Aerial view of Presqu'ile beach. /Presqu'ile Provincial Park Facebook photo
Nature Canada has made a pitch to Brighton council to support protecting Lake Ontario through a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) designation.
A NMCA is a type of protected area in Canada designed to conserve and safeguard marine ecosystems while supporting sustainable use. These areas aim to balance environmental protection with activities like tourism, fishing, and recreation, ensuring that marine biodiversity and ecological integrity are preserved for future generations.
Brighton Mayor Brian Ostrander tells us it’s an exciting concept.
The affected areas would include Prince Edward County and Presqu’ile Bay. Ostrander says the freshwater conservation concept to safeguard biodiversity would not impact current uses of Lake Ontario.
Ostrander says at the moment the idea is in its request only phase and it’s definitely worth talking about.
As part of a federal government initiative to protect roughly one-third of land and freshwater by the end of the decade, Nature Canada says the opportunity exists to create new National Marine Conservation Areas in the Great Lakes.
(Written by: John Brenner)
