Six BC First Nations and the Governments of Canada and British Columbia recently announced the establishment of a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) on the Central Coast of British Columbia.
The Reserve spans an enormous area, covering more than half of B.C.’s coast, approximately from Gil Island in the north, to Calvert Island in the south, extending inland as far as Bella Coola; specific boundaries are yet to be determined. The conservation area becomes the sixth of its kind in Canada, and the second in B.C. after the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve. According to federal officials, all fisheries, with the exception of bottom trawling, may continue in the new conservation area.
The B.C. Central Coast protected area, named “Mia-yaltwa Ha’lidzogm hoon” is a hybrid composite place name drawn from the Indigenous languages of the partner Nations, meaning “Realm of the Salmon, Home of the Salmon.” The area supports culturally and ecologically significant fish species such as herring, eulachon, and salmon, as well as deep-sea coral, sponge reefs, killer whales, and migrating humpbacks. The Fisheries Department will continue to manage and enforce regulations in the area.
As reported in the News Release, next steps include creating a collaborative management board and establishing an advisory committee with representation from a range of marine sectors and interests, including commercial and recreational fisheries and the tourism sector. The NMCAR will support multiple uses through a zoning plan, which will be developed in the next phase and will include consultations.
Boating BC Association and other organizations that support recreational boating no doubt will be keeping a watchful eye and participate in consultations on behalf of the boating industry.
Photo Credit: NMCAR, Markus Thompson
Map: NMCAR
