Q-546 , 45th Parliament, 1st session May 26, 2025, to present

With regard to the proposed national marine conservation area in the South Coast Fjords study area of the southwest coast of Newfoundland by Environment and Climate Change Canada and Parks Canada: (a) what is the current size, in square kilometers, of the study area under consideration, and how does that compare to the original size of 9,114 km as first publicly announced; (b) what is the current status of the feasibility assessment (including community, Indigenous consultation, etc.), including how many coastal communities have been engaged to date; (c) what is the timeline for (i) boundary decisions, (ii) the establishment of an agreement, (iii) public comment; (d) what protections, regulations, or "full protection zones" (such as no-fishing zones, bottom-trawling exclusions, etc.) are currently (i) proposed, (ii) under consideration, within the study area; (e) for each item in (d), what economic impacts have been assessed for (i) local fishing, (ii) commercial fishing, (iii) aquaculture, (iv) tourism, (v) coastal community employment by the agency, (vi) mining, (vii) potential deep-water ports for mining and shipping; (f) what is the total estimated cost of the government completing the establishment process (feasibility, designation, management planning, etc.) for the proposed South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area; (g) what annual budget is projected for managing the area, if designated, (including enforcement, monitoring, Indigenous partnerships, community engagement, visitor infrastructure, etc.); (h) how will the government and Parks Canada ensure that the interests of local Indigenous peoples (including the Miawpukek First Nation and Quipu First Nation) and coastal communities in the Long Range Mountains riding are fully integrated into the (i) governance, (ii) monitoring, (iii) economic benefit-sharing, of the proposed National Marine Conservation Area; (i) upon approval, which department, Crown corporation or agency will be responsible for regulating fishing within the National Marine Conservation Area; (j) what are the projected impacts of these regulations for local industries (commercial fishing, shipping, etc.); and (k) what will the role of (i) Parks Canada, (ii) Environment and Climate Change Canada, (iii) Fisheries and Oceans Canada, be within the National Marine Conservation Area and in the regulation of the National Marine Conservation Area?