How Can the Province of Nova Scotia Protect Its Coast?

Many jurisdictions are trying to enact new laws to protect their coastlines from various pressures, such as offshore oil drilling and climate change. Recent examples include the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act and the Atlantic Coastal Economies Protection Act in the United States. Both of these statutes are limited to protecting marine habitats along the American coast by prohibiting specific activities associated with offshore oil and gas drilling. They are not examples of comprehensive coastal protection legislation that would indicate the range of activities permitted in a demarcated zone along a coastline. The provincial government of Nova Scotia has recently set out to create such a regime through a proposed Coastal Protection Act (CPA).