July 30, 8:58 a.m. - Let's not forget the coasts!

There should be more emphasis on critical coastal issues during this current election campaign. Many of the topics that generate concern in communities around the province are about coastal zone development, and most importantly about decision-making and control.

The Nova Scotia Environmental Network (NSEN) recently conducted a survey of the three political parties to see where they stood on environmental issues. This survey, along with the "Top 10 provincial Environmental Issues for this campaign" received great press coverage from CBC. Most of the issues on this list, including: the Digby Neck quarry, the Baltzer peat bog, aquaculture development, seismic testing, and oil and gas drilling, are coastal issues.

These conflicts are all happening within a complete policy vacuum about coastal development in Nova Scotia. There is currently no provincial policy or legislation guiding coastal development in Nova Scotia. Consequently, coastal development in the province is proceeding in an ad hoc and unregulated manner. A comprehensive coastal protection policy would protect important coastal landscape features (habitats) and natural functions, preserve public access to and along the coast and reduce the long-term costs associated with unregulated development.

Politicians should be paying attention to what is happening elsewhere. Both New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island have developed coastal policies that protect their valuable coastal landscapes by strongly regulating the types and location of development activities that can occur in and adjacent to the coastal zone. Nova Scotia urgently needs a coastal areas protection policy that outlines what kinds of development can and cannot happen in the coastal zone. The cornerstone of New Brunswick's coastal areas protection policy is the classification of the coastal zone into zones of varying fragility sensitivity and ecological significance. Coastal development will be prohibited in certain zones and carefully regulated in other areas. Nova Scotia should adopt a similar system of buffer zones and develop clear guidelines about the kinds of development activities permitted in each zone.

Politicians do not appear to be thinking of how to manage our coasts, however, a number of non-governmental groups in the province are thinking about this issue. The Ecology Action Centre's coastal issues committee (CIC) wants to put coastal issues on the provincial agenda and help make coastal habitat protection in NS a reality. CIC recently organized a "Toast to the Coast" campaign and traveled to coastal areas around the province to speak with local groups about coastal issues. The campaign raised awareness and support for coastal issues and reaffirmed that Nova Scotians have a deep connection and commitment to the sea and shore. This fall, CIC will be organizing a follow-up event to bring together groups from around the province to plan how to move forward on the critical coastal issues facing Nova Scotia.

   - Jennifer Graham, Ecology Action Centre

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