Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore regulator is taking bids for exploration off the east coast of the island, in an area the federal government recently listed as a marine protected area.

While the area is closed to fishing, it remains open to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board — and that is not sitting well with the fisheries union president.

"We cannot ask fish harvesters to accept the closure of an area to fishing activity in the name of conservation while continuing to allow oil and gas exploration in that same area," said Fish, Food and Allied Workers president Keith Sullivan in a news release.

"These closures have shut harvesters out while letting oil and gas in."

In December, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans listed the Northeast Newfoundland Slope — formerly known as Tobin's Point — as a marine refuge, and prohibited all "bottom-contact fishing activities."

The area is home to corals, sponges and fish nurseries, all things the World Wildlife Fund is worried could be destroyed by offshore oil activity.

"We are struggling to understand why Fisheries and Oceans Canada would create a refuge for wildlife in December 2017, only for the Ministry of Natural Resources to sign off of developing oil and gas extraction there four months later," said Megan Leslie, president of WWF Canada.

Leslie questioned if the two federal departments were aware of each other's actions, or if it was "a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing."

The exploration decision was also lambasted by Ecology Action Centre, a conservation group based in Halifax.

Susanna Fuller, marine conservation co-ordinator, said environmental organizations worked with fish harvesters and conservation groups to reach an agreement on protecting the area — only to see it be handed over to oil and gas.

"We have generally supported the efforts of DFO to close areas to all bottom fishing through the more efficient mechanism of the Fisheries Act," she said.

"However, we have also been strongly advocating for no industrial activity in any areas that are to going to be counted towards protection targets."

The Northeast Newfoundland Slope area — which totals 46,833 square kilometres — was part of the Liberal government's initiative to designate 10 per cent of Canada's coasts and waters as marine protected areas.

Conservationists raised similar concerns last summer, when draft regulations for a marine protected area off southwestern Newfoundland showed the area was still open for oil and gas activities.

In an email Friday afternoon, the C-NLOPB said it is committed to the protection of environmentally significant and sensitive areas.



 "We will continue to work closely with DFO, other federal and provincial agencies, fishing interest groups, and other stakeholders in this regard."

The offshore board said it will impose restrictions or measures to mitigate against harm in the approval process for oil and gas activities. </s> Newfoundland and Labrador's offshore oil and gas regulator is taking bids for exploration off the island's east coast, in an area the federal government recently listed as a marine-protected area.

While the area is closed to fishing, it remains open to the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board (C-NLOPB) — and that's not sitting well with the president of the fisheries union.

"We cannot ask fish harvesters to accept the closure of an area to fishing activity in the name of conservation while continuing to allow oil and gas exploration in that same area," said Fish, Food and Allied Workers president Keith Sullivan in a news release.

"These closures have shut harvesters out while letting oil and gas in."

In December, the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans listed the Northeast Newfoundland Slope — formerly known as Tobin's Point — as a marine refuge, and prohibited all "bottom-contact fishing activities."

Federal Fisheries Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Friday that he will "carefully scrutinize any activities in a marine refuge that could potentially cause harm to fish or fish habitat."

Keith Sullivan, president of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers, says the protected area off Newfoundland closed the region for fisheries, but left it open for oil. (CBC )

The area is home to corals, sponges and fish nurseries, all things the World Wildlife Fund is worried could be destroyed by offshore oil activity.

"We are struggling to understand why Fisheries and Oceans Canada would create a refuge for wildlife in December 2017, only for the Ministry of Natural Resources to sign off of developing oil and gas extraction there four months later," said Megan Leslie, president of WWF Canada.

Leslie questioned if the two federal departments were aware of each other's actions; if it was "a case of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing."

The map on the left shows the Northeast Newfoundland Slope protected area. The map on the right shows the same area with the new exploration areas in dark green. (DFO, WWF Canada)

The exploration decision was also lambasted by Ecology Action Centre, a conservation group based in Halifax.

Susanna Fuller, the group's marine conservation co-ordinator, said environmental organizations worked with fish harvesters and conservation groups to reach an agreement on protecting the area — only to see it be handed over to oil and gas.

"We have generally supported the efforts of DFO to close areas to all bottom fishing through the more efficient mechanism of the Fisheries Act," she said.

"However, we have also been strongly advocating for no industrial activity in any areas that are to going to be counted towards protection targets."

Susanna Fuller, marine conservation co-ordinator for the Ecology Action Centre, says her group is against industrial activity in the protected zone. (CBC)

The Northeast Newfoundland Slope area — which totals 46,833 square kilometres — was part of the Liberal government's effort to designate 10 per cent of Canada's coasts and waters as marine-protected areas.

LeBlanc maintained that commitment "is of the utmost importance" to the Liberal government.

Conservationists raised concerns last summer, when draft regulations for a marine-protected area off southwestern Newfoundland showed the area was still open for oil and gas activities.

In an email Friday afternoon, the C-NLOPB said it is committed to the protection of environmentally significant and sensitive areas.

"We will continue to work closely with DFO, other federal and provincial agencies, fishing interest groups, and other stakeholders in this regard."

The board said it will impose restrictions or measures to mitigate against harm in the approval process for oil and gas activities. </s> CALGARY—The federal government announced Tuesday plans to ban offshore oil and gas licensing in the Arctic, citing the need to protect the environment from future energy development, but the move was largely dismissed by industry observers as a weak gesture that won’t harm their interests.

The measure was part of a joint announcement with the U.S., which designated the bulk of its federally controlled waters in the Arctic Ocean and certain areas in the Atlantic Ocean as indefinitely off-limits to future oil and gas leasing.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canada’s ban is intended to ensure a sustainable Arctic economy, preserve the region’s ecosystem and prevent future risks associated with offshore oil and gas activity — goals that earned applause from environmental groups such as Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund.

But experts pointed out that there are no drilling plans in the region now, suggesting that the ban is of little consequence.

Michael Byers, a University of British Columbia professor who recently published a book called “Who Owns the Arctic?”, said the only surprise in Ottawa’s announcement is that it provides for a five-year review.

Byers said the move seems to be politically motivated and is designed to show that Trudeau is protecting the environment despite a recent decision to sanction two oil pipelines — the Trans Mountain expansion and Line 3 replacement project.

“Closing the door to Arctic oil and gas helps to position himself on the climate change file by saying that there are limits in terms of the development of new oil and gas fields, therefore drawing a line in the sand from a climate change perspective,” he said.

“There’s no activity taking place in the Canadian Arctic right now, so saying ‘No’ doesn’t require anyone to stop.”

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Last year, Imperial Oil applied to extend the expiry date on its licences to drill in the Beaufort Sea off the Northwest Territories from 2020 to 2028, citing insufficient time to conduct technical work and complete regulatory processes.

Byers said the federal ban means the Imperial licences can simply be allowed to expire, likely without liability for the federal government.

Imperial Oil spokeswoman Killeen Kelly said the company would not speculate on whether it would seek compensation for its licences if they aren’t extended.

President Barack Obama on Tuesday designated the bulk of U.S.-owned waters in the Arctic Ocean and certain areas in the Atlantic Ocean as indefinitely off limits to future oil and gas leasing.

The move helps put some finishing touches on Obama's environmental legacy while also testing President-elect Donald Trump's promise to unleash the nation's untapped energy reserves.

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Environmental groups hope the ban, despite relying on executive powers, will be difficult for future presidents to reverse. The White House said it's confident the president's order will withstand legal challenge and said the language of the statute provides no authority for subsequent presidents to undo permanent withdrawals.

The last Canadian oil well drilled in the Beaufort Sea off the Northwest Territories was completed in 2006 by Devon Canada.

Chris Seasons, who was president of the company at the time, said Tuesday’s decision to close the Arctic to drilling may hurt companies with interests there in the long run, but won’t cause any immediate pain.

“People always like to have the maximum number of options available as technology changes and as views change on the commerciality of some of those resources, but I don’t think it has a big impact on Canadian companies at this juncture,” he said.

“There’s definitely hydrocarbons there. We found about a 200-million-barrel oil pool, but it wasn’t of sufficient scale to be commercial.”

Byers said oil and gas production in the Arctic doesn’t make sense economically or environmentally, estimating that benchmark U.S. oil prices would have to triple to above $150 ($200 Canadian) per barrel to make oil from the region profitable.

He said the extremely short drilling season represents a huge and costly risk for companies that explore there, adding that transportation is a “nightmare.”

Trudeau said Tuesday the ban is intended to ensure a sustainable Arctic economy, protect the region’s ecosystem and prevent future risks associated with offshore oil and gas activity.

He said his government will also encourage the use of energy efficiency measures and renewable power in an effort to reduce reliance on diesel in Northern communities.

In statements, both Greenpeace and the World Wildlife Fund welcomed the Arctic drilling bans, saying they will help protect endangered species and ecosystems.

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Paul Barnes, Arctic manager for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, said in an email the industry remains confident that it can develop offshore oil and gas resources in the Arctic in environmentally responsible ways.

The Canadian and U.S. governments said they are launching processes to identify sustainable shipping lanes throughout Arctic waters, including the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.

With files from The Associated Press

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Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, invites bids for oil and gas exploration at Northeast Newfoundland Slope, a protected marine area that was closed to fishing in December.