First Nations and Canada Protect a Marine Ecosystem: Another first

Feeding Humpback Whale

In the last six months or so there have been several important efforts that we “haven’t seen before” for us to celebrate. Beginnings, imperfect but hopeful, necessary if not sufficient.

Here’s another.  

There is a growing awareness and respect in the arena of conservation and ecology that there is great wisdom in the traditions and ways of Indigenous peoples who have millenia of experience and traditions of living sustainably. In addition, there are important issues of equity when addressing the use (or abuse) of lands inhabited by Indigenous peoples.

At the Fifth International Protected Areas Congress in Vancouver, a major collaboration to protect a large area of coastal waters off British Columbia between First Nations and Canada was announced.

A report on February 5, 2023 from the Canadian group Nature United detailed a collaboration between Indigenous Nations and the government of Canada to establish a co-governed marine protected area (MPA) network that protects the Great Bear Sea, an area on the north and central coast of British Columbia “where ocean and land are inextricably connected.”

The Guardian called it a ‘mindset shift’ for conservation.  From the article: “This is one of the richest and most productive ecosystems left in the world, and we should be very proud of that,” said Christine Smith-Martin, executive director of the Coastal First Nations. “Salmon, bears, wolves, and whales, kelp forests and ancient cedars; it is also a home to all of our people in our traditional territories. First Nations stewardship of these lands and seas dates back more than 14,000 years – we can take care of our territories.”

 This is a huge step for all of us. Kelp forests, whales and woodlands sequester CO2 and fight climate change.

From Nature United: “This is the first time in history—and the Great Bear Sea is the first place in the world—that multiple Indigenous and non-Indigenous governments have united together to advance a network of marine protected areas at this scale, built on a foundation of world-leading ecological standards and Indigenous cultural and scientific knowledge,” says Hadley Archer, Executive Director of Nature United.

“Canada is demonstrating global leadership with ambitious commitments to ocean protection. This vast marine protected area network exemplifies the power of Indigenous leadership and partnership across all sectors,” says Jennifer Morris, CEO of Nature United’s global affiliate, The Nature Conservancy. “We are at a turning point where national commitments are becoming the catalyst to the change we need. As we witness Canada's investment in nature and its people, we see global agreements strengthen—and hope this example paves the way for swift action from all governments.”

From the proposed network summary: “Using a combination of federal, provincial, and Indigenous protected area designation and governance tools, the Network is designed to protect and conserve key habitats, species, and areas of cultural importance to First Nations. While there is a trade-off between protection and human uses, the proposed Network addresses protection and conservation requirements for many of the area’s most important features while minimizing economic costs. For example, it meets the ‘representation targets’ (how much of a feature we should try to include in the Network) for all habitats and many species.”

You can also find more details of the MPA network action plan of the Northern Shelf Bioregion.