Sensitive Areas Offshore
Georges Bank is a large, shallow, biologically diverse and productive bank on the outer shelf of eastern North America.
Canada and the United States share jurisdiction over Georges Bank; the Canadian side of the boundary includes the northeast portion known as the Northeast Peak.
Georges Bank is a relatively flat-topped bedrock feature utilized for a number of commercial species of fish.
It also contains the potential for large hydrocarbon reserves.
However, there is currently a moratorium in place on oil and gas exploration on Georges Bank. The federal and provincial governments have a joint agreement to extend the moratorium until 2015.
The Sable Gully has been designated a Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act since 2004. The Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board has not allowed petroleum activities in the Gully since 1998, when the Gully was first identified as a special area. For more information, visit the Canada Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board’s Marine Protected Areas site.