Brave New Agreement for our Shared Marine Heritage
The BC ENGO Marine Planning Caucus is encouraged by a bold new agreement between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and the Coastal First Nations that represents a crucial first step toward developing a plan for the conservation and sustainable use of marine re-sources in PNCIMA (pronounced pin-SEE-mah), which stands for the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area.
The formal Memorandum of Understanding, signed on December 11, lays out how the First Nations and Federal gov-ernments will work together and marks the beginning of a critical government-to-government relationship.
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The Pncima plan has the potential to integrate ocean man-agement plans and to protect and enhance marine habitats though a representation of marine protected areas. How-ever to ensure a successful plan, the federal government must back up this initiative with appropriate finances. No new funding has been announced since 2005. As well, the British Columbia government, who is absent from this MOU, should sign onto the agreement and become an active par-ticipant. The province has jurisdiction over the thousands of kilometers of foreshore and licensing and therefore should participate.
Nine in ten BC Residents are concerned about the health of our oceans
A recent telephone poll of British Columbians suggests that concern about the health of oceans is widespread among coastal and interior residents of the province. The poll, conducted by McAllister Opinion Research, found that nine in ten British Columbians are concerned about the health of oceans. The McAllister poll also reveals broad public support for enhanced government action to protect marine ecosystems.
In addition, the poll found that nine in ten BC residents believe that it is possible to have both a healthy environ-ment and a healthy economy, revealing that very few people still hold the belief that the environment has to be sacrificed to protect jobs. Marine use planning in PNCIMA presents a new way of thinking about how to man-age our ocean activities in a way that considers both the health of the oceans and our economy.
The McAllister poll also reveals broad public support for enhanced government action to protect marine ecosys-tems. The results show that 90% of respondents support the establishment of more marine protected areas (MPAs) off the BC coast in which industrial activities are strictly prohibited. Eighty-four percent support in-creased government funding of marine science, while another 82% want governments to fund more fisheries officers to enforce marine conservation laws.
For backgrounder on survey results and methods
A Living Legacy: Canada's Pacific North Coast A 2½ minute video about PNCIMA has been launched on YouTube. includes an incredible underwater glimpse of this mysterious and seldom-viewed part of beautiful BC. The video has been viewed over a thou-sand times already. Click to view>>
Oceans and Climate Change
From plankton to orcas, many creatures inhabiting the North Coast ocean are feeling the impact of climate change. Click here to check out Sierra Club BC’s new web page tracking ocean changes as the globe warms up.
Want a healthy economy? Invest in ocean health
As the financial crisis gets tougher, the federal government is under increased pressure from many sectors clamouring for a quick fix from the 2009 federal budget. This is the time to send a clear message to Ottawa that healthy oceans and a healthy economy go hand in hand. Long-term investment in the protection and man-agement of precious renewable resources like Canada’s Pacific North Coast is the best insurance for sustain-able livelihoods both in 2009 and into the future.
Through a marine use and conservation plan for PNCIMA, Canada's federal government has an opportunity to maintain the abundance and diversity of life in this ocean region over the long term. With the recent MOU on PNCIMA, we anticipate planning will begin, however, no financial resources have been allocated to this proc-ess.
Remind Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Gail Shea that you want your federal government to invest in the protection and management of Canada's Pacific North Coast. Take action now, click here >>
About PNCIMA
The Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) includes waters of Northern Vancouver Is-land, the Central and North Coast, and Haida Gwaii in British Columbia. It is home to 9,000 year-old sponge reefs, rainforests of giant kelp, playful sea otters and millions of migrating salmon. This biologically rich ecosys-tem sustains the economic, environmental and social health of BC’s coastal communities.
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, provincial and First Nations govern-ments in taking measurable action to launch a marine planning process in the PNCIMA that will establish a net-work of marine protected areas (MPAs) and an integrated management regime designed to maintain ecosys-tem health and integrity both inside and outside those areas.
This is the seventh e-newsletter PNCIMA Watch has sent to provide regular updates on the progress of gov-ernments 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.
Who We Are
The organizations that created PNCIMA Watch include the Living Oceans Society, the David Suzuki Founda-tion, and the Sierra Club, British Columbia. Together these groups are working to inform those who are inter-ested 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 PNCIMA. We be-lieve that the best way to achieve this outcome is to actively engage the people who live, work and play on the North Coast, and to brings the best available science to the table to inform decisions about the future of this magnificent region. Only in this way can we decide how best to use the ocean and its resources sustainably.
Play Coastal Fling. See how many friends you can get back home to
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