Special protection for coral
Undersea canyons will be off limits to some fishermen
In a dark corner of the Atlantic Ocean, amid a pair of steep-sided canyons far off the southwest coast of Nova Scotia, there’s a welcoming home for schools of fish decorated with coral so colourful its official name is bubblegum.
Before the end of this year, the two canyons — Georges and Corsair — will be declared off limits to fishermen who use gear that is dragged or dumped on seabed, the federal Fisheries Department announced Monday.
“These are globally known as sensitive and important areas,’’ federal oceans planner Derek Fenton told a news conference at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography.
The so-called bottom-contact gear is deadly to corals, which are among the largest invertebrate creatures on the planet.
In total, more than 9,000 square kilometres of ocean bottom will be protected under the Fisheries Act, effectively banning the use of otter trawls, lobster and crab traps, and anchored gill nets and long lines.
“What we’re trying to protect is the homes ... that these fish live in,’’ said acting regional manager Carl MacDonald. “We try to draw the areas as small as we can, but we want to protect the key feature, which is the corals.’’
The new restrictions will also apply to a 49-square-kilometre area called the Jordan Basin, about 100 kilometres west of Yarmouth. The area is also known as “the rock garden,’’ where multicoloured seacorn coral flourishes.
The basin also features a large assortment of anemones and sponges, creating a multi-hued carpet that stands in contrast to the grey, barren depths that represent much of the ocean floor.
And, yes, both seacorn and bubblegum coral look strangely like their namesakes.
“Many people don’t even know that we have cold-water coral off of Nova Scotia — and this is something we’ve been working on for two decades,’’ said Susanna Fuller, marine conservation co-ordinator with the Halifax-based Ecology Action Centre.”
“It’s exciting progress toward recognizing that cold-water corals are an important part of our biodiversity. When I used to interview fisherman about why they’re so important, they would say, ‘It’s just like a moose needs trees.’ That structure on the sea floor is very important.’’
Despite the new restrictions, Fenton said the number of fishermen affected by the closure is small and the level of economic impact will be minimal. In all, only seven lobster fishermen will be affected in an area of Nova Scotia where there are about 1,000 lobster licences.