The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) and a partnership of marine protected area (MPA) agencies and aquariums released a series of short films examining the importance of MPAs in Canada, Mexico and the US to protecting marine life, promoting research, restoring fisheries, and supporting local and national economies.
8 June 2012: The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) celebrated World Oceans Day by releasing a series of short films showing how the nearly 2,000 marine protected areas (MPAs) of Canada, Mexico and the US benefit both marine life and nearby communities.
The films, produced in partnership with MPA agencies and a network of 24 aquarium Coastal Learning Centers known as Coastal America, premiered on 7 June 2012, in Washington, DC, US, at the National Geographic Society. They began showing in aquariums, MPAs, Ocean Today kiosks and elsewhere on 8 June.
The four short films, which can be watched on the CEC website, are: “Protecting Marine Life” explaining how MPAs protect marine life and help restore fisheries; “Discovering the Ocean’s Secrets” discussing how MPAs help further research and understanding about marine life; “Connecting Us to Nature” examining how MPAs can be places for people to enjoy the natural world; and “Sustaining Communities” highlighting how MPAs help sustain coastal communities and contribute to the North American economy.
The CEC was created by Canada, Mexico and the US to implement the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC), the environmental side accord to the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). [CEC Press Release] [MPA Films]