MaPP workshop presented during the 2018 B.C. Seafood Expo in Comox

Posted on March 25, 2019 by adminMaPP

Sally Cargill visits a booth promoting locally harvested sea urchin. (Photo credit: Andy Witt)

On behalf of the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), Dr. Myron Roth, Industry Specialist – Aquaculture & Seafood with the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture, moderated a workshop for 40 people, Aquaculture Resources for Commercialization. Held on June 11, the workshop was part of the B.C. Seafood Expo, a large seafood industry trade event, held in conjunction with the annual B.C. Seafood Festival in Comox on Vancouver Island.

Through the MaPP initiative, First Nations communities in the Haida Gwaii, North Coast, Central Coast and North Vancouver Island sub-regions are implementing marine plans, which include objectives and strategies for shellfish aquaculture and sustainable marine resource development. First Nations in other coastal areas of B.C. have been actively engaged in seafood economic opportunities through research, pilot and commercial projects. The goal of the workshop was to present an update on these various projects and to facilitate a broader discussion on financial and business resources currently available to First Nations communities for the development of business opportunities.

The workshop began with opening remarks and welcome by Chief Richard Hardy, K’ómoks First Nation/Pentlatch Seafoods.

Presentations kicked off with updates by representatives involved in shellfish aquaculture projects in the MaPP sub-regions. They were:

Central Coast: Sally Cargill, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
North Vancouver Island: Andy Witt, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
Haida Gwaii: Barry Wijdeven, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
North Coast: Brian Kingzett, Coastal Shellfish Corporation

“Through the implementation of the Central Coast Marine Plan, First Nation and provincial partners are establishing shellfish aquaculture pilot sites to better understand if and where there might be opportunities for sustainable economic development that supports community interests,” said Cargill. “The MaPP ARC workshop at the B.C. Seafood Expo was a great networking and learning opportunity for both of the MaPP partners.”

A series of presentations followed. The first, on business planning, lessons learned in the agri-business sector, the value of best practices, and case studies from top producer success stories, was presented by Trish Laugharne and Anne Skinner of the Sector Development Branch, Partnerships and Outreach, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture.

Next, Kelly Masson of the Pacific Integrated Commercial Initiatives Business Development Team, Castlemain Group, discussed aquaculture funding opportunities and how to harness them, using a funder’s perspective. Valuable insight on how to use business planning and feasibility assessments for developing eligible projects for funding and what funders look for in a successful application.

The session finished with a presentation by Lynn Lashuk and Rob Cunningham of BMO Bank of Montreal, who gave an overview of BMO’s Aboriginal Banking Services, basic requirements of their lending programs and an overview of branches and staff delivering their services.

The workshop concluded with a question and answer period.

“We discussed ways to open up capital funding for aquaculture projects that will unlock potential for coastal First Nations communities,” said Dr. Roth. “We also got updates on various projects and had a good discussion on financial and business resources for First Nations communities to develop opportunities in the seafood value chain.”

Part of this discussion highlighted the value of economic partnerships that have led to development of several successful aquaculture projects in B.C.

Expo delegates sampled local seafood. (Photo credit: Andy Witt)

Another event held the same day was a workshop co-ordinated by Ministry of Jobs Trade & Tourism (JTT), Exploring International Markets for Indigenous Seafood, which focused on business opportunities for B.C. First Nations and making connections with international clients. As well, an evening reception allowed attendees to sample a wide variety of B.C. seafood dishes from shellfish and finfish producers prepared by B.C. chefs, along with the chance to mingle with the JTT International Buyers Delegation.

For more information, visit B.C. Seafood Expo (https://bcseafoodexpo.com/) and B.C. Seafood Festival (https://bcseafoodfestival.com/)

The tradeshow featured representatives of international companies. (Photo credit: Andy Witt)

Cultural and Archaeological Work in the North Vancouver Island Marine Plan

Posted on March 20, 2019 by adminMaPP

To Gina Thomas and Sean Connaughton, public education is an important tool to protect archaeological sites. (Photo credit: Barb Dinning)

For two decades, Tlowitsis band member Gina Thomas has been combing the coast and forests of her nation’s vast territory on North Vancouver Island in search of cultural sites that mark her people’s rich heritage. One of her more recent finds triggered feelings of both excitement and frustration.

A cliff dwelling was discovered in Tlowitsis ancestral lands. Heavily protected on all sides by a deep trench, a rushing creek and raised earthen beds or ‘berms’, her ancestors had lived out of harm’s way high on tiers in the rock face.

“For me, personally, I would love to put a timeframe to sites like this…to understand how our people lived, their movement and the time period,” explains Thomas, a Tlowitsis Guardian since 2015. “When we put up signs to protect cultural sites like this, we say we’ve been in the area for thousands of years. But we don’t have an exact date and that’s frustrating for me.”

Also frustrating for Thomas, and others who live and work in the North Vancouver Island Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) sub-region, are the threats posed to these sites by human and environmental impacts.

“Back in 2001, during the land planning process, we found cultural sites were being disturbed, as the Elders had described,” says Scott Harris, resource planner for the Nanwakolas Council, which includes the Da’naxda’xw/Awaetlatla, K’ómoks, Kwiakah, Mamalilikulla, Tlowitsis, and Wei Wai Kum First Nations. “A decade later, when I began working on marine planning in the region, I was shocked to learn it was still happening.”

The protection of cultural, archaeological and heritage sites is a high priority for Nanwakolas member First Nations, as set out in their “Ha-ma-yas marine plan” for the MaPP region of North Vancouver Island. In 2016, the Nanwakolas Council began a significant two-year study through MaPP to define, identify, verify, and highlight potential protection measures for the rich, cultural and heritage resources within the members’ traditional territories.

As a first step, the existing literature was surveyed to find out what had been documented for more than 2,600 cultural sites in Nanwakolas member territories, many of which are formally registered in the Province of B.C.’s database. “This part of the Northwest coast is known ethnographically around the world – yet we know next to nothing about it archaeologically. Much of the initial research was done 50 to 60 years ago and no one’s really followed up since,” explains Dr. Sean P. Connaughton, an archaeologist with Inlailawatash, a Tsleil-Waututh-owned heritage firm that co-led the study. Inlailawatash submitted comprehensive reports for the study that would include a cultural and heritage assessment, a cultural heritage field program, as well as a vulnerability and sensitivity assessment.

Guardians inspect middens to verify and update data about sensitive cultural sites. (Photo credit: Scott Harris)

In the summer of 2016, Connaughton, guardians, and other First Nation representatives took to the field to verify the accuracy of the literature. What they found did not match up. “Most of the registered sites were not recorded accurately, and the size and significance of the sites in the recorded documentation were also inaccurate,” Connaughton reports.

First Nations need accurate site measurements and other data to better protect cultural sites and to explore cultural tourism opportunities, explains Thomas, who took part in the field survey. “It allows us to advise where development can happen and to inform local kayak operators and tourists where they may or may not visit.”

In June 2017, the Nanwakolas Guardians Cultural Heritage Field Program helped train participants to assess the vulnerability of specific cultural sites in protection management zones (PMZs) and special management zones (SMZs) identified in the MaPP North Vancouver Island plan.

What they found was alarming. Cedar burial boxes were smashed open, burial blankets removed, and bones or skulls placed disrespectfully. In an ancestral village, kayakers had set up camp in ancient house depressions on white shell middens – important sites where First Nations lived and often interred their dead. A culturally significant pictograph was found at risk due to weathering. Fish weirs, clam gardens and canoe skids were exposed to impacts from climate change and marine-based activities.

Protection of these sites is important for many reasons; of particular significance, is the way in which they connect current generations more deeply to the past with their ancestors. “I can’t stress enough how personally we take it when we find a burial cave ransacked,” says Thomas. “I believe that most people would feel as we do, if they found their ancestors’ resting places disturbed or damaged.”

Recommendations for site protection were made at a joint meeting of Guardian and Stewardship program representatives and the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRORD) on Harbledown Island in October 2017.

Education in the form of site signage and community outreach, as well as on-the-water monitoring by guardians are included in a three-tiered strategy developed by the MaPP plan partners – Nanwakolas and the Province of B.C. – to protect and manage these cultural sites. Connaughton points to the daily conversations guardians have with people on the water about their ancestral places. “As knowledge holders, education is one of the biggest tools the Nations have.”

“Education is working,” Thomas agrees. “People want a story. That’s why they come and visit.”

Due to the number and density of First Nations cultural and archaeological sites, the strategy also calls an area-based management approach – to offer long-term efficiency over individual site-by-site protection. Discussion is underway with the Province and Nanwakolas on development of a pilot project to test the strategy in a high traffic area of the Broughton Archipelago. This would include strong participation by First Nations guardians on the water.

“As a First Nations people, we want to protect our archaeological sites. The status quo used to be that we were left out – I’m really excited that times are changing,” says Thomas.

Harris says it’s encouraging to see First Nations and the Province work together on cultural issues important to the communities. “MaPP has been a great step in helping get this work done.”

Pictographs are vulnerable to weathering. (Photo credit: Barb Dinning)

Deep-sea expedition sheds light on need for marine protection

Posted on February 14, 2019 by adminMaPP

The Canadian Coast Guard research vessel Vector exploring the Central Coast. Photo credit: Oceana Canada/Evermaven

The fjords of B.C.’s Central Coast are home to an astounding abundance of marine life including fragile deep-sea corals and sponges and the rockfish they provide habitat for. While First Nations Elders have long spoken of this profusion of life, traditional Indigenous knowledge is now backed up by scientific data gathered during an expedition aboard the Canadian Coast Guard research vessel Vector. Scientists visited Kynoch Inlet, Seaforth Channel and Fitz Hugh Sound in March 2018 as part of a collaborative survey between Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Oceana Canada, Ocean Networks Canada, the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance (CCIRA), and the Heiltsuk and Kitasoo/Xais’Xais First Nations. The Marine Plan Partnership’s (MaPP) Central Coast Marine Plan includes objectives and strategies for identifying and closing information gaps – and there is much to learn about marine life far below the water’s surface.

“The plan was essential to our expedition,” said Oceana Canada’s Science Director Dr. Robert Rangeley. “We were building on existing knowledge and we referred to the Central Coast Marine Plan frequently. There was a lot of back and forth between the partners about where to explore and the Central Coast marine plan was used in those discussions.”

The expedition used a camera capable of filming at depths of more than 2,000 metres—much deeper than previous studies had access to.

Footage taken from the seafloor was captured using Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s submersible drop-camera called BOOTS. This drop-camera has an array of sub-sea scientific and navigational instruments, including high-resolution cameras, flood lights and sensors. Photo credit: Oceana Canada/Evermaven

“We were able to find high densities of vulnerable species such as corals and sponges in habitats never explored,” said DFO’s Program Head for Deep Sea Ecology, Tammy Norgard. “We’ll be using these findings to refine our modelling to determine locations for these species.”

Robert Rangeley, Oceana Canada’s science director, and a youth from Klemtu talk about what they are seeing on the seafloor, streamed to the boat live from the submersible drop-camera. Photo credit: Oceana Canada/Evermaven

Marine Planning Co-ordinator for the Kitasoo/Xai’Xais Nation Barry Edgar acted as the community liaison in Klemtu. “People were fascinated to watch the live video feed and surprised to see all the life at those depths,” he said. “It confirmed a lot of knowledge that has been passed down and we also learned a lot. It was great to have this happen in our community.”

“Before this expedition, the deepest we’d been able to do video work was 200 metres,” added CCIRA Field Technician Tristan Blaine. “Our Elders have talked about these areas, but there was no scientific knowledge. The data we’ve collected has changed the way we see these fjords and provides vital information needed for protecting them.”

From left: Lily Burke, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Tristan Blaine, CCIRA, and Desiree Lawson, Heiltsuk First Nation guardian watchman, identify and log marine life they are seeing during the expedition. Photo credit: Oceana Canada/Evermaven

“The information collected will feed directly into the process of planning a network of marine protected areas in the Northern Shelf Bioregion, with a goal of protecting high value areas including unique habitats and species,” said Sally Cargill, a marine planning specialist with the provincial government and Central Coast co-lead for MaPP. “Deep sea corals and sponges were found within protection management zones. The new information also provides further rationale for MaPP’s protection management zones and may inform future management direction in those areas.”

All the partners were enthusiastic about the expedition’s community engagement component that was led by Maia Hoeberechts with Ocean Networks Canada.

“Ocean Networks Canada supplied the satellite dome and transmitted the underwater video feed to communities along the Central Coast and elsewhere,” said Maia. “This was broadcast to the schools in Bella Bella and Klemtu. We also made sure community members from youth to Elders had an opportunity to visit the research vessel and take part in the expedition. Our goal was to help provide data that helps communities, governments and industry to make informed decisions about our future.”

As part of the expedition’s community engagement initiatives, First Nations youth were welcomed aboard the Vector. Here Brock and Vernon examine a rockfish that lives in the region’s depths. Photo credit: Oceana Canada/Evermaven

The expedition was a collaboration of several partners. Clockwise from top (12 o’clock): Kim Wallace, DFO; James Pegg, DFO; Caroline McNicoll, DFO; Jennifer Whyte, Oceana Canada; Alexandra Vance, Oceana Canada; Maia Hoeberechts, Ocean Networks Canada; Robert Rangeley, Oceana Canada; Tammy Norgard, DFO; Alexandra Cousteau, Oceana; Joshua See, Evermaven; Caitlin McManus, Evermaven; Lily Burke, DFO; and Tristan Blaine, CCIRA. Photo credit: Oceana Canada/Evermaven

MaPP representatives attend the fifth International Marine Conservation Congress

Posted on January 23, 2019 by adminMaPP

Members of the panel discussing the transition from MaPP marine planning to implementation of the plans were, left to right, Kristin Worsley, Steve Diggon, Danielle Shaw, Russ Jones, and Meaghan Calcari-Campbell. (Photo credit: Caroline Butler)

In a panel presentation at the fifth International Marine Conservation Congress (IMCC5) in Kuching, Sarawak, held June 24-29, 2018, delegates from the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) discussed the transition from marine planning to implementation of the MaPP marine plans. Moderated by Meaghan Calcari-Campbell of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the discussion covered key steps in the planning process, implementation achievements and learning to date, and insights on how the team is overcoming challenges. The presentation was part of a symposium that focused on achievements in governance, marine zoning and protection, stewardship and monitoring, and sustainable economic development.

Kristin Worsley, manager, Marine and Coastal Resources, B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, reflected that, “This conference was a great opportunity to share the early learning we’ve had in implementing the MaPP plans and to learn about what others are doing around the world. Marine spatial planning is often touted as a useful tool for addressing a range of issues and interests. But there aren’t that many opportunities to talk with other practitioners about how to do it.”

Russ Jones, consultant to the Haida Oceans Technical Team, Council of the Haida Nation, said, “Our panel discussion emphasized enabling conditions for MaPP and the importance of governance arrangements between First Nations in northern British Columbia to co-operative planning and ongoing implementation. Governance structures such as sub-regional implementation teams are established through government-to-government agreements with the Province of British Columbia and continue to balance the bottom up approach to planning required by First Nations with the need for ongoing leadership and co-ordination. Discussions delved into the concrete outcomes of MaPP as well as recent work with the federal government that are contributing incrementally to enhanced marine protection and sustainable economic development in the Northern Shelf Bioregion. Our story resonated with communities and planners elsewhere who are striving for a stronger community voice in marine planning and management.”

Other panel presenters were Steve Diggon, regional marine planning co-ordinator for Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative and Danielle Shaw, Stewardship Director with the Wuikinuxv Nation.

During the question and answer section of the session, the panel members fielded questions on strategies to ensure consistency between and among the plans at different scales, how MaPP is monitoring human well-being indicators, whether zoning is a traditional tool used by First Nations, and how decision-making between governments works. They also responded to queries about ways to resolve conflicting uses in overlapping First Nation traditional territories, and on the impacts of ocean noise and which level of government is responsible for regulating noise.

At a separate session, Caroline Butler, Gitxaala Fisheries Program, presented Cultural Conservation Priorities: A methodology for integrating Indigenous values into marine protected area network design.

Butler commented, “The community-based planning process and this methodology for integrating data were of significant interest to marine planners in a number of other countries. Planners throughout the world are seeking effective and efficient ways to attend to local values and practices – often under very tight timelines. This conference was a great opportunity to share our experiences and learn about other processes. The marine planning governance structures and methodologies that were developed through MaPP and continued in the Marine Protected Area Network for British Columbia’s Northern Shelf region are quite progressive when presented in a global context.”

The IMCC5 was co-ordinated by the Society for Conservation Biology. More information can be found at https://conbio.org/mini-sites/imcc5/

First Nations Students in the North Coast Help Rehabilitate a Lost Creek, Learn to Fish, and Jar Salmon

Posted on January 15, 2019 by adminMaPP

Two students and three staff from ‘Na Aksa Gyilak’yoo School blow eagle down to bless a new smokehouse. The smokehouse is used to preserve food such as eulachon, a traditionally important fish. In the background, two media arts students record the event, and a once-dry creek bed teems with water.

In the midst of cultural revitalization program for First Nations students near Terrace, B.C., a dry, trash-ridden creek bed was transformed into a stream of fresh mountain run-off. As part of the program funded in part by the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), students from ‘Na Aksa Gyilak’yoo School in Kitsumkalum, B.C., cleared garbage from the creek bed next to their school and led a traditional blessing of a nearby new smokehouse.

Immediately following the blessing, a surge of water came down from the mountains, recalled school principal Colleen Austin. She said water filled the creek that empties into the Skeena River, one of B.C.’s major salmon migration routes.

“It wasn’t even a trickle” said Austin. “It was an absolutely incredible rush of water.”

There had never been significant water in ‘Na Aksa Gyilak’yoo Creek in the 14 years she’s been at the school, Austin said. People used to hang out in the forest next to it, she said, and the rocky bed was strewn with litter.

“We believe, and we’ve always maintained, that when we respect the land, the water, the air, the trees, and everything around us, that we will be blessed,” said Austin, when asked how she explained the creek’s revival. Austin, whose Tsimshian name is ‘Wii Goot, which means Big Heart, said the creek continued to run with water for several months, and despite being dry in October 2018, she believes the creek is likely to run again, and one day may be viable enough for salmon to spawn up it, as they traditionally did before the area became polluted.

Sixty students from the school, ranging from kindergartners to Grade 12, participated in the Youth Cultural Revitalization Program, a $10,000 project funded by MaPP. The students’ backgrounds included Tsimshian, Nisga’a, Haida, and several other First Nations ancestries. The program was divided into four seasonal units, and included lessons on environmental stewardship and Sm’algyax, a critically endangered Tsimshian language. The school’s language co-ordinator, Mique’l Dangeli, who is fluent in Sm’algyax, led the programming, with others, including Nisga’a elder Larry Derrick, and John Blumhagen, a Tsimshian education assistant at the school.

The first unit of study in the summer of 2017 focused on salmon, including the decline of local species with environmental changes, how to ensure the return of salmon, as well as its cultural significance. Students fished for salmon on the Skeena River, and cleaned, filleted, and jarred the fish.

The second unit of study, in October 2017, was centred on the school’s recently built smokehouse, where food is traditionally preserved. The students cleared debris from the woods around the smokehouse and from the adjacent then-dry creek bed. They learned how to lead a blessing of the smokehouse, including with singing, dancing, and traditional uses of cedar branches, eagle down, and fire. About 90 members of the school’s larger community, including parents, grandparents, teachers, and local residents joined the event.

“It was pouring rain the day before and up until the blessing. The rain completely stopped and the sun was shining for actual blessing. Then it poured again afterwards,” Austin said, laughing. When the water began rushing over the rocks that day, the adults in attendance were all in shock and disbelief, Austin said, adding some are still in disbelief. “And obviously we were thrilled.”

The third unit, in January and February of 2018, focused on Tsimshian and Nisga’a astronomy, including reading the relationship between ocean tides and the position of the moon to predict a season’s bounty.

And, in March of 2018, students dip-netted in the Skeena River for eulachon, oily smelt that are about the length of one’s hand and traditionally vital to coastal First Nations. Eulachon populations have declined coast-wide, and are listed as a species of ‘special concern’. While the students were not successful catching them, they received some as a gift and learned how to smoke the fish in the school’s smokehouse.

“The students loved being part of this project,” Austin said, noting that it helped build mentorship between students of different ages, build skills, and it connected students to their elders. She said students who may have run ATVs over the forest or thrown litter on the ground, are now working with elders to pick tea and berries, clean fish, and properly dispose of fish remains.

“They wanted more,” Austin said of the students in the program, who comprised most of the student body of ‘Na Aksa Gyilak’yoo School.

MaPP receives H.B. Nicholls Award

Posted on October 24, 2018 by adminMaPP

In this video John Bones (Secretariat and Nanwakolas Council) accepted the H.B. Nicholls Award given to the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) by the Coastal Zone Canada Association (CZCA) at its conference in St. John’s in July 2018. The award recognized MaPP for the unique partnership between the Government of British Columbia and 17 First Nations for marine spatial planning and implementation of the marine plans. Bones accepted the award from Peter Zuzek, President of CZCA, on behalf of the MaPP partners.

Protecting Marine Biodiversity in the Great Bear Sea

Posted on June 5, 2018 by adminMaPP

Copper rockfish. Photo credit: Tammy Norgard, Heiltsuk Fisheries.

The next steps in the creation of a Marine Protected Area Network are underway for the Northern Shelf Bioregion. This is a collaboration between MaPP partners, comprised of 17 member First Nations and the Province of British Columbia, and the federal government.

The Marine Protected Area Technical Team (MPATT) – composed of Canada, First Nations and B.C. – is developing recommendations within a network action plan for marine areas to be set aside as part of a network for permanent protection on the north coast of British Columbia. The plan will identify proposed sites and recommend levels of protection.

The new MPA network will build on 114 existing protected areas in the region, as well as the zones recommended in MaPP sub-regional marine plans. The MaPP plans, announced in 2015, include a spatial component identifying: general and special management zones to support sustainable human uses; and protection management zones (PMZ) for the protection of marine biodiversity and First Nations cultural and traditional uses.

Eelgrass estuary. Photo credit: Doug Neasloss.

MPATT member Karen Topelko is a senior marine resource specialist with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and has been involved in the MaPP initiative since 2014. MaPP went through a long process to identify zones for protection, she acknowledges, so there may be questions about why they’re not automatically adopted for the MPA Network.

That’s because planning for a marine protected area network takes a different approach than choosing individual areas based on local values or interests.

“When you systematically plan a network of protected areas, you want them to work together as a whole to achieve overarching goals,” Topelko explains. “The existing marine protected areas, along with the protected management zones in the MaPP region, were never selected to function together cohesively. Important network design criteria such as representation, size and spacing were not considered.”

Some of the criteria for network design include: selecting sites that will protect a range of habitat for diverse coastal species; including the same habitat type more than once to protect against the impacts of a changing climate and catastrophic events; and, including both big and small protected areas to provide for the long-term survival of species that use different areas for activities such as feeding, resting and breeding.

Sea lions and gulls in the Skeena River. Photo credit: Allison Paul.

“MaPP identified important cultural and ecological areas for protection, as well as areas suitable for sustainable economic development,” Topelko notes. “These will interplay with the MPA network but the MaPP PMZs will not necessarily become marine protected areas in the network. Those that don’t will live on as PMZs.”

MaPP partners, together with local governments and stakeholders, will continue to implement the management direction described in their sub-regional plans. “We aren’t starting over. We’re building on the results of marine planning initiatives in the region that started with First Nations,” says John Bones, marine co-ordinator for Nanwakolas Council and MPATT member.

Important lessons learned from MaPP are helping guide the network planning process, according to MPATT member Sheila Creighton, oceans planner for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “The MaPP process involved a series of steps that the MPA network process has been able to build on. These include forming the governance structures required for decision-making, compiling and analyzing data, and engaging stakeholders,” she says.

Pelagic barnacle. Photo credit: Joanna Smith.

Creighton adds that the MPA network process also benefits from relationships built with communities and stakeholders. “Many of the same MaPP advisory committee members are involved in the MPA network planning process. They’re helping to verify new data and provide local perspectives and knowledge to inform a planning process with a different vision and set of goals.”

John Bones agrees, “The progress to date is a reflection of all three governments being willing to work collaboratively. First Nations are involved and participating vigorously in this network planning process because it’s happening in our territories and we want a big say in how it turns out.

“We wanted to have our zones considered and we’ve been successful in achieving that so far,” says Bones. “We’ve helped shape the MPA process.”

The network action plan, expected by March 2019, will go forward for decision by each of the governing parties. It’s anticipated to include a description of the network design approach, final network design, description of network sites, and results of risk and impact analyses.

For more information on the MPA network planning process, visit www.mpanetwork.ca

Feeding humpback whale. Photo credit: Greg Tamblyn.

Field orientation in the MaPP North Vancouver Island (NVI) Sub-region: Discussing protection for archaeological sites, opportunities for Aboriginal tourism and economic development

Posted on May 22, 2018 by adminMaPP

NVI Field Orientation Oct 2017 from Josie Byington on Vimeo.

A very productive field orientation for MaPP North Vancouver Island implementation team members and guests occurred over three days in early October 2017 through parts of the traditional territories of the Mamalilikulla, K’omoks, Tlowitsis and Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nations. Hosted by Chief Richard Sumner of the Mamalilikulla Nation and guided by guardians from the four First Nations, the group included staff from the Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation (MIRR), the Archaeology Branch of the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development (FLNRO), two archaeological consultants and an economic development consultant. The focus of the tour was to increase awareness of the role of guardians as well as some of the Aboriginal tourism and archaeological site protection challenges and opportunities in the territories.

During the orientation, participants saw, first-hand, the implementation of strategies developed in the NVI marine plan, like the shellfish aquaculture pilot project. The trip also allowed the team to discuss ideas on how to ensure First Nations inclusion in the management and protection of cultural sites/areas.

Coastal guardians describe themselves as the “eyes and ears of the land and sea” as they conduct patrols almost daily to assist in protection of ecosystems and cultural heritage resources within their traditional territories. They conduct ecological monitoring, promote compliance through their presence on the water and provide data to support enforcement activities. Guardians work with agencies and organizations such as BC Parks, Parks Canada, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and local stewardship groups. Coastal guardians have an important and evolving role in implementing the NVI marine plan that currently includes collection of ecosystem and cultural heritage data.

Following a brief safety and logistics meeting at the Nanwakolas Council office in Campbell River, the group split up and travelled to two different departure points, Sayward and Telegraph Cove.

The first day of the trip focused on orientation to vulnerable and sensitive archaeological sites in the First Nation territories and an inspection of the Tlowitsis shellfish aquaculture pilot project.

Greg Johnson of Nanwakolas Council inspects trays of oysters at the shellfish aquaculture pilot project site. Photo credit: Barb Dinning.

The Tlowitsis guardian boat left Sayward with four group members and stopped in Port Neville to view the shellfish aquaculture pilot project located there. The project is an experimental grow-out of blue mussels, scallops and oysters for two years to determine viability of the species for commercial development. The group inspected the trays and nets containing the young shellfish suspended along an array of nine buoys. The pilot project also includes data loggers that measure ocean salinity and temperature at the site and two other locations.

Next, the group visited a site to view petroglyphs and a midden in Port Neville and then travelled north, stopping to view priority archaeological sites including pictographs and village sites at different locations and learning about the Tlowitsis traditional way of life from its Nation’s Guardians.

Chief Richard Sumner describes the midden and the buildings that once stood at this site on Village Island. Photo credit: Scott Harris.

Other field trip members departed from Telegraph Cove aboard the K’omoks and Mamalilikulla guardian boats and visited the Broughton Archipelago where Chief Sumner provided examples of archaeological sites of high sensitivity and vulnerability. Chief Sumner was very concerned about one site in particular and showed the group how a sign discouraging people from visiting the area is actually having the opposite effect. The Mamalilikulla Guardians have noted a number of tourists this past summer using the trail to a Mamalilikulla sacred site.

The two groups and the Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala Guardian boat carrying a consultant archaeologist met at Village Island and hiked to the site of Meem Quam Leese village. Chief Sumner described life at the village, abandoned in the 1960s, which is currently visited annually by about 800 kayakers. He discussed plans to replace the dock and clear brush from the village site to enhance the experience for tourists. The group members discussed options for protection of the site, such as educational signage and establishing a permanent guardian field station for the Mamalilikulla. The Chief pointed out several cinder block burial boxes on nearby islands that were installed to protect human remains. Over the past 50 years, the islands had been robbed of hundreds of burial boxes and human skulls.

Tlowitsis Guardian Gina Thomas (right) discusses options for the protection of archaeological sites with provincial staff members. Photo credit: Josie Byington.

The boats then travelled to Kalogwis and other sites in Tlowitsis traditional territory to view sensitive and vulnerable archaeological sites, including pictographs, village sites and middens.

The first day of the field trip concluded at Tsatsisnukwomi Village, or “New Vancouver,” where all members of the group were hosted to dinner and exchanged information about the work they do relative to the NVI MaPP area.

Day two of the field trip focused on Aboriginal tourism and economic development. It began with a tour of Tsatsisnukwomi Village, including visiting the big house, which contained regalia and artifacts on display. The guide described the dances and sequence of a potlatch. Guardians at the village provide similar tours and accommodation for visitors each summer.

Chief Richard Sumner shares ideas for tourism development on Compton Island. Photo credit: Scott Harris.

The group travelled to Compton Island, in the Broughton Archipelago, where Chief Sumner provided his vision for tourism development there. Economic development consultant, Tony Wong, discussed his findings about economic development opportunities and constraints for the NVI sub-region. During the discussions, the new National Geographic ship, Venture, paused in front of the island to watch humpback whales and orcas, prime attractions of the area. An estimated 10,000 tourists visit the archipelago each year.

Next, the group visited Farewell Harbour Lodge, a luxury resort on Berry Island. The resort operates from spring through fall each year and caters mostly to international visitors who come to view grizzly bears on the mainland and whales on day trips from the lodge.

Economic development consultant, Tony Wong, describes his findings about the opportunities and constraints for tourism initiatives in the NVI plan area. Photo credit: Josie Byington.

The group returned to Tsatsisnukwomi Village for a demonstration of the drone and mapping technology used by the guardians and the Nanwakolas GIS (geographic information system) technicians to monitor and map their territories.

A roundtable discussion was held with the guests, guardians and hosts to discuss highlights of the day, strategies for protection of archaeological sites, tourism development ideas and data gathering techniques.

The final day of the trip included a visit to Port Harvey, the site of a spill from a diesel tank on land in 2017, which was discovered by the Tlowitsis guardians on a routine patrol. The owner of the site met the group and described the clean-up process and discussed ideas for improved spill response. One of the NVI marine plan actions is the development of marine response plans.

The last archaeological site visited was near Sayward in K’omoks territory. Archaeologists attempted to locate a site that was marked on old maps that appears to have been impacted by subsequent development, and the K’omoks Guardians met with the owners of the property to inform them about the purpose of the visit.

Andy Witt, B.C. government MaPP co-lead for NVI, said, “It was a great opportunity to get out into the NVI MaPP area, to explore this amazing landscape and meet the people who live, work and play there. Having them share their passion and vision with us really helped to gain perspective on the responsibilities and opportunities that come with implementation of the plan.”

John Bones, Nanwakolas Council MaPP co-lead for NVI, added, “It was a trip to remember, not only for the incredible marine wildlife on display and the amazing weather conditions, but also for an appreciation of the passion that our guardians are putting into their work and their amazing knowledge and skill sets. We benefitted greatly from the presence of Chief Richard Sumner (Mamalilikualla), our hosts (Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala) and all the guardians from each of the Nations.”

Some of the participants of the NVI field orientation are seen at Tsatsisnukwomi Village. Members of the group, who were hosted by Chief Richard Sumner of the Mamalilikulla Nation, included guardians from Mamalilikulla, K’omoks, Tlowitsis and Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala First Nations, provincial government staff, Nanwakolas Council staff, consultants, and the MaPP NVI co-leads and technical support. Photo credit: Tony Wong.

Pushing back against new aquatic invaders: Central Coast Nations take critical first steps

Posted on May 15, 2018 by adminMaPP

With a 158 mm-wide carapace, this European green crab (Carcinus maenas) trapped by the CCIRA monitoring team is unusually large: on the Central Coast, the observed average is closer to 50 mm. Females can release up to 185,000 eggs once or twice per year, and larvae can drift around 50 to 80 days in ocean currents before settling to the sea floor. Image courtesy of CCIRA.

Four First Nations are partnering with the Province of B.C. to implement MaPP on the Central Coast through a coordinated response to three aquatic invaders: European green crab, tunicates, and bryozoa.

Originating in northern Europe, green crab is billed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada as “one of the world’s 10 least wanted species.” They’re small (about 10 cm wide) but multiply rapidly, tolerate a wide range of salinities, and survive out of the water for up to two weeks. They disrupt ecosystems by voraciously consuming mussels and clams and decimating habitat for important species like Dungeness crab, wild salmon, and manila clams.

Tunicates (commonly known as sea squirts) and bryozoa (tiny aquatic invertebrate animals) are at least as pernicious. These filter-feeders live on almost any underwater surface, including plants, other animals, and marine structures. Growing in colonies, they can quickly overtake kelp and seagrass beds, plug water pipes, and sink marine structures. Once established in a new area, they’re very tough to get rid of.

Tristan Blaine is a professional diver and field technician who works for the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance (CCIRA, which is comprised of the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’Xais, Nuxalk, and Wuikinuxv First Nations). He describes the challenge of “biofouling” from tunicates and bryozoa: “You clean them off [marine structures], and a month later they’ve totally regrown. The amount of work involved is pretty concerning.”

Keith, a Guardian Watchman from the Nuxalk Nation who is engaged with the CCIRA monitoring effort, retrieves a green crab trap. These traps are relatively costly, imported from Japan, and specially designed to minimize bycatch—provided they’re checked almost daily. Image courtesy of CCIRA.

These problematic species have hitchhiked to oceans around the world, as larvae in ballast water on intercontinental shipping routes and on poorly cleaned boat hulls, fishing gear, aquaculture equipment, floating debris, and ocean currents.

In May 2017 as part of MaPP implementation, CCIRA began building on the Heiltsuk Nation’s work over the past decade to eradicate green crabs around Gale Creek—by expanding it to include the other Central Coast Nations. More than 10 people (Guardian Watchmen and other fieldworkers) from the four Nations are now monitoring these aquatic invaders, collecting critical baseline data on their presence, abundance, and damage to the ecosystem.

For green crabs, the monitors use traps specially designed to reduce bycatch, boating several times weekly to trap locations to record trap data and dispatch them (usually by freezing). Green crab have been found at 4 of 25 continuously sampled sites—but data suggest green crab are spreading more slowly than expected on the Central Coast. Is this because of Heiltsuk extirpation efforts—destroying hundreds annually—or because of deep, chilly conditions of the region’s many fjords?

“We don’t know yet,” says Blaine. “But I can guarantee that if more trapping effort were all that’s required to get rid of green crab, these Nations would have everyone in their communities helping.”

This translucent tube-shaped species of tunicate, Ciona savignyi, is one of many now appearing on the Central Coast. This filter-feeder consumes small organisms like phytoplankton, zooplankton, and the larvae of important species of fish and shellfish. Growing in colonies, it can reach a height of six inches and rapidly outcompete local species. Image courtesy of CCIRA.

To look at tunicates and bryozoa, monitors suspend weighted plates 1.5 m below docks at Shearwater Marina—about 4 km east of Bella Bella and the hub of Central Coast marine traffic. “The goal is to sample areas with highest boat traffic, because that’s one of the ways they spread,” explains Blaine.

After five months, monitors retrieve plates, record data on the observed tunicates and bryozoa in CCIRA’s database, and send five randomly selected plates to researchers at Fisheries and Oceans Canada for detailed analysis.

The intent was to quickly train local stewardship technicians to do all baseline analysis, but it’s a very specialized process. There are only a few biologists in BC equipped to definitively identify these invasive species, using a microscope and working through complicated classification steps. Each of the 22 1-cm² points on a plate can host several tunicate and bryozoa species, and analysis of five plates can take a couple of days to complete.

This map shows the locations where invasive green crab was detected in the Central Coast sub-region. Image courtesy of CCIRA.

Data shared among Nations begs questions: If eradication of invasives isn’t realistic, can they be contained? Should regulations be strengthened and better enforced, and if so, how? How will climate change affect these introduced species?

Some answers may come from a related MaPP-funded study on climate change that began in January at the University of Victoria, says Sally Cargill. She’s a marine planning specialist with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and is the provincial co-lead on implementation of the Central Coast marine plan.

“They’re looking at existing frameworks and tools for carrying out vulnerability and risk assessments that have been used around the world,” says Cargill, noting that risks include invasive species. “They’ll recommend assessments that could be applied to the MaPP areas.” The sub-regions could then decide to carry out detailed vulnerability and risk assessments in coming years—which could lead to actions such as additional monitoring, site restorations, education campaigns, and measures to protect aquaculture operations.

The Nations’ millennia-long connection to these ecosystems is integral to this work, says Blaine: “They rely on the surrounding resources to survive, and a big priority for these communities is to make informed choices about resource management.”

MaPP-supported research tests the waters for shellfish: Scallops, mussels and oysters are on-track to reach market size by 2019

Posted on April 10, 2018 by adminMaPP

The project manager for the Tlowitsis Shellfish Aquaculture Pilot, Don Tillapaugh (top), and Tlowitsis Guardian Gina Thomas prepare to submerge a lantern net with Pacific scallop seeds near Johnstone Strait on May 26, 2017. Photo credit: Brandon Wilson

A research project of the Tlowitsis First Nation is helping determine whether the cold, pristine waters around North Vancouver Island will support commercial shellfish aquaculture.

“We started out with scallops the size of a quarter and now they’re the size of a baseball,” says Gina Thomas, a researcher for the Tlowitsis Shellfish Aquaculture Pilot (TSAP) project. Three shellfish species seeded in the spring and summer of 2017 are on track to reach market size in what’s considered a commercially-viable timeframe of two years. “I’m very excited at what we’re seeing,” said Thomas, a member of the Tlowitsis Nation whose traditional territories include the waterway where the shellfish are now suspended, which is off the northeast coast of Vancouver Island.

Positive research results may spur local commercial shellfish aquaculture in or near that site, and Thomas said she’d love if some of the area’s First Nations could seize that opportunity, and help increase local food production.

“This project is cutting edge for anyone who wants to know if a local shellfish industry could take off,” Thomas said. “A lot of people are watching to see what happens.”

Clam gardens kept by First Nations were once abundant in beaches around the region, but in more recent decades, attempts to farm commercial shellfish around North Vancouver Island have generally failed.

“Cooler temperatures in these waters mean some shellfish species grow more slowly, but there’s very little data available,” said TSAP project manager, Don Tillapaugh, who brings 43 years of aquaculture experience to the project. “You really can’t do any economic planning without knowing the growth curve of the species you want to grow.”

Thomas and another member of the Tlowitsis Guardian program, Brandon Wilson, worked with Tillapaugh to arrange hundreds of Pacific scallop, blue mussel, and Pacific oyster seeds in trays and nets and suspend them from a longline they secured between two buoys.

Tlowitsis Guardian Brandon Wilson sews up a lantern net on June 28, 2017. A sock of blue mussel seeds hangs down the centre of the cylindrical net; the space between the mussels and the lantern net provides a protective barrier against potential predators. Photo credit: Don Tillapaugh

Now, every two months, the three embark from Sayward, B.C. by boat to pull the shellfish up from the longline, count and measure them, and plot their growth on graphs.

Despite barnacle growth on one cohort of one species, growth of all three species is consistent and they are healthy, having eaten ocean plankton. Shellfish predators like starfish and flatworms have not harmed them, Thomas noted, and fouling – a slimy coating that could impede growth and require manual removal – has been minimal.

Whether the shellfish grow to market size is only one of many considerations. Further down the B.C. coast, where commercial shellfish aquaculture already flourishes, large-scale die offs have occurred, without explanation. Questions around transportation and labour availability in the relatively remote North Vancouver Island sites where shellfish might thrive are also of concern. Tillapaugh said the profit margin for most shellfish operations is slim.

“It’s essential to future success of the shellfish industry to support research projects,” Tillapaugh said.

The TSAP project also includes ongoing temperature and salinity measurements from underwater loggers that Tillapaugh, Thomas, and Wilson installed at three sites considered potentially viable for shellfish aquaculture. These measurements, which will be taken up until the end of the TSAP project in summer 2019, will provide additional insight into the suitability of Northern Vancouver Island’s waterways for shellfish aquaculture.

Tillapaugh was part of a research team from Vancouver Island University that produced a report for The Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) in 2016 evaluating the potential of shellfish aquaculture in North Vancouver Island. That report recommended a monitoring program in select areas. After consultations with MaPP partners, as well as a commitment to the project from the Tlowitsis First Nation, the TSAP project was devised.

The cost of the two-year project is $68,000, which MaPP is funding.

Collaboration at its finest: Frederick Arm cleanup

Posted on March 20, 2018 by adminMaPP

Debris on the shoreline. Photo credit: Rupert Gale.

At a meeting in early December 2017, members of the North Vancouver Island (NVI) Marine Plan Advisory Committee heard a good news story about the collaborative effort of 10 local organizations to remove 600 cubic yards of debris from Frederick Arm, near Stuart Island northwest of Campbell River.

Strathcona Regional District Area C Director Jim Abram explained that, several years ago, a floating restaurant and docks network tethered to the shoreline at Frederick Arm was abandoned by its owners. The structures fell apart, leaving piles of debris on the beach and in the water.

The Stuart Island Community Association had been monitoring the situation and decided to take action by contacting their regional director with a request that the debris be removed. Director Abram worked with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development to confirm that the site was abandoned and constituted a trespass on Crown land. Rupert Gale of the Ritchie Foundation then stepped in to engage companies and organizations to donate their services for a collaborative cleanup effort. The cleanup was successfully conducted Oct. 10-12, 2017, with the roles played by the different companies and organizations outlined as follows:

Project initiated by Director Abram of the Strathcona Regional Districtand Stuart Island Community Association
Ritchie Foundation helped to managethe project and provided labour and general support
C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Compliance and Enforcement Branch provided legal and government oversight and funding
Seymour Pacific Developments provided equipment and labour
Progressive Waste Solutions provided the waste containers
Marine Link Transportation barged and offloaded the collected debris
Campbell River Marine Terminal waived the terminal fee at the request of Director Abram
Pacific Wood Waste trucked debris to the landfill and recycling centre
Campbell River Waste Management Centre waived the landfill fee through the efforts of Director Abram and the Comox Valley Regional District

Director Abram said “I am extremely pleased at the level of support that we received from all parties. This avoided serious degradation to our marine environment that we are all working so hard to protect through the planning processes we are involved in. I have always operated as the regional director on the assumption that local government in collaboration with communities, business and other levels of government can accomplish just about anything at the lowest possible price with the absolute best result. This exercise is a perfect example of that philosophy working!”

John Bones, Nanwakolas Council co-lead for the MaPP NVI Plan, stated, “This project is a fantastic example of government, organizations and the private sector working together to benefit the marine environment. To me, it demonstrates the power of utilizing local knowledge and skills to address issues that might otherwise have been overlooked. I hope this inspires others to greater collaborative solutions to local marine environmental issues.”

Andy Witt, B.C. government MaPP co-lead for NVI, added, “Director Abram is to be commended for this successful operation. It demonstrates the power of collaboration and co-operation at a local level and the resources that can be marshalled by provincial and local governments, concerned citizens, and businesses. It also provides a useful ‘how to’ example for the future.”

After two days of work, the shoreline is restored to its natural state. Photo credit: Rupert Gale.

MaPP panel presents at Resilience 2017 conference in Sweden

Posted on March 14, 2018 by adminMaPP

Steve Diggon, John Bones, Dallas Smith, Charlie Short and Meaghan Calcari-Campbell participated in a panel discussion about the Marine Plan Partnership at the international Resilience Conference 2017 in Stockholm. Photo credit: Mary Turnipseed.

Four representatives of the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) attended the international Resilience 2017 conference in Stockholm, held Aug. 20-23. In a panel discussion chaired by Meaghan Calcari-Campbell of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, they recounted the MaPP planning process in a session titled The Story of How Eighteen Governments Came Together with Marine Spatial Plans that Achieve Stewardship, Social, and Economic Goals.

John Bones, marine co-ordinator for the Nanwakolas Council, member of the MaPP Secretariat and co-chair of the North Vancouver Island planning team, spoke about how science, local knowledge and First Nations traditional knowledge were integrated to develop the marine plans.

President of the Nanwakolas Council and member of the MaPP Marine Working Group, Dallas Smith, addressed lessons learned from the planning process and the international relevance and inspiration of the co-led partnership to other countries and nations.

Charlie Short, executive director of Strategic Projects – Coast Area, Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, Province of B.C. described the components of the MaPP planning process.

Regional marine planning co-ordinator for Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative and member of the MaPP Secretariat, Steve Diggon, described the move from planning to implementation of the marine plans and the immediate benefits of the plans.

Audience members provided congratulatory comments about the achievements of MaPP and asked questions about how the planning team established the B.C.-First Nations partnership and how external partnerships were managed.

The theme of this fourth triennial meeting of academics, artists and practitioners was Resilience Frontiers for Global Sustainability. Resilience research is about developing the capacity to sustain development as both slow expected and rapid surprising changes occur in a system. This is accomplished through a diversity of development strategies supported by an understanding of the connections between the strategies.

Reflecting on his experiences at the conference, Steve Diggon said, “The resilience approach lays out seven principles of a resilient system (add link: http://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/research-videos/2016-05-22-how-to-apply-resilience-thinking.html ), such as the health of the ecosystem, governance processes, social structures and how they are linked together to respond to changes. In the implementation of the MaPP plans, our work on EBM indicators aligns well with resilience research, especially with our cutting-edge stakeholder, governance, and management processes. There are also opportunities for us to make some adjustments to how we measure ecosystem health.”

John Bones attended a session about Aboriginal involvement in applying resilience research. “I realized that MaPP accomplished ground-breaking work during the planning phase. Compared to other parts of the world that are attempting to start co-led processes, MaPP has already achieved it,” he said.

Charlie Short added, “The resilience field is quite evolved, forward thinking and has a unique ‘lingo’ amongst academics. Interestingly, MaPP has incorporated much of the resilience thinking core principles and foundations and these are inherent in the plans themselves. We just didn’t label it that way. It was refreshing to see the many other jurisdictions taking this approach and applying it to real world situations.”

More information about the Resilience Conference is available on the conference website (http://resilience2017.org/ ) and Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stockholmresilience/ )

Haisla Camp Connects Youth with their Culture

Posted on March 8, 2018 by adminMaPP

A new camping area was cleared and platforms built for the 2017 Haisla Cultural Camp. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

Located just half an hour from Kitimat, Weewanie Hot Springs Park is a completely different world than most of us inhabit. Accessible only by water, it is a remote wilderness destination where Xbox and iPads know no purpose. It was also home to 17 Haisla youth for 10 days last summer as they participated in the Haisla Nation’s revived cultural camp. The focus of the camp, which was made possible by the Haisla Nation Council and funded in part by MaPP, was to teach participants about Haisla culture and to be respectful of Haisla resources.

MaPP’s North Coast Marine Plan encourages capacity building in First Nations and local communities. An important first step for greater participation in stewardship, monitoring and enforcement, and economic development activities is to teach youth the skills they need in order to participate effectively and contribute to sustainable development in their communities.

Bea Wilson teaching the youth how to cut salmon in a way that none of the fish is wasted. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

“We struggle with capacity building in the areas of self-governance and environmental stewardship; we don’t have enough people with those skills right now and there’s a need for more youth recruits,” said Mike Jacobs, the Haisla Nation’s fisheries manager and one of the camp’s organizers. “The camp was an immersive experience and exposed youth to Haisla culture through the traditional use of natural resources.”

Each day participants learned traditional practices such as canoeing, crab fishing and long lining for halibut. They processed fish and ate traditional foods. Daily hikes allowed for exploration including along hereditary trap lines. The community cultural coordinator with the Haisla Nation gave a language lesson while another guest taught cedar weaving.

Another camp highlight was a visit from Shelley Bolton and Terry Nyce from the Spirit of Kitlope dance group, who taught the youth traditional drumming songs and dances.

Guests from Spirit of the Kitlope dance group taught the youth traditional drumming songs. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

The youth were empowered by learning about their culture. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

“Everyone made a drum to keep and all the youth took part in the singing,” said Shelley. “Some dove right into it, while others took a while to come out of their shells. By the end, though, they couldn’t get enough. Nowadays our lives are so full of technology. This camp showed the youth that they can enjoy themselves without TV. It was such a great experience and I hope more youth will embrace opportunities to connect with nature and our culture.”

“We don’t have the opportunities to pull crab traps or to be out on the land like we used to,” said Angie Maitland, an early child education coordinator with the Haisla Nation who was another of the camp’s organizers. “The camp changed that. All 17 participants want to go again and they made long-lasting friendships. Everyone grew from the experience, including staff.”

“It was a life-changing opportunity,” added Mike. “The youth didn’t know these resources were right on their doorstep. Familiarizing them with their territory is a high priority for the Haisla Nation Council. People have become disconnected from resource management. Our intent is to offer more camps and to broaden the age range. We want to reconnect youth in a way that will bring them happiness and prosperity.”

Youth learned how to weave cedar. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

Hanging salmon in the smokehouse. Youth made half-dried salmon and t’los, a fish jerky. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

Some of the canned salmon the youth prepared. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

A group shot from the Haisla Youth Camp, showing the youth, support staff, and members of the Spirit of Kitlope dance group. Photo credit: Brenda Bouzane.

A Marine Management Board for Haida Gwaii

Posted on February 14, 2018 by adminMaPP

The Council of the Haida Nation and the Province of British Columbia established a new governance structure that will oversee the implementation of the CHN – BC Haida Gwaii Marine Plan Implementation Agreement (2016). The Marine Management Board is a senior-level joint decision-making body with roles and responsibilities that include providing direction to a joint Haida Gwaii Marine Implementation Technical Team, reviewing annual work plans and budgets, evaluating progress and addressing implementation challenges.

The Haida Gwaii Marine Management Board met for the first time in June 2017 at the CHN office in Skidegate, and will continue to meet on a quarterly basis. Stay tuned for more information on Haida Gwaii Marine Plan implementation on the MaPP Facebook page!

Members of the Marine Management Board (l-r): Charlie Short, Executive Director of Regional Projects (Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development); Russ Jones, Manager – Marine Planning (Council of the Haida Nation); Len Munt, District Manager of Haida Gwaii (Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development); and Trevor Russ, Vice President (Council of the Haida Nation).

Haida Gwaii Integrated Advisory Committee Established

Posted on December 11, 2017 by adminMaPP

Members of the Haida Gwaii Integrated Advisory Committee, L-R: Scott Wallace, Tanya Wahbe, Leandre Vigneault, Doug Daugert, John McCulloch, Grant Dovey, Mike McGuire, Jim McIsaac and Captain Gold. Missing from the photo: Lindsey Doerkson, Sabine Jessen, Rosaline Canessa. Photo: Terri J. Bell, CHN Marine Planning

The Haida Gwaii Integrated Advisory Committee (IAC) met for the first time this June in Skidegate. The IAC was established by the Haida Gwaii Marine Steering Committee* to advise and inform planning and the implementation of plans on Haida Gwaii, with a focus on marine planning. The establishment of this committee is consistent with the approach being taken by MaPP across all sub-regions and region respecting stakeholder participation in marine plan implementation.

The primary responsibilities of the IAC include providing advice on Marine Protected Area Network planning for the Northern Shelf Bioregion** and implementation of the Haida Gwaii Marine Plan. The committee is also responsible for providing advice on implementing the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) plan as it relates to Haida Gwaii.

The IAC has 13 members with a range of backgrounds and expertise, including: conservation, marine transportation, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, marine tourism, marine sciences, and Haida marine knowledge. The committee will meet approximately twice a year.

* The Haida Gwaii Marine Steering Committee includes representatives of: CHN; Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and Parks Canada (Gwaii Haanas). The Steering Committee provides strategic direction on marine planning and management initiatives on Haida Gwaii and ensures efforts are co-ordinated among various processes.

** The Northern Shelf Bioregion extends from the middle of Vancouver Island and reaches north to the Canada – Alaska border.

MaPP representatives present at the International Marine Protected Areas Congress 2017 in Chile

Posted on November 11, 2017 by adminMaPP

(L-R): Meaghan Calcari Campbell, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; Allan Lidstone, Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development; Christie Chute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada; Gord McGee, Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance; and Danielle Shaw, Wuikinuxv Nation. Photo by IISD/ENB | Angeles Estrada

Allan Lidstone, Gord McGee and Danielle Shaw represented the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) at the International Marine Protected Areas Congress 2017 (IMPAC4) in La Serena-Coquimbo, Chile, held Sept. 4-8 and organized by the Government of Chile and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Commission on Protected Areas.

The congress allowed international participants to discuss how the management of marine protected areas (MPAs) contributes to progress toward the UN Sustainable Development Goal on the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans, seas and marine resources.

The MaPP representatives, along with Christie Chute of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, took part in a panel discussion chaired by Meaghan Calcari-Campbell of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, titled Indigenous, Provincial, and Federal Governments Integrating Marine Spatial Plans and Marine Protected Areas in Canada. In a wide-ranging discussion, they addressed the benefits of the First Nations-B.C. partnership, the development of the marine plans, the features of the protection management zone designation, stakeholder engagement, integration of traditional knowledge and science, and what comes next as the MaPP partners implement the marine spatial plans, while at the same time working with the federal government to advance a MPA network on the B.C. coast. The audience posed questions about the role of Coastal Guardian Watchmen, how monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities were integrated with the three levels of government, and how Indigenous title and rights influence the planning process and align with legislative or policy tools used to create marine protection by the federal and provincial governments.

Gord McGee, Marine Planner with the Central Coast Indigenous Resources Alliance (CCIRA) and member of the MaPP Central Coast Technical Team, also gave a separate presentation, Marine Planning Partnership in the North Pacific: Meeting 2020 Targets in Canada. He focused on three elements of successful marine plan development: collaboration between the Nations, the provincial government and local governments; the integration of traditional knowledge with scientific and stakeholder local knowledge; and the ability to create solutions for difficult issues as a result of the collaborative and integrative nature of the process. The audience asked questions about the MaPP governance structure and decision-making process, the cost, the advisory stakeholder process and how to engage stakeholders meaningfully, and how the Nations assert authority over three jurisdictions in Canada (federal, provincial and municipal) during planning and how they continue to assert their title and rights.

Allan Lidstone, MaPP Marine Working Group member and Director of the Resource Management Objectives Branch within the B.C. Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and Danielle Shaw, Stewardship Director with the Wuikinuxv First Nation, presented Marine Spatial Planning, MPAs and Collaborative Management in the North Pacific Coast of BC as part of a panel discussion, Meeting the 2020 Targets in Canada: challenges, successes, opportunities and lessons learnt in developing a national network of MPAs over the past 25 years.

Commenting on his experience at the congress, Lidstone said, “I was surprised by the extent of work in progress and completed to put MPAs in place around the globe. The diversity and number of partnerships to support this work was also noteworthy including the important role of private foundations in promoting and funding this work. Other highlights included the rapid advances in technology to support monitoring, compliance and enforcement and distribution of information. Many presenters recognized the critical need of community participation and support to ensure viable MPAs. I noted that many of the commonly identified key factors for success in planning MPAs were consistent with the planning approach we took in MaPP.”

He added, “It was exciting to share our experiences and learning from MaPP. Although there is a lot happening around the globe, I felt our work here in coastal British Columbia elicited a lot of interest both in our presentations and in one-on-one conversations with other participants. This interest reflects that MaPP is at the forefront of marine planning and has established many innovative and effective approaches for sustainable coastal and ocean management.”

McGee commented, “It’s amazing how much work is being done at all scales around the globe. MPAs are really important structures being used effectively far out in the middle of great oceans all the way down to the level of small mangroves or coves.” He felt it was important that the work of MaPP was shared at the conference because it is a strong example of collaborative planning with First Nations and the use of traditional ecological knowledge to drive planning processes along with science. In fact, there was an entire day devoted to Indigenous engagement and the planning process.

One presentation that stood out for McGee was a lecture by a native Hawaiian planner. McGee said, “The planner described how they had designed their planning process to merge with their Indigenous world view, and he sang a song that spoke about each of the different parts of their ocean, the birds, the marine mammals, shellfish and how important each is to their way of life. He went on to describe how they were collaboratively building their marine planning process itself in a radically different way from a traditional western scientific approach. People were really touched by his presentation. It was obvious that the connection to their environment was so important to them on different levels.”

McGee feels same way about his work at home. “In MaPP, there are people, communities, and Nations who are so deeply rooted to this coast for thousands of years, and as a result we are working towards creating meaningful ways of stewarding together, among governments, across cultures in ways that, after being at IMPAC4, I think are globally significant.”

For further information, visit the IMPAC4 website and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) summary of meeting.

Lessons learned from MaPP discussed at an international marine spatial planning conference in Paris

Posted on August 5, 2017 by adminMaPP

Steve Diggon (on screen) discusses lessons learned during the MaPP process at the 2nd International Conference on Marine Maritime Spatial Planning. Photo credit: Steve Diggon.

Steve Diggon, regional marine planning coordinator for Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative, was a panel speaker at the 2^nd International Conference on Marine Maritime Spatial Planning in Paris, France from March 15-17, 2017. Steve joined other experts from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America to share their practical experience of marine spatial planning.

Steve said, “The audience had heard about MaPP and was very interested in learning more about the process. This was an important opportunity to take the MaPP initiative and achievements to the international community and create understanding. My presentation focused on the successful integration of bottom-up and top-down planning during the development of the MaPP marine plans. I described how the key to our success was the collaboration between First Nations and the provincial government as well as robust engagement of stakeholders and local governments in developing comprehensive marine plans that included spatial and aspatial components. I emphasized the value of working together and the importance of developing good relationships that continue into the plan implementation phase.”

The conference was also a valuable learning opportunity for Steve. “It was especially interesting to hear about the complexity of marine spatial planning processes in the Baltic States with the number of international borders and security issues. The MaPP process did not have to deal with those considerations,” he said.

Steve added, “Overall, by attending the meeting, hearing all the presentations and talking with experts and practitioners from around the world, I got a lot of validation that the MaPP process is solid and on-track.”

The main objective of the conference, which was hosted by UNESCO and the European Commission, was to review the status of marine spatial planning – one decade after the first International MSP Conference – and to identify a path forward that addressed multiple global challenges from 2017 onwards.

The outcome of the Conference is the Joint Roadmap to accelerate Maritime/Marine Spatial Planning processes worldwide. The roadmap was presented to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development Goals 14 held in New York from June 5-9, 2017.

MaPP selects indicators to track changes in the health of B.C.’s North Pacific Coast

Posted on August 5, 2017 by adminMaPP

Eelgrass is a good measure of coastal health because it is both ecologically important and sensitive to its environment, said Karin Bodtker, a manager at the Coastal Ocean Research Initiative. Eelgrass grows in estuaries throughout the MaPP region. In this photo, two locals harvest seafood from an eelgrass meadow in Haida Gwaii. Photo credit: Nusii Guijaaw.

The Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) has picked 14 pilot regional indicators that, taken together over the long-term, will provide insights into the health of B.C.’s North Pacific Coast and help guide implementation of coastal management recommendations in MaPP sub-regional plans.

Hundreds of potential ecological, economic and human well-being indicators were initially identified by experts at Uuma Consulting and planning team members of the four MaPP sub-regions: Haida Gwaii, the North Coast, the Central Coast and North Vancouver Island.

To select the pilot indicators, MaPP partners and the Coastal Oceans Research Institute (CORI) took feedback from sub-regional workshops and focused on indicators considered high-priority within each sub-region and which made sense to track at a regional scale. As indicators can be expensive and time-consuming to monitor, the team chose indicators that would each provide unique insights without incurring excessive costs.

“It was challenging to narrow the list down,” said MaPP regional projects coordinator, Romney McPhie. “There are many things that are valuable to track, but collectively we came up with a short list that all sub-regions agreed upon to start the monitoring process.”

Eelgrass, the ribbon-like seagrass in estuaries throughout the region, was one of the indicators selected. MaPP personnel will track data on eelgrass distribution and biomass regularly during the 20-year implementation period of the MaPP plans.

“Eelgrass is one of the most ecologically important habitats. It’s also quite sensitive to pollution, sedimentation, sea level rise and even boats anchoring in it,” said Karin Bodtker a manager with CORI, the independent research institute based at the Vancouver Aquarium, that helped refine the list of indicators with MaPP.

“This plant provides habitat for about 80 per cent of marine species of commercial interest,” Bodtker explained. “Juvenile salmon, for example, use eelgrass habitat to find food, hide from predators and as a highway in their migration out to the ocean.” Eelgrass also captures and stores carbon.

Understanding eelgrass losses or gains, alongside changes to other indicators like ocean acidity, will help MaPP understand the state of the marine environment and how it is changing over time. “The information collected will support sustainable decision-making along the coast,” said McPhie.

Indicators are to be monitored from the middle of Vancouver Island through to the Alaskan border. They fall under seven themes: marine species and habitats; climate change and oceanography; water cleanliness; sense of place and wellbeing; seafood; coastal development and livelihoods; and stewardship and governance. These indicators reflect the MaPP commitment to ecosystem-based management, which prioritizes ecological integrity, human wellbeing and collaborative governance. In keeping with an adaptive approach, certain indicators may be changed if compelling reasons to do so arise, McPhie said.

In addition to the pilot regional indicators, sub-regions will have their own unique indicators for which they gather data. The Central Coast, for example, is monitoring crab and Haida Gwaii is monitoring the spread of invasive species, such as tunicates.

With regional indicators chosen, data collection is now underway. An analyst at CORI is assembling existing data on many indicators and identifying sampling gaps.

“This program couldn’t happen without many other organizations that are collecting data: governments, private organizations, the coastal guardian watchmen and the regional monitoring system of the Coastal First Nations, for example,” McPhie said. “We’re ensuring we have reliable data through our collaboration with CORI, as well as through data access agreements we hope to secure with other governments and organizations.”

MaPP partners are also now developing data management tools and public reporting strategies.

“By the end of 2019 we expect a comprehensive report with regional data for all the pilot indicators and how those data relate to MaPP strategies. Analysis of the data will tell us if our strategies are working and if we need to change our strategies because of ecosystem changes,” McPhie said.

“The purpose of indicator monitoring is to lead to better decision making. The Province can use the data to set or affirm priorities, allocate resources and inform policy and decision making,” said Kristin Worsley, manager of B.C.’s marine and coastal resources section and member of MaPP’s secretariat.

Steve Diggon, regional marine planning coordinator for Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative said, “Provincial decision-makers and First Nations will have evidence to inform their views on and decisions about issuing tenures for coastal activities.”

List of MaPP pilot regional indicators. Credit: MaPP.

Many voices make for better policymaking and results

Posted on August 5, 2017 by adminMaPP

The North Vancouver Island Marine Plan Advisory Committee met with the MaPP Implementation Team in Campbell River on May 29, 2017. Photo credit: Bruce Storry.

Integral to the MaPP planning process and the current implementation phase, has been the participation of many different individuals, groups and organizations connected in one way or another to the region’s rich marine environment. Otherwise known as stakeholders, this diverse mix of voices added much-valued input and authenticity to the creation of the North Vancouver Island (NVI) Marine Plan. Stakeholder advice and feedback was collected through the NVI Marine Plan Advisory Committee, (MPAC), whose members represented a broad range of marine sectors and interests. Stakeholders continue to make an impact, as seen in three recent MPAC meetings about implementation plans for the NVI sub-region.

There are many interpretations of the term stakeholder, how to meaningfully engage stakeholders and what makes their input so valuable.

Jim Abram, electoral area director for Discovery Islands-Mainland Inlets and local government representative for the Strathcona Regional District, typically views the term stakeholder as “very limiting” as it “usually applies to a specific interest”. However, he believes the input from the NVI marine advisory committee members has played an integral role in shaping the plan by continually bringing forward ideas and views that wouldn’t be known or considered otherwise. “Our local knowledge is invaluable. It is usually accepted, but sometimes not. If it isn’t, a reason is always given. The exchange is respectful and well-discussed.”

Jim McIsaac, coordinator for the B.C. Commercial Fishing Caucus, believes stakeholders diversify the knowledge base that leads to better decision-making and approaches to moving forward. “By having them engaged and bringing their knowledge to decisions, it strengthens all decisions made.” In terms of MaPP, “It creates more durable solutions for communities — creating that space where ecosystems and communities can co-exist, where well-being, economy and culture can co-exist with the environment, productivity and other species.”

Marine coordinator for the Nanwakolas Council and co-chair of the NVI planning team John Bones says stakeholder support has been critical to MaPP’s success. “We’re very pleased at being able to collaboratively develop a plan between the provincial government and our First Nations members. The value of having stakeholders at the table is that it gives everyone the opportunity to understand the plan and issues, and the First Nations perspective. Each First Nations community has different sectors of expertise and knowledge that’s extremely beneficial in making implementation activities relevant and rigorous.”

From a B.C. government perspective, Andy Witt, manager, Coastal and Aquatic Habitat and provincial co-lead for the NVI Marine Plan, agrees. “When you look at the development of a plan and its ultimate purpose, you cannot set a vision or determine objectives without engaging the people who are going to be part of that vision and are integral to implementing your objectives.”

“Having such a diverse group in the same room broadens everyone’s horizons, scopes and thoughts on other issues that are beyond their sectors’ primary focus,” says Barb Dinning, technical planner with MaPP for the NVI sub-region.

Dan Edwards, representative of the Commercial Fishing Caucus, believes that meaningfully engaging a range of viewpoints is essential. “That spectrum ranges from simply asking advice or consultation, to actually sitting down and building a plan together and sharing your experiences and interests and having a consensus framework for decision-making that would ultimately respect those interests.” For Edwards, meaningful engagement offers a critical way to protect his interests and the interests of those he represents.

Rick Snowdon, a local tourism business operator and board member of the North Island Marine Mammal Stewardship Association (a whale-watching industry group), sums everything up. “A stakeholder in a process like this is anyone with a unique point of view on the future needs of the region. ‘Engaging with stakeholders’ really means attempting to capture the diversity of needs and activities and incorporate those needs into a plan that’s inclusive and respectful of everyone.”

Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) projects in the Central Coast

Posted on August 5, 2017 by adminMaPP

High school students learn traditional skills on a SEAS Outdoors Club camping trip to Goose Island in Heiltsuk territory. Photo credit: Johanna Gordon-Walker.

Raised on a gillnetter in a fisher family, Howard Humchitt spent most of his childhood on the water learning how to harvest Heiltsuk Nation marine resources. “It’s a way of life for us,” he explains. “For many parents who own boats, their kids get their sea legs early. They get a feel for the ocean under their feet before they’re even walking.”

For families who don’t own boats or lack the resources to get out on the water, Howard says the Supporting Emerging Aboriginal Stewards (SEAS) initiative fills a gap. As a SEAS Outdoors Club mentor in Heiltsuk territory, he says the program helps prepare First Nations youth to become the next generation of stewards in their communities.

“The SEAS outdoor program has given me a huge opportunity to pass on the knowledge that I’ve been taught by my father, uncles and brothers to others,” he says. “We help kids to get out and be a part of the land and a part of the ocean.”

First started in 2009, SEAS is active in the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv First Nations communities of the Central Coast of British Columbia. Classroom and outdoor activities are designed to cultivate a deeper understanding of traditional cultural beliefs and marine values.

“It keeps our kids in touch with who we are as a people,” Howard affirms. “We’ve always been a part of the ocean. It’s a mainstay of our diet.”

In line with the goals of the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), the SEAS Outdoors Club helps foster ocean stewardship. High school students learn practical skills in fishing, wilderness first aid and boat safety. They visit ancient clam middens and learn how important ocean resources have been to their community for thousands of years.

“Stewardship is something that is learned by being out on the land and the water,” says SEAS instructor Johanna Gordon-Walker. “Students are picking up the skills needed to become young leaders and the confidence to share their skills. They know how to make a fire and cook over it and they learn the territory well enough to know which way to go in a boat.”

The Central Coast Marine Plan includes objectives and strategies aimed at protecting and sustaining the region’s rich traditional and cultural resources by engaging young people in traditional use activities. SEAS brings elders into the classroom to demonstrate how to use plants as medicine and to teach the cultural protocols for sharing harvests with the community. Grade 4 students study herring science on the water. They learn how to set tree branches for herring roe and to preserve the eggs.

“The thing that really sticks with you most is the wonder and awe factor,” says Johanna. “It’s a huge adventure for the younger children to go out on a boat for the day. The more they learn, the more questions they have.”

Funding for MaPP supports SEAS program coordination, cultivating the next generation of stewards to carry out marine plan implementation. On this year’s first winter camping trip, students job-shadowed commercial crab and prawn fishers.

At the end of the SEAS program, some graduates aspire to work with the coastal guardian watchmen or the Coast Guard. For others, learning to harvest ocean resources for their families makes them feel appreciated and gives them a productive role in their communities.

The experience is rewarding for Howard, too.

“When the students see something for the first time, I take joy in seeing their eyes light up,” Howard recounts. “When somebody sees a wolf for the first time, I realise it’s not just another wolf. It’s the first wolf this person is seeing. Every one of these opportunities make me appreciate what we have and allows me to see something for the first time– again.”