加拿大在北极建立了两个巨大的海洋保护区

加拿大在北极建立了两个巨大的海洋保护区

In hopes of buffering a swath of the Arctic from this upheaval, Canada is creating two new marine sanctuaries in the Arctic Ocean spanning a total of 427,000 square kilometers (165,000 square miles). This alone may not protect the region from climate change, but the Arctic needs all the help it can get, and well-managed ocean preserves can be a significant boost for struggling ecosystems.

为了缓解北极地区的动荡，加拿大正在北冰洋建立两个新的海洋保护区，总面积达42.7万平方公里(16.5万平方英里)。仅凭这一点可能无法保护该地区不受气候变化的影响，但北极需要得到它所能得到的一切帮助，而管理良好的海洋保护区可以极大地促进苦苦挣扎的生态系统。

Photo: Isabel Kendzior/Shutterstock

The largest of the two new sanctuaries — Tuvaijuittuq Marine Protected Area (MPA), covering about 320,000 square kilometers (124,000 square miles) off the northern coast of Ellesmere Island in Nunavut — was announced by government officials on Aug. 1. The name Tuvaijuittuq means "the place where the ice never melts" in the Inuktitut language, referring to thick, multiyear sea ice that persists throughout the summer. Tuvaijuittuq is located in an area long used by Inuit for travel and hunting, although there are currently no permanent human settlements within or adjacent to the new sanctuary, according to a government fact sheet.

8月1日，政府官员宣布了两个新保护区中最大的一个——位于努纳武特埃尔斯米尔岛北部海岸外的Tuvaijuittuq海洋保护区(MPA)，面积约32万平方公里(12.4万平方英里)。Tuvaijuittuq这个名字在Inuktitut的语言中是“冰永不融化的地方”的意思，意指厚的、持续多年的海冰在整个夏天都存在。Tuvaijuittuq位于因纽特人长期用于旅行和狩猎的地区，尽管根据政府的一份简报，目前在新保护区内或附近没有永久性的人类定居点。

An aerial view of Eureka Sound at Canada's Ellesmere Island. (Photo: Michael Studinger [CC BY 2.0]/NASA/Flickr)

"This remote region has the oldest and thickest sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. As sea ice continues to decline in the Arctic, the ice in this region is expected to last the longest. This makes the area a unique and potentially important future summer habitat for ice-dependent species, including walrus, seals and polar bears," according to Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“这个偏远地区拥有北冰洋中最古老、最厚的海冰。由于北极海冰持续减少，预计该地区的海冰将持续时间最长。这使得该地区成为一个独特的、潜在重要的未来夏季栖息地，包括海象、海豹和北极熊等依赖冰的物种。

The MPA will provide interim protection for the area while government officials, Inuit leaders and others hash out the prospect of longer-term protection. In addition to preserving this sanctuary for sea ice and those who depend on it, the MPA is also being touted as a model for including indigenous groups in the planning of big conservation efforts like this.

MPA将为该地区提供临时保护，与此同时，政府官员、因纽特人领袖和其他人将讨论长期保护的前景。除了保护这个为海冰和依赖海冰的人提供庇护的地方，MPA还被吹捧为一个包括土著群体在内的大型保护计划的典范。

As Sarah Gibbens reports in National Geographic, the Canadian government will not only protect the region from industrial exploitation, but will also create local jobs in research and data collection, and build infrastructure like boating docks.

正如Sarah Gibbens在《国家地理》杂志上报道的，加拿大政府不仅将保护该地区不受工业开发的影响，还将在研究和数据收集方面为当地创造就业机会，并建设游艇码头等基础设施。

Located south of Ellesmere Island, Tallurutiup Imanga protects about 108,000 square kilometers (42,000 square miles) of priceless marine habitat and cultural context in Lancaster Sound and Baffin Bay between Devon and Baffin islands.

位于埃尔斯米尔岛南部的塔拉鲁迪厄普伊曼加保护着约10.8万平方公里(4.2万平方英里)的珍贵海洋栖息地和文化背景，位于兰开斯特海峡和德文郡和巴芬岛之间的巴芬湾。

As with Tuvaijuittuq, Canada is also investing in infrastructure for the Tallurutiup Imanga area. These investments, which include funding to build harbors and a training center, total about 190 million Canadian dollars ($143 million U.S.) over seven years.

与Tuvaijuittuq一样，加拿大也在投资塔卢鲁蒂乌普伊曼加地区的基础设施。这些投资包括为建设港口和培训中心提供资金，总额约为1.9亿加元(合1.43亿美元)，为期七年。

Together, these two ocean sanctuaries protect a swath of marine habitat larger than California. Their creation means 14% of Canada's marine and coastal areas will be protected, exceeding the country's target of protecting 10% of these areas by 2020.

这两个海洋保护区共同保护着一片比加州还大的海洋栖息地。这意味着加拿大14%的海洋和沿海地区将受到保护，超过了该国到2020年保护这些地区10%的目标。

And while conservation efforts sometimes clash with the needs of local people, these refuges stand out as an example for how to do it the right way, according to P.J. Akeeagok, president of the Qikiqtani Inuit Association, who helped negotiate the protections.

奇克塔尼因纽特人协会会长p·j·阿奇亚格克表示，尽管保护工作有时会与当地居民的需求发生冲突，但这些避难所为正确的保护方式树立了榜样。

"By protecting Tallurutiup Imanga, and seeking permanent protection for Tuvaijuittuq, we not only save these pristine Arctic ecosystems, but also lay the foundation for a conservation economy in sustainable industries such as fisheries," Akeeagok says in a statement from the Prime Minister's Office. "These investments in jobs and infrastructure will have profound impacts in the High Arctic and serve as a model of what can be achieved when we work as equal partners in the spirit of reconciliation."

Akeeagok在总理办公室的一份声明中说:“通过保护Tallurutiup Imanga和寻求对Tuvaijuittuq的永久保护，我们不仅拯救了这些原始的北极生态系统，而且为渔业等可持续产业的保护经济奠定了基础。这些对就业和基础设施的投资将对北极高地产生深远影响，并将成为我们本着和解精神作为平等伙伴共同努力所能取得成果的典范。”