OldBlackDog
Well-Known Member
An agreement on sustainable marine planning covering about 102,000 square kilometres of the B.C. coast — much of it fronting the Great Bear Rainforest — was jointly announced Monday in Victoria by the provincial government and 18 first nations.
Plans covering two-thirds of the B.C. coast define areas from general use to special protection, including natural and cultural areas, within four sub-regions — Haida Gwaii, North Coast, Central Coast, and North Vancouver Island.
The plans take into consideration factors such as species, habitats, and marine uses, including recreational and commercial activities, and are meant to serve as a basis for future management decisions, especially in the near shore and foreshore areas of the coast.
The marine plans do not address management of uses and activities in areas of federal jurisdiction such as commercial fishing and marine transportation, including LNG development, as well as management of private lands or uplands.
Three zones are recognized: general management, in which a wide range of sustainable marine uses are permitted; special management, areas best suited for specific activities such as tourism, energy or aquaculture; and protection management, primarily for conservation purposes.
In response, Sabine Jessen, national oceans program director for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, described the plans as “heralding a new wave in ocean management and marine conservation,” providing hope that “special places are properly managed and protected for current and future generations.”
Jessen added that the plans mark the “beginning of a long process” towards implementation, saying she hopes the “federal government will seize the opportunity to build on this” and ensure that the region receives comprehensive ocean management and protection.
Among those supporting the Marine Planning Partnership (MaPP) agreement: Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative, Council of the Haida Nation, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nanwakolas Council, North Coast-Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society. Tides Canada and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation contributed to the effort.
Parties to the agreement are “now focused on drafting implementation agreements for future action,” according to a news release.
The plans were developed after consultations with marine stakeholders along the coast, including town hall meetings, and marine science experts.
For more information, visit: mappocean.org.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/First+N...cean+health/11008289/story.html#ixzz3YYFAorWs
Plans covering two-thirds of the B.C. coast define areas from general use to special protection, including natural and cultural areas, within four sub-regions — Haida Gwaii, North Coast, Central Coast, and North Vancouver Island.
The plans take into consideration factors such as species, habitats, and marine uses, including recreational and commercial activities, and are meant to serve as a basis for future management decisions, especially in the near shore and foreshore areas of the coast.
The marine plans do not address management of uses and activities in areas of federal jurisdiction such as commercial fishing and marine transportation, including LNG development, as well as management of private lands or uplands.
Three zones are recognized: general management, in which a wide range of sustainable marine uses are permitted; special management, areas best suited for specific activities such as tourism, energy or aquaculture; and protection management, primarily for conservation purposes.
In response, Sabine Jessen, national oceans program director for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, described the plans as “heralding a new wave in ocean management and marine conservation,” providing hope that “special places are properly managed and protected for current and future generations.”
Jessen added that the plans mark the “beginning of a long process” towards implementation, saying she hopes the “federal government will seize the opportunity to build on this” and ensure that the region receives comprehensive ocean management and protection.
Among those supporting the Marine Planning Partnership (MaPP) agreement: Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance, Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative, Council of the Haida Nation, Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nanwakolas Council, North Coast-Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society. Tides Canada and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation contributed to the effort.
Parties to the agreement are “now focused on drafting implementation agreements for future action,” according to a news release.
The plans were developed after consultations with marine stakeholders along the coast, including town hall meetings, and marine science experts.
For more information, visit: mappocean.org.
Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/First+N...cean+health/11008289/story.html#ixzz3YYFAorWs
