Announcement March 7, 2007 MUSQUASH MARINE PROTECTED AREA IS FINALLY LEGAL! On Wednesday March 7, 2007, Fisheries and Oceans Canada will officially announce the protection of the Musquash Estuary as a federal marine protected area. This is New Brunswick's first MPA, protected by regulation under the Canada Oceans Act. The Conservation Council of New Brunswick nominated Musquash as an MPA in 1998, and then launched a now 10-year campaign to achieve its official protection. Fundy Baykeeper David Thompson led the Musquash MPA campaign on behalf of CCNB, marshalling support from the Fundy North Fishermen's Association whose member’s fish in the estuary, many conservation groups such as Ducks Unlimited and Nature Conservancy of Canada, and many residents and landowners in the adjacent communities of Musquash and Lorneville. David also facilitated the formation of Friends of Musquash and serves as its chairman. This group of local landowners and residents serves as a community liaison group for DFO on management issues for the MPA. Musquash is the only significant estuary in the Bay of Fundy which has not been significantly degraded by development or pollution. This, along with its amazing natural features -- it contains representative samples of all the major Bay of Fundy habitats within its approximately 27 sq km area -- positions the estuary as an important estuarine environment to protect in perpetuity. The Musquash MPA announcement will be made at 3:00 pm at the Mary Oland Theatre in the New Brunswick Museum, Saint John. For more information, contact the Conservation Council at: (506) 458-8747 or visit: www.musquashmpa.ca .