INTERESTING NEWS Canada’s Oldest First Nations Newspaper - Serving Nuu-chah-nulth-aht since 1974 Canadian Publications Mail Product Vol. 50 - No. 03—February 9, 2023 haas^i>sa Sales Agreement No. 40047776
Large offshore area closer to protection with MOU Managed through First Nations co-governance, the proposed marine protected area would be Canada’s largest By Eric Plummer Ha-Shilth-Sa Editor Vancouver, BC - After years of negotiating the shared governance of a vast offshore area west of Vancouver Island, on Feb. 7 the federal government and four First Nations groups announced a major step towards protecting the unique deep-sea territory. A memorandum of understanding has been reached between Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, the Pacheedaht, Quatsino First Nation and the Council of the Haida Nation to preserve what is now known as Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsig̱is Marine Protected Area. The name of the proposed MPA encompasses Haida, Nuu-chah-nulth and Quatsino, meaning “deep ocean”, “very deep waters off of our shores” and “monster of the deep” in the respective languages. Comprising an ocean area four times the size of Vancouver Island, the proposed MPA is located approximately 150 kilometres offshore, spanning little-known deep-sea territory. The stipulations of the draft agreement are now set to be published on Canada Gazette Part 1 on Feb. 18, allowing 30 days for public input before the parties move towards a binding agreement to manage the 133,019 square-kilometre area. “We are utterly committed to reconciliation,” said Canada’s Fisheries Minister Joyce Murray at the announcement of the proposed MPA on Feb. 7. “It looks like a simple agreement, but there’s a lot of years of fighting, wordsmithing,” said Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council at the event, which was held at the Vancouver Convention Centre on the traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Protection began in 2017, when it was identified by DFO as an offshore Pacific area of interest. Five years of discussion with the First Nation’s followed, resulting in a pending agreement that entails a shared governance of the area, said Murray. “Yes, it does involve co-governance, absolutely,” she said. This means a management board is planned to oversee the area, with representation from the First Nations involved and the federal government that “seeks to operate on a consensus decision-making basis”, according to a press release from Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “There will be many discussions on how we will work together in co-management and the Indigenous leadership that this
Eric Plummer photo
Cloy-e-iis, Judith Sayers, president of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, speaks in Vancouver at the announcement of an memorandum of understanding for the Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsig̱is Marine Protected Area on Feb. 7. ocean and think, ‘What does it look like Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — Tsig̱is will Canada’s oceans to conserving over 14 down there? Is it just as depressing as be managed through,” said Murray. per cent,” said Murray of the progress looking at our clear-cut mountains?’,” she Once identified as an offshore area of made so far. “These protected areas are interest in 2017, bottom trawling fishgiving the ocean and marine life a chance continued. “We need to make changes now to protect the oceans, those beautiful ing was banned in the area. If it becomes to rebuild and that is to the benefit of mounts and vents and all of the habitat an MPA, further restrictions would be everyone.” and biodiversity that is there. There are enforced under Canada’s Oceans Act, In recent years the feds have undertook many spiritual places there.” prohibiting activities like deep-sea minexpeditions to the large offshore area, The path towards the Tang.ɢwan — ing, oil and gas drilling and dumping. sending a Canadian Coast Guard vessel ḥačxw iqak — Tsig̱is Marine Protected “The thing that we’re all confident will to document and study the little-known occur is that by conserving the sea bed region. What has been found so far are an Area follows the recognition of the Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation floor from some of the activities that undersea range of at least 46 mountains, Area, a 1,500 square-kilometre offshore disrupt it, we’ll actually have a greater called sea mounts. The area also has region west of Haida Gwaii that achieved abundance and diversity of fish from pro- fissures in the earth’s crust that release designation in 2010. Gaagwiis, Jason tected areas that will spill over into areas warm water, hydrothermal vents that where fishing is permitted,” explained the support a diversity of surrounding marine Alsop, president of the Council of the Haida Nation, sees the proposed MPA fisheries minister. life unique to the deep-sea region. The as another step towards preserving the The announcement took place at IMproposed Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxw iqak — ocean’s resources. PAC5, an international congress on maTsig̱is MPA covers over 70 per cent of “For our people, protecting this area is rine protected areas. Two days earlier at Canada’s underwater mountains. about keeping our way of life as ocean the congress the federal government, 15 Murray noted that the MPA could help people, being able to sustain ourselves First Nations and the province announced to mitigate the effects of the humanand our communities with the bounty of an action plan for the Northern Shelf caused changes in the earth’s climate. the sea and all of the food that’s provided Bioregion, a network of offshore terri“The more biomass and diversity we for us from the ocean,” he said. tory extending from the top of Vancouver have in the oceans, the more the oceans Sayers dreams of a time when First NaIsland to Alaska. This plan guides efforts can do the job that they’ve always done, tions can attain MPA designation in their to preserve ocean and marine wildlife in of being a sink for carbon that’s been respective territories on their own. the area, another step towards protecting eroded in the last decade,” she said. “We “One of my dreams, mine and others more of Canada’s ocean. need to restore oceans as well as protect across the country, is that we could do The federal government is working them so that they can perform their funcour own Indigenous marine protected towards a pledge to protect 25 per cent tion of absorbing greenhouse gas emisareas, where we could declare those of Canada’s oceans by 2025, then 30 per sions.” areas that are significant to us spiritually, cent by 2030. If passed, Tang.ɢwan — During the announcement a video was culturally for the protection of all of those ḥačxw iqak — Tsig̱is would be the largest shown displaying marine life from the MPA in Canadian waters, comprising area, including a grey whale filmed jump- resources,” she said. “The Government of Canada right now is the mechanism that 0.88 per cent of the ocean area claimed ing from the water. we have, and we’re grateful that we have under federal jurisdiction. “Our relatives in the ocean are celebratsomething that we can work with, but we “Here in Canada we’ve gone from ing,” said Sayers. need to push them further.” safeguarding less than one per cent of “I often think about flying over the
Inside this issue... More totem poles planned for Opitsaht..........................Page 2 Elder’s gathering back on...............................................Page 5 Remote villages use community gardens.......................Page 7 Tseshaht athlete to compete in Berlin...........................Page 10 Two Nuu-chah-nulth businesses earn awards...............Page 15
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