Marine Protected Areas

Last month, we asked our readers: "What percentage of the British Columbia coastal waters should be Marine Protected Areas (MPA), in which industrial activities are prohibited and commercial harvests are regulated?"

The votes are in!
26% of you would like to see 1% - 20% of the BC coast reserved for MPAs
21% of you would like to see 21% - 40%
30% of you would like to see 41% - 60%
13% of you would like to see 61% - 80%
8% of you would like to see 81% - 100% of the BC coast reserved for MPAs

A recent telephone poll of 801 British Columbians, conducted by McAllister Opinion Research in September found that 90% of the respondents support the establishment of more MPAs off the BC Coast, with the average respondent interested in seeing 50% of coastal waters protected.

Currently, less than 0.5% of Canada's oceans are protected in federally designated MPAs.

Thank you to everyone for participating in this survey. Check out our new question and make sure to register your vote by February 28!