Central Coast / Implementation

Implementation

The Implementation Agreement for the Central Coast sub-region was announced on Aug. 3, 2016.

  • Implementation agreements confirm the partners’ approach to implementation of the marine plans in each sub-region and are consistent with the recommendations contained in each sub-regional marine plan.
  • Implementation agreements are the formal agreements between the Province and partner First Nations that outline the intent to collaborate on marine plan implementation, organizational structures, and general provisions on how governments will work together.

Download the Central Coast Implementation Agreement.

 

Plan Implementation and Monitoring

 The goal is to implement all objectives and strategies in the Central Coast Marine Plan, as funding and other resources permit. While all of the strategies are important elements of an EBM approach for Central Coast waters, the Province of B.C. and the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’Xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv Nations identified a number of key outcomes (refer to the Central Coast Marine Plan Overview) and priority actions to implement the plan.

The key outcomes by topic area are:

Governance:

  • Governance relationships are strengthened.
  • Governance structures are developed and adequately resourced.

Monitoring and Enforcement:

  • More effective and inclusive monitoring and enforcement.
  • Improved data collection and management.

Economy and Communities:

  • Infrastructure development supports economic growth.
  • Important ecological and cultural components in the Plan Area are protected.

Cumulative Effects Assessment:

  • Increased effectiveness in addressing cumulative effects.

Pollution:

  • Ecological impacts of marine pollution are minimized.
  • Improved capacity to respond to marine accidents and spills.

Tenured Activities:

  • Improved communications and understanding between First Nations and tenure holders.
  • Tenure impacts and conflicts between users are reduced.
  • Ecological and cultural impacts of tenured activities are reduced.
  • Financial viability of shellfish and marine plant aquaculture is improved.
  • First Nation and local economic benefits from aquaculture initiatives are increased.

Traditional, Cultural and Heritage Resources:

  • Protection of cultural and archaeological sites is enhanced.
  • Increased awareness and understanding of First Nations cultural beliefs and values.

Tourism and Recreation

  • Increased First Nations and local benefits and opportunities form marine and coastal tourism development.

Marine Fisheries Economy

  • Reduced ecological and cultural impacts from sport fishing lodges/untenured vessels.
  • Increased enhancement and restoration for fish populations and habitats.
  • Increased opportunities in the fisheries economy.

Continued collaboration and integration will be essential as work progresses on all plan strategies.

Plan performance will be measured through implementation monitoring, effectiveness monitoring, and EBM monitoring. Plan evaluation and review will be ongoing throughout implementation and is considered a crucial element to successfully achieving plan outcomes. Where improved knowledge or monitoring results indicate that different strategies or management approaches would be better suited to achieving objectives and strategies, the Province of B.C. and the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/ Xai’Xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv Nations are committed to being responsive to those needs. This adaptive approach will allow for improved management and responsible stewardship over both the short and long term.

 

Implementation Progress, 2016-2017

Priority implementation activities for the Central Coast sub-region focused on strengthening the collaborative governance model and establishing more collaborative and comprehensive monitoring networks.

The partners formalized how they would collaborate through the implementation phase, and determined how the First Nation community and stakeholder engagement processes, that proved successful during the planning phase, would be maintained.

The partners confirmed membership and terms of reference for the Central Coast Marine Plan Implementation Advisory Committee (MPIAC) and held the first in-person meeting.

A draft suite of ecosystem-based management indicators was developed and proper training for those involved in data collection was provided. Priority indicators were identified and monitoring efforts on these priority indicators was initiated.

For details about progress on marine plan implementation activities, see the Central Coast Annual Report 2016-2017.

 

Implementation Progress, 2017-2018 

Implementation priorities for the Central Coast Marine Plan were identified during the planning phase and were further scoped through implementation work planning and budgeting. Priority implementation activities in 2017-2018 built on the foundational governance work of earlier years to implement priority strategies related to stewardship and sustainable economic development.

In 2017-2018, coastal Guardian Watchmen continued collecting data on ecosystem-based management indicators, welcoming and educating visitors in the territory, and promoting compliance through education and presence. Guardians improved their proficiency in monitoring, data collection, and survey methodology. They noticed an increase in recognition from marine users, a decrease in illegal activities, and growing stakeholder interest and support for the monitoring work they do.

Partnerships for stewardship and monitoring with parties such as the Hakai Institute, Coastal Oceans Research Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the Conservation Lands Management Program were advanced. These partnerships continue to improve our capacity to monitor the Central Coast environment.

The Central Coast Technical Team worked with a number of experts in the shellfish aquaculture industry, including academics, private consultants, and staff in the federal and provincial governments, to get a better understanding of how to move this industry forward in the Central Coast. A two-year shellfish aquaculture research project was established that will provide the right mix of research, innovation, and practical guidance required to help establish the shellfish aquaculture industry in the Central Coast.

The plan has been informing tenuring decisions for three years. An initial review of tenure authorizations shows a high level of consistency between tenuring decisions and recommendations in the Central Coast Marine Plan. This information will continue to be tracked for 2017-18 to help inform plan implementation. The MaPP partners expect to report out on this and other plan performance measures over time.

For details about progress on marine plan implementation activities, see the Central Coast Annual Report 2017-2018.

 

Implementation Progress, 2018-2019

Implementation priorities for the Central Coast Marine Plan were identified during the planning phase and were further scoped through implementation work planning and budgeting. Implementation activities related to governance and stewardship have been a priority throughout the implementation phase. In 2018-19 we built upon foundational work of prior years to advance priority implementation activities under these same themes.

As anticipated, scenario planning for the Marine Protected Area (MPA) network was a significant focus for the MaPP partners in 2018-19. The MaPP partners and the federal government reached technical agreement on the draft MPA network for the Northern Shelf Bioregion. Components of the draft MPA network scenario within the Central Coast closely reflect the Protection Management Zones (PMZ) identified through MaPP.

Guardian Watchmen continued to improve their proficiency in monitoring, data collection and survey methodology; collect data on ecosystem-based management (EBM) indicators; welcome and educate visitors in the territory; support marine response; and promote compliance through education and presence.

Operational staff from BC Parks, FLNRO Natural Resource Officers, and Guardian Watchmen were brought together for joint training and communication workshops to improve relationships amongst staff and create a more collaborative approach to monitoring on the Central Coast.

Data gathered through the Central Coast EBM Indicator monitoring program was analyzed and the Central Coast partners are thinking about how information will be shared, link in with management decisions, and inform further development of the EBM indicator monitoring program.  

The Plan has been informing tenuring decisions for four years. Reviews of tenure authorizations have shown a high level of consistency between tenuring decisions and recommendations in the Central Coast Marine Plan. Consistency between Plan recommendations and tenuring decisions will continue to be tracked for 2019-20 to help inform plan implementation. The MaPP partners expect to report out on this and other plan performance measures over time.

For details about progress on marine plan implementation activities, see the Central Coast Annual Report 2018-2019.

 

Implementation Progress, 2019-2020

Implementation priorities for the Central Coast Marine Plan were identified during the planning phase (2011-2015) and further scoped through implementation work planning and budgeting. Stewardship, monitoring and enforcement activities have been a focus of the MaPP partnership throughout the first five-year implementation phase (2016-2020), and as in previous years it was a priority for the Central Coast partners in 2019-2020 to support the Nations’ Coastal Guardian Watchmen programs. In addition to ongoing capacity building for stewardship, monitoring and enforcement activities, a significant development this year was the move to analyzing and reporting on the considerable outputs of the Guardian Watchmen’s monitoring work. Of 27 ecological and socio-economic indicators (selected in the planning phase to support an ecosystem-based management approach), draft reports have been developed for the first 14 of these. The information in these reports has begun to fill critical knowledge gaps on the Central Coast and was derived in large part from primary research conducted by the Nations’ Guardian Watchmen. This information is now being used by the Central Coast partners to inform discussions with stakeholders and co-governance partners about ongoing management planning.

Building partnerships and facilitating collaboration also continued to be an important role for MaPP. Much of the work that goes into the Central Coast EBM monitoring program, for example, has been accomplished in partnership with organizations such as the Hakai Institute, the West Coast Conservation Land Management Program, and the B.C. Kelp Mapping Analytical Working Group. Effective compliance and enforcement in the sub-region has been enabled, as in previous years, through joint workshops and training between provincial and Guardian Watchmen operational staff, and this year for the first time through joint patrols on the water. While there have been challenges over the years, communication and the relationships between these organizations have been steadily improving. The Central Coast Nations have also entered into a pilot collaborative crab management process with DFO. This and a joint review of Rockfish Conservation Areas (RCAs), which has led to the drafting of new RCA boundaries in the sub-region, are examples of how MaPP-supported EBM monitoring work is contributing to processes outside MaPP. Within MaPP, meanwhile, a regional Policy and Planning Working Group was established to develop and implement policies for the management of wild marine aquatic plants. This is an emerging management and policy issue that was not addressed during the original marine planning process.

Another highlight of Marine Plan implementation in 2019-2020 was the engagement of the Central Coast partners in Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Planning for the Northern Shelf Bioregion (NSB). This year the partners engaged stakeholders and received feedback on the technical draft of an MPA Network Scenario. The Scenario, which was developed and shared through SeaSketch, a marine planning tool, incorporates EBM monitoring data and other work undertaken by the Nations and closely reflects the Protected Management Zones (PMZs) identified in the Central Coast Marine Plan. In the coming year the signatories to the 2018 Reconciliation Framework Agreement for Bioregional Oceans Management and Protection, which include the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv First Nations, will continue to work with the federal and provincial governments to establish new co-governance arrangements for MPAs in the NSB.

For details about progress on marine plan implementation activities, see the Central Coast Annual Report 2019-2020.