Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper Thursday announced that Canada is taking concrete action to protect one of the world's largest seasonal populations of beluga whales by establishing the Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area.

"As part of our integrated Northern Strategy, the Government is dedicated to protecting and conserving the magnificent environment and unique wildlife of Canada's Arctic," he said.

Harper noted that the area is home to one of the world's largest summering populations of beluga whales, "We are ensuring these Arctic treasures are preserved for generations to come."

The Tarium Niryutait Marine Protected Area will consist of three individual areas called Niaqunnaq, Okeevik, and Kittigaryuit, and covers approximately 1,800 square kilometres of the Mackenzie River Delta and estuary in the Beaufort Sea.

The first Marine Protected Area of its kind in the Canadian Arctic, the Protected Area will be a vital part of Canada's expanding network of protected ocean regions.

Harper said the Marine Protected Area will also protect harvesting traditions central to the Inuvialuit culture in the communities of Aklavik, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk.

The designation of the Marine Protected Area is the result of a successful collaboration among the Inuvialuit people, private industry, local stakeholders and governments with a balance between the cultural and economic aspirations of northerners.