Integrated Ocean Management
A Brief Overview
Integrated management in the Beaufort Sea is a collaborative management and planning process led by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). The Oceans Act and its supporting policy, Canada’s Oceans Strategy, affirm DFO’s mandate as the lead federal authority for oceans and provide the national context for the initiative.
The principles and approaches of this initiative are rooted in developing international ocean governance processes and Canada’s ocean-related international legal commitments. DFO’s national Integrated Management Policy and Operational Framework (now the Policy and Operational Framework for Integrated Management of Estuarine, Coastal and Marine Environments) provides further guidance on the development of integrated management plans and processes under the Oceans Act.
Large Ocean Management Areas (LOMA) are a tool identified under Canada’s Ocean Strategy to promote integrated management planning. LOMAs extend from the coastline to the limits of jurisdiction under international law with the goal to address large-scale ecosystem and economic development issues through the development and implementation of integrated ocean management plans by incorporating ecosystem, socio-economic, cultural, and institutional management objectives and indicators.
The supporting objectives of Beaufort Sea integrated management planning process are aimed at a balanced approach to achieving ecosystem, social, economic, and institutional sustainability. As determined by the mandate of the Oceans Act, the four overarching objectives of this initiative are to:
- Integrate the management of all measures and activities in or affecting the Beaufort Sea planning area;
- Manage for conservation, sustainability, and responsible use of ocean space and marine resources;
- Restore and maintain natural biological diversity and productivity; and,
- Provide opportunities for economic diversification and sustainable wealth generation to foster social well-being for coastal communities and stakeholders.