OTTAWA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Canada on Thursday began a ban on oil and gas work, as well as mining, waste dumping and bottom trawling in all of Canada's marine protected areas, according to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans, and the Canadian Coast Guard.

The ban applies to marine protected areas, which are specific areas within bodies of water that are granted protected status by federal, provincial or territorial governments. It will not automatically apply to activities in fisheries conservation areas designated as marine refuges.

The refuges are a fisheries management measure to protect important species and habitats.

The marine protected areas are established to help meet an international commitment to protect 10 percent of Canada's ocean and coastal areas by 2020. Canada reached 8.2 percent of its target last year.

The ban is meant to bring Canada up to international standards recommended by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"The new standards for marine conservation we are announcing today will provide for high levels of environmental protection in a manner that is sensitive to important economic actors such as fish harvesters," said the minister, Jonathan Wilkinson. Enditem

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