people living in Canada.”

The Honourable Diane Lebouthillier
Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard

“Moving into the negotiation phase of this project is indeed exciting for Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. A new Indigenous Protected Area/national marine conservation area will contribute to our government’s conservation targets, will protect the environment on which we depend, and will benefit the local economy. Congratulations to the Nunatsiavut Government, Makivvik, Parks Canada, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador and everyone involved in this remarkable achievement.”

Yvonne Jones
Member of Parliament for Labrador, Newfoundland and Labrador

Quick facts

The creation of an Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area will contribute directly to the Nunatsiavut Government’s Imappivut (Our Oceans) Marine Planning Initiative and work toward achieving the goals outlined in the Statement of Intent for Imappivut (2017).
Feedback gathered through the feasibility assessment process, completed in March 2024, including engagement with Inuit, rightsholders and key stakeholders, and determining the social, environmental, and economic benefits and impacts of establishing an Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act will further inform the negotiations of establishment.
In keeping with the recommendation to move forward with an Inuit Protected Area/national marine conservation area, negotiations will begin on an establishment agreement and Impact and Benefit Agreements in accordance with the provisions of the land claim agreements in effect.
Coastal and marine areas are a vital source of cultural, social, spiritual, ecological, and economic well-being for the Inuit of Labrador and Nunavik.