加拿大在北極建立了兩個巨大的海洋保護區(qū)

加拿大在北極建立了兩個巨大的海洋保護區(qū)

In hopes of buffering a swath of the Arctic from this upheaval, Canada is creating two new marine sanctuaries in the Arctic Ocean spanning a total of 427,000 square kilometers (165,000 square miles). This alone may not protect the region from climate change, but the Arctic needs all the help it can get, and well-managed ocean preserves can be a significant boost for struggling ecosystems.

為了緩解北極地區(qū)的動蕩，加拿大正在北冰洋建立兩個新的海洋保護區(qū)，總面積達42.7萬平方公里(16.5萬平方英里)。僅憑這一點可能無法保護該地區(qū)不受氣候變化的影響，但北極需要得到它所能得到的一切幫助，而管理良好的海洋保護區(qū)可以極大地促進苦苦掙扎的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)。

Photo: Isabel Kendzior/Shutterstock

The largest of the two new sanctuaries — Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area (MPA), covering about 320,000 square kilometers (124,000 square miles) off the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut — was announced by government officials on Aug. 1. The name Tuvaijuittuq means "the place where the ice never melts" in the Inuktitut language, referring to thick, multiyear sea ice that persists throughout the summer. Tuvaijuittuq is located in an area long used by Inuit for travel and hunting, although there are currently no permanent human settlements within or adjacent to the new sanctuary, according to a government fact sheet.

8月1日，政府官員宣布了兩個新保護區(qū)中最大的一個——位于努納武特埃爾斯米爾島北部海岸外的Tuvaijuittuq海洋保護區(qū)(MPA)，面積約32萬平方公里(12.4萬平方英里)。Tuvaijuittuq這個名字在Inuktitut的語言中是“冰永不融化的地方”的意思，意指厚的、持續(xù)多年的海冰在整個夏天都存在。Tuvaijuittuq位于因紐特人長期用于旅行和狩獵的地區(qū)，盡管根據(jù)政府的一份簡報，目前在新保護區(qū)內(nèi)或附近沒有永久性的人類定居點。

An aerial view of Eureka Sound at Canada's Ellesmere Island. (Photo: Michael Studinger [CC BY 2.0]/NASA/Flickr)

"This remote region has the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. As sea ice continues to decline in the Arctic, the ice in this region is expected to last the longest. This makes the area a unique and potentially important future summer habitat for ice-dependent species, including walrus, seals and polar bears," according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“這個偏遠地區(qū)擁有北冰洋中最古老、最厚的海冰。由于北極海冰持續(xù)減少，預計該地區(qū)的海冰將持續(xù)時間最長。這使得該地區(qū)成為一個獨特的、潛在重要的未來夏季棲息地，包括海象、海豹和北極熊等依賴冰的物種。

The MPA will provide interim protection for the area while government officials, Inuit leaders and others hash out the prospect of longer-term protection. In addition to preserving this sanctuary for sea ice and those who depend on it, the MPA is also being touted as a model for including indigenous groups in the planning of big conservation efforts like this.

MPA將為該地區(qū)提供臨時保護，與此同時，政府官員、因紐特人領袖和其他人將討論長期保護的前景。除了保護這個為海冰和依賴海冰的人提供庇護的地方，MPA還被吹捧為一個包括土著群體在內(nèi)的大型保護計劃的典范。

As Sarah Gibbens reports in National Geographic, the Canadian government will not only protect the region from industrial exploitation, but will also create local jobs in research and data collection, and build infrastructure like boating docks.

正如Sarah Gibbens在《國家地理》雜志上報道的，加拿大政府不僅將保護該地區(qū)不受工業(yè)開發(fā)的影響，還將在研究和數(shù)據(jù)收集方面為當?shù)貏?chuàng)造就業(yè)機會，并建設游艇碼頭等基礎設施。

Located south of Ellesmere Island, Tallurutiup Imanga protects about 108,000 square kilometers (42,000 square miles) of priceless marine habitat and cultural context in Lancaster Sound and Baffin Bay between Devon and Baffin islands.

位于埃爾斯米爾島南部的塔拉魯?shù)隙蚱找谅颖Ｗo著約10.8萬平方公里(4.2萬平方英里)的珍貴海洋棲息地和文化背景，位于蘭開斯特海峽和德文郡和巴芬島之間的巴芬灣。

As with Tuvaijuittuq, Canada is also investing in infrastructure for the Tallurutiup Imanga area. These investments, which include funding to build harbors and a training center, total about 190 million Canadian dollars ($143 million U.S.) over seven years.

與Tuvaijuittuq一樣，加拿大也在投資塔盧魯?shù)贋跗找谅拥貐^(qū)的基礎設施。這些投資包括為建設港口和培訓中心提供資金，總額約為1.9億加元(合1.43億美元)，為期七年。

Together, these two ocean sanctuaries protect a swath of marine habitat larger than California. Their creation means 14% of Canada's marine and coastal areas will be protected, exceeding the country's target of protecting 10% of these areas by 2020.

這兩個海洋保護區(qū)共同保護著一片比加州還大的海洋棲息地。這意味著加拿大14%的海洋和沿海地區(qū)將受到保護，超過了該國到2020年保護這些地區(qū)10%的目標。

And while conservation efforts sometimes clash with the needs of local people, these refuges stand out as an example for how to do it the right way, according to P.J. Akeeagok, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, who helped negotiate the protections.

奇克塔尼因紐特人協(xié)會會長p·j·阿奇亞格克表示，盡管保護工作有時會與當?shù)鼐用竦男枨蟀l(fā)生沖突，但這些避難所為正確的保護方式樹立了榜樣。

"By protecting Tallurutiup Imanga, and seeking permanent protection for Tuvaijuittuq, we not only save these pristine Arctic ecosystems, but also lay the foundation for a conservation economy in sustainable industries such as fisheries," Akeeagok says in a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. "These investments in jobs and infrastructure will have profound impacts in the High Arctic and serve as a model of what can be achieved when we work as equal partners in the spirit of reconciliation."

Akeeagok在總理辦公室的一份聲明中說:“通過保護Tallurutiup Imanga和尋求對Tuvaijuittuq的永久保護，我們不僅拯救了這些原始的北極生態(tài)系統(tǒng)，而且為漁業(yè)等可持續(xù)產(chǎn)業(yè)的保護經(jīng)濟奠定了基礎。這些對就業(yè)和基礎設施的投資將對北極高地產(chǎn)生深遠影響，并將成為我們本著和解精神作為平等伙伴共同努力所能取得成果的典范。”