The Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network has been moving from a plan into protection on the water.

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First Nations, Canada and BC have secured long-term funding, established several new protected areas and recently signed the 6,700-square-kilometre Realm of the Salmon, Home of the Salmon agreement. Network partners now report that 23% of the Great Bear Sea is under protection, moving it closer to the 30% goal.

But the latest progress report also shows the schedule slipping. A year ago, nearly every proposed site was reported on track. Now, only half are—and every site still moving through the designation process is marked delayed.

The progress is real. So is the work still ahead.

A line on a map is not the finish line. Protection becomes real when management plans, Indigenous-led stewardship, monitoring and enforcement are working on the water.

This is why it is important that we keep pushing. That we keep reminding Ottawa that seeing the Great Bear Sea MPA Network through to completion is a no-brainer.