Author: Jen

MaPP launches new partnership with Coast Funds

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Supporting the next wave of collaborative marine stewardship on the North Pacific Coast

Kayakers in Xaana Kaahlii (Skidegate Inlet) Photo by Shayd Johnson. Read more about respectful marine tourism around the shores of Haida Gwaii

Healthy, thriving communities and marine ecosystems along British Columbia’s North Pacific Coast matter to us all. As of Spring 2024, the Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) strengthens its role in marine stewardship by joining with Coast Funds, an Indigenous-led organization created to support First Nations’ stewardship and sustainable development projects in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii.

“MaPP’s decision to partner with Coast Funds is a significant step toward embracing integrated approaches to multiple marine stewardship initiatives in the region. This partnership moves us forward on reconciliation through Coast Funds’ model of Indigenous-led conservation financing.” – Xaad xyaalaa Christine Smith-Martin, CEO, Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative

With a mandate directly aligned with MaPP’s focus on an ecosystem-based management approach to marine planning and management, Coast Funds – which will support the MaPP Partners with fund administration, investment management, and financial reporting – provides the ideal financial home for MaPP.

“At Coast Funds we are inspired by the work of the MaPP partners and look forward to working together to deliver durable, long-term financing that supports the partners to collaborate on the stewardship of the North Pacific Coast”. – Eddy Adra, CEO, Coast Funds

Since 2011, MaPP has been supported by MakeWay Charitable Society through an innovative, shared services platform that has empowered local leaders and built deep and meaningful relationships with communities and MaPP Partners. Through their commitment to empowerment and reciprocity, MaPP and Coast Funds will build on this progress and carry on the evolution of collaborative marine governance.

“Coast Funds has supported First Nations in the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii for 15 years to help achieve their conservation, stewardship and economic development goals. We are looking forward to their involvement as we continue to work with our First Nations partners through MaPP to protect coastal ecosystems and advance sustainable economic opportunities in the Great Bear Sea.” – Hon. Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

Through this exciting new strategic partnership with Coast Funds, the MaPP Partners remain well-positioned to nurture healthy, thriving communities and ecosystems along British Columbia’s North Pacific Coast.

 

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MaPP

The Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) is a co-led initiative between 17 First Nations and the Government of British Columbia that has developed and is implementing marine plans for B.C.’s North Pacific Coast, now and into the future.  MaPP continues to demonstrate the leading-edge power of collaboration between First Nations and the Province to implement marine plans that balance sustainable economic development with environmental stewardship.

Coast Funds

Coast Funds, created in 2007 as part of the Great Bear Rainforest agreements, is a globally recognized Indigenous-led conservation finance organization entrusted to manage funds for First Nations’ stewardship and economic development priorities. Through investments with Coast Funds, First Nations are strengthening community well-being and protecting the ecological integrity of the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii regions of British Columbia, Canada. Since its inception, Coast Funds’ board of directors has approved $118.2 million towards 474 stewardship, conservation, and sustainable economic development projects led by First Nations.

 

A first in Canada: Indigenous Guardians given same powers as BC Parks rangers

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The Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony.

“It’s something we’ve always been working towards.”

Those are the words of Ernie Tallio, Guardian Watchmen Manager for the Nuxalk Nation on BC’s Central Coast. He’s talking about an agreement between the Nuxalk and Kitasoo Xai’xais First Nations and BC Parks to share compliance and enforcement responsibilities within provincial protected areas in the Nations’ territories. The Shared Compliance and Enforcement Pilot Program officially launched in July 2023 with five Nuxalk and six Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardians receiving park ranger appointments.

“It’s exciting to be part of this initiative… to be part of something that’s a first in Canada,” said Ernie. “It’s taken several years to get to this point and a lot of collaboration with BC Parks. We were often told by government agencies we work with that we didn’t have any authority but now we do.”

Guardians with their bootcamp certificates.

The 11 Guardians with park ranger appointments have the same powers under the Park Act as park rangers employed by BC Parks in more than 40 protected areas, including Tweedsmuir Park, the Fiordland Conservancy, Kitasoo Spirit Bear Conservancy and Dean River Conservancy. They can give warnings or issue tickets for infringements of the Act. Among other training, each has taken BCIT’s BC Parks Law and Its Administration course and participated in a two-week ranger bootcamp at Manning Park.

The agreement between BC Parks and the Nuxalk and Kitasoo Xai’xais is a recognition that these Central Coast Nations have sustainably managed resources in their territories for thousands of years.

Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardian in the field.

“This is an incredibly important step towards reconciliation,” said Dana Holtby, an advisor with the BC Parks’ Indigenous Relations Team and part of the technical working group for the pilot. “It’s a unique moment when the Crown has recognized the authority, capacity, and capability of the Guardian programs. It’s a recognition of the role Guardians have played in stewarding their territories for generations. People in these communities are incredibly proud of the work the Guardians are doing.”

Nuxalk Guardians and BC Parks rangers.

BC Parks has been collaborating with both Nations for two decades, working side by side on park management planning and through joint training and patrols. MaPP has also played an important role in creating space to allow a strong and trusting relationship to grow. The organization hosted a communication workshop for BC Parks operational staff and Guardians in 2018 as well as joint training to foster a more collaborative approach to monitoring the Central Coast. Another communication and collaboration workshop was held in 2019 and MaPP also funded Guardians to take part in BC Parks ranger training in Williams Lake.

Nuxalk and Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardians with their park ranger badges.

MaPP is committed to providing ongoing coordination and support for compliance and enforcement. This contributes to numerous objectives and strategies of the Central Coast Marine Plan including improving marine-based compliance monitoring, and minimizing current and potential ecological impacts of logging-related activities. Over time, MaPP expects the pilot project will build First Nations’ capacity for compliance and enforcement, increase respect for the authority of First Nations’ Guardian programs, improve understanding, communication, and collaboration between provincial agencies and First Nations, and ensure compliance with marine laws on the Central Coast. Collaborative stewardship will result in improved Central Coast Marine Plan outcomes. MaPP also hopes the program will serve as a path for other Nations seeking greater authority to manage and make decisions regarding their territories.

Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardians.

“This work is serving as an inspiration for other Nations,” said Ernie. “I attended an Indigenous Leadership Initiative gathering in Ottawa in spring 2023 and there was definitely interest in what we’re doing.”

“There are a lot of eyes watching this pilot,” added Dana. “We’re excited to continue to build the partnership between BC Parks and the Kitasoo Xai’xais and Nuxalk Nations, and to see where this pilot leads us.”

Navigating the waters of Haida Gwaii’s growing ecotourism

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Kayakers in Xaana Kaahlii (Skidegate Inlet) Photo by Shayd Johnson

Each year, ecotourism brings recreational kayakers from all over the world to the spectacular shores of Haida Gwaii, with many poised to visit Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, Marine Conservation Area and Haida Heritage Site in the southern half of the archipelago.  However, through implementation of the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN) and Province of British Columbia (BC) are exploring ways to encourage and manage respectful marine tourism in other locations around Haida Gwaii. One example is the development of a marine trail (or kayak route) in Xaana Kaahlii Skidegate Inlet, a narrow channel between the archipelago’s two largest islands that effectively splits Haida Gwaii’s landmass in half.

The stunning and diverse landscapes and marine life of Xaana Kaahlii provides ample opportunities for accessible day trips for entry-level paddlers as well as challenging multi-day adventures by more experienced kayakers. However, there are currently limited resources, infrastructure and management measures to support kayakers to plan trips safely and sustainably. Over recent years, MaPP partners have worked with BC Marine Trails to identify opportunities and management needs of kayak sites within the area with the aim of developing a kayak route that mitigates cultural, ecological or social harm while promoting safety and sustainability.

“The inlet offers world-class kayaking,” said Cameron Dalinghaus, BC Marine Trails’ First Nation Liaison, “but it is also full of culturally and ecologically sensitive sites and has been an area of significance for Haida people for time immemorial. We need to balance the preservation of these sites so that visitors access them in ways that are respectful.”

Kayakers in Xaana Kaahlii (Skidegate Inlet) Photo by Marty Clemens.

Indigenous Nations have worked for decades on communicating proper protocol to visitors of their territories, however, Cameron acknowledges that some tourists still assume they are allowed to go wherever they want. He says a model of visitation is needed that respects Indigenous governance and management of territories, and that cultural awareness needs to be top of mind for visitors.

Gaahlaay Lonnie Young, Hereditary Chief of the K̲aayahl ‘Laanaas clan, who’s territory includes parts of Xaana Kaahlii, speaks to his community’s hesitation with Haida Gwaii’s growing popularity among visitors; pointing specifically to past disrespect tourists have shown to Haida villages such one of his clan’s villages in Xaana Kaahlii, Xaayna Llnagaay:

“In the past, visitors came to Xaayna and removed significant artifacts, even headstones from the graveyard. Experiences like that sour some of our people about letting others go there,” said Gaahlaay. “We have reservations about ecotourism because we know operators cannot police their clients all the time. We’d like to show people what happened at Xaayna. It would be educational for visitors to witness what was done without consultation or permission. Having watchmen at the village would allow the clan to support the kayak route. I’m all for people coming and visiting if they are respectful, [but] trust has to be earned.”

Together, the project partners have worked with local paddlers to develop a list of potential sites that may be part of the route and are consulting with Haida knowledge-holders and subject-matter experts to identify and assess cultural, archeological and ecological sensitivities within the area. Management strategies are being developed collaboratively, grounded in respectful and responsible stewardship.

This project also aims to amplify local initiatives for visitors to follow Haida laws and values during their stays, such as the Haida Gwaii Pledge and Visitor Orientation. The partners will continue to work on site and route planning in the coming months, with expectation to start rolling out guidelines for kayaking in Xaana Kaahlii ahead of the 2024 tourism season.

Community harvesting grants assist First Nations’ access to resources and food security

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Kitsumkalum First Nations members harvesting seaweed. Photo credit: Kitsumkalum annual MaPP reporting 2023)

Numerous industrial activities are creating development pressure on B.C.’s North Coast. These projects, along with human activities and climate change, are having a profound impact on the core values of First Nations in the region. To address this concern, the North Coast Cumulative Effects Program (NCCE Program) offers community harvesting grants to six Nations: Gitga’at First Nation, Gitxaała Nation, Haisla Nation, Kitselas First Nation, Kitsumkalum First Nation, and Metlakatla First Nation. The intent of the grants is to offset the loss of resources from past and ongoing development by addressing a commonly identified barrier from community-based research.

The Kitselas First Nation has applied for and received these grants each year since they were first offered in 2021. Cindy Barwell is the Senior Resource Stewardship Officer with the Kitselas Lands & Resources Department.

“Our first two grants were for a community-led, education-based traditional foods harvesting program that provided Kitselas Elders and households with food fish”. said Cindy.

Kitselas First Nation members processing food fish

She noted that Kitselas members find it increasingly hard to access and secure traditional foods due to pressures associated with time, capacity, industrial development, and competition. Funding like this provides an opportunity to start to address some of the issues associated with food security and access to traditional resources.

The Kitselas First Nation has also used the grant program to fund a fishwheel feasibility study. Access to food fish and food fishing locations has been identified as an issue for the Nation. The feasibility study was essential for the community to make an informed decision about the value of repairing old fishwheels.

Smoking salmon on the Kitselas First Nation.

Cindy recently applied for a grant for a food fish instructional booklet and video.

“This booklet and video will provide people with step-by-step instructions on how to catch and process food fish, taught by fellow community members and elders who hold knowledge and expertise. Previous grants have added to Kitselas’ sovereignty and presence within their Traditional Territory. This grant adds to a myriad of programs that are assisting Kitselas members with their food security and sovereignty priorities.”

The nearby Kitsumkalum First Nation has also received community harvesting grants since the program’s inception. Quinton Ball is the Nation’s Strategic Lead for Environment Lands and Referrals.

“Our first grant allowed us to buy an open fishing jet boat for getting community members out on the water,” he said. “It’s been super successful and allowed members to harvest food fish and get back on the water safely.”

The Kitsumkalum First Nations boat purchased with an NCCE Program community harvesting grant enjoying the beautiful upper Kitsumkalum River (Beaver River).

The following year the Kitsumkalum First Nation used its grant money to purchase a trailer for transporting fish from Prince Rupert to Terrace and the year after that invested in ice machines and additional totes for storage.

“One of the barriers we have is with so many of our members working on LNG or other projects it’s become hard to collect harvest and then process fish fast enough.” said Quinton. “This leads to wastage. Having ice available helps with food preservation, which helps facilitate better use of our resources.”

Kitsumkalum First Nations members harvesting oolichan.

Quinton’s goal with these and other grants is to help put the community back in charge of their own food harvesting.

“The ability to get back out on the water and the land and do traditional harvests is huge,” he said. “Everyone from Terrace and beyond hunts right up our valley. There’s logging that has occurred heavily right through our valley. There’s not much left on what will soon become treaty lands, so we need to be able to access all areas of our Traditional Territory to harvest food and medicine.”

The aims of the community harvesting grants align with MaPP’s goal of sustainable economic development and healthy communities. MaPP’s North Coast subregion and the Environmental Stewardship Initiative joined forces to create the NCCE Program, which funds the grants. The shared desire is to develop and implement a cumulative effects framework to continuously monitor, assess, and manage the impacts of development in the North Coast on core coastal and marine values.

Reconciliation through Indigenous Cultural Tourism

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Figures walking along an old clam garden beach. Photo by Barb Dinning

If 2023 was any indication, tourism in BC is bouncing back from the COVID-19 lockdown. Domestic and international visitors are starting to come back to the world-renowned landscapes of our beautiful province, all with their own ideas of what they’ll find, and what they’ll go looking for. For many, connecting with local cultures rates high on their list.

Indigenous cultural tourism offers travellers opportunities to connect with the original stewards of these lands, to experience the cultures that have shaped, and been shaped by, BC’s environment. North Vancouver Island is rich in cultural history, and many First Nations are, in turn, looking to engage the people who are visiting their homelands. As a potential hub for Indigenous cultural tourism there is a unique opportunity to strengthen local economies and build relationships that foster meaningful reconciliation.

In November 2023, MaPP hosted a workshop to strengthen the tourism sector in North Vancouver Island and lay the groundwork for growing Indigenous Cultural Tourism. Members of the tourism industry met in Campbell River, collaborating to chart a path forward.

Research from Destination BC and Destination Canada shows that Indigenous cultural tourism is the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry, projected to grow from $1.78B to $6B in direct contributions to the Canadian GDP over the coming years. This research highlighted that visitors want deeper connections with the place they’re visiting and the people who live there. It also emphasized that there’s a fine line to walk.

Houseposts. Photo by Barb Dinning

Nations want tourists to learn and be engaged, but not at the expense of cultural sites, or the very cultures they’re looking to engage with. According to Brian Collen, General Manager of Knight Inlet Lodge, there’s a “fine line between an authentic Indigenous experience and an exploitative one”. For that reason, it’s critical that Indigenous communities are directly involved in these tourism operations. Collen believes that successful cultural tourism is built on “real partnerships between tourism operators and leadership within the Nations”.

Megan Humchitt agrees. As an Indigenous Tourism Specialist at Indigenous Tourism BC, she spends a great deal of time building these kinds of healthy partnerships. “These collaborations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders are key to building a sustainable tourism industry.”

Alongside partner organizations, MaPP is working to support the re-growth of NVI’s tourism economy post-pandemic. At their workshop in the fall, the MaPP partners learned that this re-growth relies on having a prepared tourism sector, with the capacity to build strong partnerships. According to Humchitt, it all starts with “picking up the phone,” but there are still some gaps in the resources available to tourism operators and First Nations alike.

In the coming months, the MaPP partners will be working with the tourism industry to develop those resources and build bridges between First Nations with tourism operators. This is just one of the recommendations from the workshop—those who are interested can contact Nanwakolas Council for the full list of recommendations in the recent report.

Ultimately, Indigenous Cultural Tourism is an opportunity for reconciliation. According to Humchitt, cultural tourism can “open a safe space for education, dialogue, and respectful exchanges.” That is where the rubber meets the road. By strengthening relationships, MaPP hopes to support tourists and locals alike to engage more deeply with the territories they find themselves on. In-turn this can empower Nations to share their stories and lead the way to a future of sustainable tourism in the region.

Getting Their Geoducks in a Row: MaPP-Inspired Research Helps Central Coast Nations Explore Shellfish Aquaculture Potential

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Desiree Lawson, former MaPP Implementation Coordinator for the Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance (CCIRA), shows off a robust geoduck harvested near her home in Bella Bella, Haíɫzaqv (Heiltsuk) territory. “The first time I saw one, I was impressed with how heavy and massive it was, and I imagined how many people one geoduck could feed,” she said

A research partnership is helping Central Coast First Nations get the data they need to evaluate opportunities in the vibrant international seafood market for Panopea generosa — or geoduck, as this species of burrowing clam is more commonly known.

A traditional food for coastal Indigenous people, geoduck can live more than 140 years, and a single female geoduck can produce 5 billion eggs over the course of her life. The clams are described as having a sweet, clean ocean taste and a texture that’s squid-like with a bit of crunch. Since the 1970s, B.C.’s geoduck industry has grown into a multi-million-dollar business. Today, about 3 million pounds are harvested annually by divers in waters up to 30 metres deep, and by people digging them up at low tide. More than 90 percent of this harvest is flown fresh to Asia, where it can fetch $30 a pound.

For First Nations that are part of the Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP), the burning question is whether geoduck clams can be profitably cultivated to become a sustainable business.

“It is a very hot commodity right now, and there is a lot of interest in cultivating [geoduck] in both subtidal and intertidal zones,” observes Dr. Myron Roth, an aquaculture and marine fisheries expert at the Ministry of Agriculture & Food. “But we don’t really have the numbers yet to show how lucrative it will be. On paper it looks really good, but nobody grows fish on paper!”

“This industry is very much in its infancy,” adds Sally Cargill, a marine planning specialist at the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and the provincial co-lead for MaPP implementation. “There’s quite a bit of investment required up front to start a commercial operation, so the feasibility of it needs to be looked at very closely.”

That’s why Central Coast MaPP partners, the Heiltsuk and Kitasoo Xai’xais Nations, have teamed up with North Island College (NIC) on a five-year research project to explore the viability of intertidal geoduck aquaculture in the region. During the summer of 2023, juvenile geoduck were planted at study sites on the Central Coast, selected based on the Nations’ knowledge of geoduck in the area, key habitat parameters, and other factors. “You need that ‘Goldilocks zone’,” explains Logan Zeinert, a research technician from NIC’s Centre for Applied Research, Technology & Innovation and Project Lead. “A good sandy site with a deep enough substrate that the geoduck clams can bury themselves.” Over the next two years, geoduck survival and growth at these sites will be carefully monitored and compared to determine optimal production conditions. The resulting data will be useful both to researchers and the communities evaluating the commercial viability of geoduck aquaculture at these sites.

Out-planting geoduck seeds at low tide at one of four study sites on the Central Coast. The seeds are planted in Vexar mesh tubes to protect them from predation. Photo: Logan Zeinert.

“I hope geoduck aquaculture can deliver financial benefits and employment for our Nations,” says Heiltsuk Nation Aquatics Manager Mike Reid from his home in Bella Bella. “The bigger point is that it could provide more sustainable, low-impact food source, especially as other sources, like salmon, are not doing well.” Reid says the Heiltsuk and other coastal peoples have long harvested geoduck for food, even in subtidal zones, using ingenious methods that predated technologies used by today’s underwater harvesters.

Santana Edgar, Marine Planning Coordinator for the Kitasoo Xai’xais, is also looking forward to research insights. “Can we successfully grow geoduck, and do we have enough suitable intertidal habitat to achieve the economies of scale to create meaningful employment for our people?” she asks. “Kitasoo Xai’xais have been engaged in finfish aquaculture since the 1990s and have always wanted to expand operations into shellfish aquaculture. This can be a low impact way of benefiting from our surrounding ocean.”

In the right conditions, baby geoduck clams like these can grow to a harvestable size of a few pounds each within six to ten years—but they can live more than 140 years. Photos: Logan Zeinert (left) and Geneviève Reynolds (right).

Core funding for the project comes from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Rural Economic Diversification and Infrastructure Program (REDIP), with additional funds and in-kind contributions from CCIRA, the Central Coast Commercial Fisheries Association (CCCFA), the Province of B.C, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO).