I actually think it's a very good idea to be looking at national marine conservation areas in the Great Lakes. When we talk about a national marine conservation area, most people think that, because of the word “marine”, we're talking about salt water, but in fact, that tool can be used in a freshwater system because it's international waters. That's what makes it possible for Parks Canada to use that as a tool for protection.
We have supported the need to see national marine conservation areas in all of our Great Lakes, including our sixth great lake, which is Georgian Bay, and we would like to see marine protection in each of those.
I think that with the auspices of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement needing to be renegotiated and worked on with the U.S., this would be one of the perfect times to be looking at NMCAs as a potential tool in the Great Lakes. It would work in Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, obviously, Georgian Bay, etc., in trying to move those forward.
One of the fantastic things about marine protection is that it actually grows more fish and bigger fish adjacent to that area, so it actually helps in terms of commercial fishing.