Province of British Columbia puts 60 Million dollars towards sustainability for Great Bear Sea

A partnership between First Nations, the Federal Government, private donors and the Province of British Columbia is moving forward towards protecting the coastal ecosystem of the Great Bear Sea, also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion.

Earlier this week, Premier David Eby committed 60 million dollars in provincial funding to the initiative  that is anticipated to bring in 200 more in additional investment into the region through the other stakeholders.

“People in British Columbia share a deep connection to our coastal waters. They are a source of beauty, food and economic opportunities. Through sustainable conservation financing, we will help secure the future of our marine ecosystems, fisheries and coastal communities.”  -- Premier David Eby 

The area of note is located off the north and central coasts of B.C. and encompasses marine environments adjacent to the Great Bear Rainforest. This area, which extends south from the Alaska panhandle and includes Haida Gwaii and the waters around northern Vancouver Island, is home to an extraordinarily rich variety and abundance of marine life, including whales, salmon, seabirds, shellfish, kelp forests and eelgrass meadows. 

The grant to Coast Funds will help provide stable funding for First Nations in the region to expand marine stewardship and guardian programs. It will also support existing initiatives such as the Marine Plan Partnership for the North Pacific Coast (MaPP) and the recently announced Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network Action Plan. Better management and new marine protected areas will help rebuild abundant fisheries by safeguarding important fish-producing habitats, while allowing ongoing fishing across most of the region.

Nathan Cullen, the Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship outlined how some of the funding could be put to use.

“B.C.’s world-leading, collaborative approach will protect our precious marine areas and grow a sustainable economy with good jobs building on work that B.C., First Nations and Canada have undertaken together over many years. This work brings together Indigenous knowledge, cutting-edge science, and input from industry stakeholders, including fisheries, tourism and renewable energy interests.”

Learn more about the initiative from this information release from Tuesdays announcement. 

Further notes from the Legislature can be explored through our archive page.