Paulatuk celebrates Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam marine protected area

Paulatuk's annual jamboree fell on World Ocean's Day, and proved a wonderful time to officially celebrate the new marine protection area in Darnley Bay.

The entire hamlet joined in Friday to celebrate the 2,400 square kilometre Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam marine protected area that came into being in November.

• New marine protected area established in Beaufort Sea's Darnley Bay

The area is home to Arctic char, cod, beluga whales, polar bears, eels and many bird species. 

"We have so many species of animals who either feed through the area, pass through the area but in ways that use the area, and we wanted to protect that habitat for those species," said Mayor Raymond Ruben, who called the protection area a "blessing."

"Anguniaqvia Niqiqyuam" is Inuvialuktun for "where I hunt for food." The marine protected area is named after a favourite hunting spot of Inuvialuit leader Nelson Green, who hunted in the area his entire life.

It's Canada's first marine protected area where Indigenous traditional knowledge was critical to the designation, according to Calvyn Wenghofer of Fisheries and Oceans Canada

"Traditional and local knowledge was used to develop the objectives for the MPA here and obviously the community, the people who lived in Paulatuk and the elders were essential to creating that."