E-Newsletter, No. 4 June 2008


The Pacific North Coast Integrated Management
Area (PNCIMA) includes waters of the Central
Coast, North Coast, and Haida Gwaii on the British
Columbia coast. This is an area of high ecological,
social, and economic importance and encompasses
approximately 88,000 km2. Management to date
has not always been effective at addressing all of
the issues in this region, resulting in the
degradation of certain marine environments and
fisheries.

PNCIMAwatch.ca was created to document the progress of the federal government in taking measurable action by Oceans Day, June 8, 2008 to launch a marine planning process in the PNCIMA that will establish a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) and maintain ecosystem health and integrity.

This is the fourth e-newsletter PNCIMA Watch has sent to provide regular updates on the progress of the government toward showing true leadership in establishing a marine planning process in the
PNCIMA, one that will enable the people who work and live on this coast to create a vision for the future that includes healthy oceans and healthy
communities.

World Oceans Day
On Sunday, June 8, people around the world
celebrated our world’s oceans for the 13th annual
World Oceans Day. Ocean festivals, public lectures,
beach cleanups, and a number of other events
marked the day and provided people with an
opportunity to celebrate their individual connection
to the sea.

The theme of this year’s Oceans Day was climate
change and ocean health, with a special focus on
coral reefs. People were encouraged to reflect on
the important linkages between our oceans and
climate and recognize the crucial role that our
oceans play in maintaining the Earth’s climate and
the vulnerability of ocean life to climate change.
While many people found themselves celebrating
their country’s achievements in protecting and
conserving our world oceans, many British
Columbians found themselves reflecting on the
Federal and Provincial Governments’ inability to
address conservation needs in the PNCIMA due
to their failure to launch the planning process.
Tired of government immobility on this issue, on the
day following Oceans Day, 25 of North America’s
leading scientists came together to present Prime
Minister Harper with a declaration calling on him to
start paying attention to our oceans, and PNCIMA
specifically. Click to see the declaration.

MPA Report Card
June is also report card month and a time for
parents and students alike to reflect on their
progress throughout the year. This year, Canada’s
effort to protect ocean environments relative to
Australia and the USA was also assessed.
Canada received an overall failing grade for
failing to implement a comprehensive network
of marine protected areas (MPAs). Compared to
Australia and the USA, Canada has the smallest
area of ocean protected, has invested the least
financial resources, and has done little to ensure
that representative regions of Canada’s marine
waters are safeguarded. With just less than 0.5
percent of Canada’s ocean area protected in
federal MPAs, Canada received a failing grade.
Both Australia and the United States, whose total
areas of federally designated MPAs are 32 and 16
times larger than Canada’s respectively, received
passing grades. While Canada’s good intentions
are acknowledged, it is apparent that Canada
needs to spend more time and effort actually
delivering results by designating MPAs and
conservation plans at a much more rapid pace.

Progress Tracker
At the start of this campaign, PNCIMA Watch
identified specific measurable commitments and
milestones necessary to ensure the success of the
PNCIMA Marine Planning Process. We hoped that
the Federal and Provincial Governments would
achieve some, if not all, of these milestones by our
target date. Therefore we are sad to report that no
significant progress was made in the past four
months towards improving oceans management
in the PNCIMA. We report with real disappointment
that the progress tracker remains at zero.
Take Action!

The good news is that there is still time to secure a
bright future for British Columbia’s incredible marine
environment by building a marine plan that ensures
a future for our ocean. To do this, we need YOUR
help. Please join us by going to
www.PNCIMAwatch.ca and asking the
Governments of Canada and British Columbia to
start a well funded and inclusive marine planning
process for the PNCIMA that will transform the way
we manage our ocean so that it can be healthy can
continue to provide for the people who depend on it.

Who We Are
The organizations that created PNCIMA Watch
include the Living Oceans Society, the David
Suzuki Foundation, and the Sierra Club, British
Columbia. Together these groups are working to
inform those who are interested in establishing an
integrated management plan for the PNCIMA that
improves ocean management and establishes a
rigorous conservation plan for the region.
Our organizations are committed to protecting and
restoring healthy marine ecosystems in the
PNCIMA. We believe that the best way to achieve
this outcome is through a collaborative marine
planning process that includes bringing together the
people who work and live on the coast. Only in this
way can we decide how best to use the ocean and
its resources sustainably.