Canada to create protected marine zone in Arctic

Canada will create a protected marine area in the country's Arctic region, where climate change is taking effect three times faster than global average, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.

Glacial melting and maritime traffic are threatening multiple species off the coast of Baffin Island, in Canada's northeastern Arctic archipelago.

"Populations of belugas, narwhals, walruses, seals, polar bears and thousands of other species who depend on year-round sea ice to survive are now migrating, dwindling, or in some cases, disappearing," Trudeau said during a visit to Iqaluit, in the eastern territory of Nunavut.

The prime minister, who is seeking reelection in three months, has made environmental protection and reconciliation with indigenous populations two main priorities.

"For Inuit who have relied on hunting and harvesting to feed their families, climate change imperils their livelihoods and their way of life," he said.

According to Trudeau, the protected region would help