The Newfoundland and Labrador government has terminated its participation in the feasibility study for the proposed South Coast Fjords National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA), a move hailed by the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW‑Unifor) and many harvesters in regions including Conception Bay. On Feb. 3, 2026, the provincial government formally notified the other signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding — including Parks Canada, Miawpukek First Nation, Qalipu First Nation and the Town of Burgeo — that it was ending its involvement in the feasibility process.
The announcement was made by Chris Tibbs, Minister of Environment, Conservation and Climate Change. In the government news release, Tibbs said the province could not proceed with the feasibility assessment “given the potential risk to aquaculture, fishing and mining sectors and the viability of the communities who rely on them.” The provincial statement cited concerns about potential impacts on those industries and local communities. Industry groups and some harvesters had previously warned about proposals for fully protected or closure zones in parts of the study area; the provincial release itself did not use the term “no‑take.”
FFAW‑Unifor, which represents roughly 14,000 harvesters, plant workers and other members in the province, praised the decision. “We had significant concerns on what that closure was going to mean for the livelihoods of our membership,” FFAW president Dwan Street said in media reporting. The Newfoundland and Labrador Aquaculture Industry Association also welcomed the move, saying the proposed NMCA risked harming the local economy on the south coast.
The feasibility process began under a Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 23, 2023. That MOU established a steering committee and studies to assess whether an NMCA and a possible re‑designation of Sandbanks Provincial Park as a national park would be feasible; it noted the work was consistent with broader federal biodiversity commitments, including targets to increase marine protection toward the global goal of protecting 30 percent of oceans by 2030. With the province’s withdrawal, the formal feasibility assessment led under the MOU has been halted.
