Central Coast of BC: proposed national marine conservation area reserve

Project description

The Central Coast of British Columbia, nestled within the Great Bear Sea/Northern Shelf Bioregion, is one of the richest marine environments in the world. For millennia, the wellbeing of the Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Heiltsuk, Gitxaała and Gitga’at Nations has been, and continues to be linked to the health of this marine environment. This area is characterized by islands, rocky headlands and steep fjords. It is home to extraordinary ecological features including coral and sponge reefs, kelp forests and eelgrass beds that support salmon, eulachon and herring, whales and other marine mammals. The area is critical for community members’ cultural, spiritual and economic well-being, including food security.

The establishment of a national marine conservation area reserve (NMCAR) would build on the generational work of First Nations, who have been stewarding the marine environment of the Central Coast for millennia. It would protect this region in a holistic way that protects a wide range of highly connected habitats and ecosystems and the species that depend on them. By extension, the establishment of an NMCAR would contribute to the well-being of First Nations, coastal communities and resource-dependent marine sectors that rely on the health of these ecosystems.

Partners

In August 2021, the Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais and Heiltsuk Nations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (M.O.U.) with Parks Canada and the Province of British Columbia. This M.O.U. launched a feasibility assessment for a proposed NMCAR on the Central Coast of British Columbia. In fall 2023, following a request from Gitga’at and Gitxaała Nations to include key areas of their traditional territories in the NMCAR feasibility assessment, the proposed boundary was expanded further north.

Current project stage

The establishment of a new NMCA generally follows a 5-step process. The establishment process for each NMCA is as unique as its features and considerations. This project is currently at Step 4 of 5 – Negotiate establishment agreement.

The Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Heiltsuk, Gitxaała and Gitga’at First Nations, the Government of Canada, through Parks Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Province of British Columbia signed an agreement committing to advance the establishment of an NMCAR in the Central Coast region of British Columbia. This initiative is a testimony to the spirit of collaboration. It is an example of a multi-government, tripartite approach to marine protection. This agreement marks the joint commitment of partners to protect the cultural, ecological and economic values in the Central Coast region in a way that meets the needs of present and future generations. Partners are negotiating the terms and conditions under which the NMCAR will be established. Only after partners reach agreement will the NMCAR be implemented.

Proposed outer boundary

The blue area on the proposed outer boundary map (Map A) illustrates the draft outer boundary for the proposed NMCAR. It is not a final boundary. This boundary continues to be modified through consultations and negotiations. For example, areas next to communities where there is a higher concentration of activity and associated infrastructure may be excluded from the NMCAR. In these excluded areas, activities will continue to be managed by existing processes.

Map A: Proposed outer boundary map

Rationale for this location

An NMCAR on the Central Coast of BC is being considered for many reasons, including:

• high biodiversity and ecological values in the region
• cultural significance of the area
• opportunity for tourism and recreation
• this marine region is not currently represented in the Parks Canada national marine conservation area system plan.

Marine biodiversity is threatened by multiple stressors including habitat alteration, resource use pressure, and climate change. Culture, food security, ecosystem health, and economic opportunities in the Central Coast all depend on healthy marine ecosystems. The establishment of an NMCAR aims to reduce localized stressors and protect important ecosystems to safeguard lasting social, economic, and cultural benefits for coastal communities.

Background

The proposed Central Coast NMCAR represents a core component of the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network in the Northern Shelf Bioregion. The governments of seventeen Coastal First Nations, Canada and British Columbia endorsed a Network Action Plan for the Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network in February 2023. This plan provides a roadmap for protecting the marine environment in the region for current and future generations. The plan identifies the establishment of an NMCAR on the Central Coast as a priority.

From 2021 to 2024, the Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais and Heiltsuk Nations (Central Coast Nations) worked together with the governments of Canada and British Columbia to determine whether establishing an NMCAR on the Central Coast was feasible, and if so, under what conditions. This assessment was informed by previous planning initiatives, engagement with First Nation members, and feedback received through open houses, bilateral meetings, a public survey, and emails.

The feasibility assessment was completed in September 2024. All partners — including Gitga’at and Gitxaała Nations, as observers to the process — agreed that establishing an NMCAR on the Central Coast of BC is both feasible and desirable.

Possible outcomes

Through the establishment of an NMCAR, the Government of Canada and the Province of B.C. can support the longstanding work by First Nations to build a strong, conservation-based economy that protects the Central Coast. Once implemented, the NMCAR will protect up to 7,800 square kilometres of coastal waters that closely align with areas recommended for protection in the endorsed Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan.

NMCARs provide high ecological and cultural protections while also allowing ecologically sustainable activities and diversification of the local economy. The establishment of an NMCAR would protect important habitats, species, and ecosystems on which First Nations, coastal communities, and resource-dependent marine sectors rely. Human activities in an NMCAR would be carefully co-governed between First Nations, the Government of Canada, and the Province of BC, based on Indigenous knowledge, local perspectives, and science. NMCARs can have different zones of activity that range from “strict protection” to “multiple use” areas, which allow for ecologically sustainable activities.

Establishing an NMCAR will help support an ecologically sustainable ocean economy on the Central Coast that includes activities such as commercial and recreational fishing, aquaculture (marine plants, shellfish), local tourism, recreation, and research. First Nations’ food, social, and ceremonial activities can continue in all NMCAR zones.

Timeline and next steps

Partners have committed to reaching agreement on outstanding NMCAR establishment steps. After this, an NMCAR would proceed into the implementation phase. Partners will continue to consult with residents and stakeholders about the NMCAR, including refinements to the boundary, before the implementation phase begins.

If the NMCAR proceeds to the implementation phase, then:

1. A collaborative management board will be created with representation from the partnering governments
2. An advisory committee will be established, spanning a range of marine sectors and interests, giving voice to stakeholders and residents
3. Management planning will begin, including the development of a zoning plan, informed by previous planning processes and input from stakeholders and residents.

The Nations will continue to advance the designation of Indigenous protected and conserved areas (IPCA) to create dual designation(s) with the NMCAR. Together, IPCA and NMCAR designations can create a strong, layered approach to marine protection that ensures all partners are exercising their respective authorities, rights, and jurisdictions.

Contact

Email Parks Canada’s Pacific NMCA Establishment Team at: nmca-pacific-amnc@pc.gc.ca

Related Links

• Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance (Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, and Heiltsuk Nations)
• Gitxaała Nation
• Gitga’at Nation
• Our Great Bear Sea
• Great Bear Sea MPA Network