Marine planning brings together the people who work and live on the coast to decide how to use the ocean and its resources. Marine planning sustains our ocean's health and supports the many coastal communities who depend on it.
Now is the time to ensure that our children and grandchildren will have the opportunity to appreciate the incredible abundance of wildlife in B.C.’s waters, to play along unpolluted shores and to fish for a living if they choose.
The Government of Canada could prevent the decline of our oceans’ health by implementing the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Oceans Strategy, a blueprint for sustainable use of the ocean that has already been developed. It is a good strategy that would enable the DFO to manage not just the fish we harvest, but the ocean ecosystem as a whole.
Marine plans should:
- be developed collaboratively and transparently with input from stakeholders
- have measurable and achievable outcomes
- ensure that development and resource use is based on sound conservation principles
- allow for sustainable development that increases communities' long-term health, productivity and economic opportunities.
What is happening with marine planning in B.C.?
In 2002, the Government of Canada formally recognized the importance of the Pacific North Coast in Canada’s Ocean Strategy. The Oceans Strategy called for the development of an Integrated Management plan for the Pacific North Coast, so they designated the region the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (Pncima) pronounced pin-see-ma.
Since this initial commitment for Pncima in 2002, what followed was a series of failed initiatives and broken promises. DFO failed to take meaningful action beyond the platitudes for progressive ocean management.
However, in December of 2008 a formal governance agreement between coastal First Nations and DFO was signed. (Link to MoU) This agreement initiates planning in Pncima and with it comes hope. Hope that the people who live and work in Pncima will engage and provide meaningful input into the ocean resource that they rely on so intimately. The arrangement between the coastal First Nations and the Canadian Government provides the context for active stakeholder engagement. The best plan can only be realized when the people who live and work in Pncima participate in the plan.
Click to find out more about marine planning in B.C. and how you can add your voice to the process.
