The Marine Spatial Planning project was created to advance the involvement of the Maritime Aboriginal People’s Council, along with the Maritime Aboriginal Aquatic Resources Secretariate in Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) activities. The MSP lead will provide input into the development of Maritime and Gulf bioregional or local marine spatial plans and their tools, including the further development of Marine Protected Area networks and other existing marine integrated planning frameworks and will be engaged in MSP discussions and activities, including academic, technical, policy, and the use of various existing and emerging MSP tools.

This project builds on other MAPC initiatives to further the advancement of conservation, sustainable use, and equitable sharing of the oceans and ocean biodiversity for the rightful share and responsible management of the oceans for the benefit of the Native Council community of Indigenous Peoples continuing on their traditional ancestral homelands and territories (off-reserve) throughout the Maritimes Region of Canada.

The MSP Manager will develop capacity and provide expertise in addition to becoming a focal point between the DFO and the MAPC partner Native Councils, their Natural Life Harvesting Commissions and their Aboriginal Communal Commercial Fishing entities.

Kathleen Spooner
Marine Spatial Planning Facilitator

Kate is the Marine Spatial Planning Facilitator for the Introductory Marine Planning Project. She attended Union College, in Schenectady, New York, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts with a major in Sociology and a minor in Anthropology. The topic of her senior thesis focused on clean drinking water accessibility in Nova Scotia and New Hampshire, which led her to pursue a Master of Science in Sustainable Development from the University of St Andrews in Scotland. Her Master’s dissertation examined the historical colonial processes that have influenced governmental discourse on clean water vulnerability in Canada’s on-reserve Indigenous communities.

In the spring of 2020, Kate interned with the Town of Glenville, NY, in their Stormwater Management Department. Here, she researched the contamination of stormwater runoff and developed educational material on the importance of water conservation and pollution prevention for community engagement.

Originally from Grand Pre, Nova Scotia, Kate grew up playing hockey and always found outdoor adventures a highlight of her spare time. Today, she enjoys sailing, skiing, and traveling with family and friends.

Email: kspooner@mapcorg.ca