I read the discussions surrounding the bill passed in 2001 and resulting in the Marine Conservation Areas Act. Among other things, I read the committee's exchanges from October 30, 2001. Parliamentarians were called upon to discuss section 13. As you said yourself, it prohibits anyone from exploring or exploiting hydrocarbons. That is clear.
Is it possible, however, that the original wording put forward by the government was different, indicating instead that the minister could permit the use of directional drilling equipment, in the case of sub-seabed drilling for hydrocarbons, from a point outside a marine conservation area? I believe there was an amendment, given that, in the beginning, it was possible to undertake what was known as directional drilling, which consists of drilling outside the marine conservation area for possible oil.
My understanding is that there is no problem under that legislation. But would it be possible to use directional drilling to look for resources from outside the marine conservation area?