Vast Network to Protect the Oceans Is a Win for Conservation and for Indigenous Peoples

The province of British Colombia (B.C), Canada, has established an imposing network of marine protected areas (MPAs) that will cover a third of Canada’s West Coast, a political move that benefits ecosystems, biodiversity, culture, and the economy.

“It’s incredibly important that we take a long-term approach to conservation, and to honour that connection between people and the ocean,” states Josie Osborne, B.C’s land, water, and resource stewardship minister. “This (MPA network) really builds on our government’s commitment to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and making that very strong commitment of co-creating legislation, policy and making decisions together.”

Following more than a decade of concerted work, 17 Coastal First Nations, the federal and the provincial governments came up with a draft action plan for a vast network of strong MPAs that will cover 100,000 square kilometers of oceans – from Quadra Island in the South to the border with Alaska in the North – to better protect habitats, species, and areas of cultural value and boast commercial sectors like fisheries and tourism. The federal government aims at respecting its promise of protecting 25% of the country’s oceans by 2025, and the action plan is set to be completed in early 2023 with extended implementation phases set for 2025 and 2030.