30x30 Ocean Action Plan 2025

30x30 Ocean Action Plan59 58While best efforts were made to use publicly available and credible sources, some data may be outdated, incomplete, inconsistent, or not independently verifiable at this time. Information in this report was compiled as of September 2025 and may have changed since. Users of this report are encouraged to interpret findings as indicative rather than definitive. Ground-truthing, stakeholder engagement, and national and global-level validation are essential next steps to build a more robust and inclusive understanding of global conservation opportunities. The report includes a grouping of proposed MPAs in Canada where total coverage exceeds 100,000 km², to illustrate the potential significance of numerous, smaller-scale MPAs within a single governance system, however this grouping does not mean these MPAs are being proposed as a unified network. These MPAs are each coordinated by unique collaborations between regional and national governments, Indigenous Peoples and local communities (IPLCs), and relevant industry and civil society stakeholders, and should therefore be considered as individual proposals beyond the confines of this report. Additionally, this approach for the grouping of MPA proposals in Canada was informed by the availability of well-documented national planning processes, but similar initiatives in other countries may exist without being as accessible. As such, there may be comparable large-scale proposals elsewhere that have not been included in this report.Up to date information Multiple Canadian MPAs More Information and Contact If you have updated information, corrections, or additional proposals that you would like to see included in any future iterations of this information, please contact Friends of Ocean Action at [email protected]. Media Communications can be reached at [email protected]. The information included in Appendix 1 was collected through a series of reviews of publicly available data and stakeholder consultation. An initial review of publicly available data informed the creation of a prospective list of potential areas being considered for marine protected area (MPA) designation. Additionally, two rounds of stakeholder surveys were conducted to identify potentially missing areas and verify the information collected through public sources. This investigation produced a selection of large- scale areas (100,000 km² or larger) with potential for MPA designation. This collation does not present a comprehensive assessment of all proposed MPAs or protected areas globally (see WDPA). Many smaller, locally-managed, or community-led MPAs – which play essential roles in biodiversity protection and ecosystem function – were not included in the collation and reporting due to time and capacity constraints, lack of standardised data across different reporting systems, and difficulty accessing up-to-date information. Their omission should not be interpreted as a reflection of their socio-ecological importance. In cases where existing MPAs or MPA networks approached the 100,000 km² threshold through modest expansions (e.g., a 99,000 km² MPA gaining an additional 2,000 km²), these expansions have not been included in our calculations, as they would contribute minimally to new coverage protections. This choice reflects a focus on identifying new, large-scale areas only.Size is only one consideration to evaluate the potential positive outcomes of an MPA. As size was the primary variable considered for the selection of new, large- scale areas, in Appendix 1, the inclusion of MPAs in this table does not indicate that the potentially proposed areas are assured or likely to achieve positive biodiversity and ecosystem function outcomes. Further study and data analysis would therefore be required to assess the socio-ecological effectiveness of potentially proposed areas through comprehensive review, following recommendations provided in The MPA Guide (2021). When reviewing the information provided in Appendix 1, it is important to note that the areas identified vary widely in their stage of consideration—ranging from early conceptual plans to more advanced proposals— and their inclusion does not imply that they have been formally proposed, that they have government approval, or that they are guaranteed to progress to designation. Additionally, the boundaries presented for many of the areas are approximate and may not reflect final delineations, which could change significantly following further scientific assessments, stakeholder consultations, or formal proposal and legal processes. Considerations and Limitations for the “Scaling up Protection” Numbers Only areas ≥ 100,000 km2Effective protection is not assured Stage of MPA considerationAPPENDIX 2