July 10, 2025

To: Premier David Eby and the Honourable Randene Neill, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship

The coast is our lifeline – it plays an irreplaceable role in ecological function, Indigenous cultural survival, recreation, climate adaptation, and ensuring British Columbia’s economic prosperity. Unfortunately, these ecosystem services are being eroded by habitat degradation, pollution, and the intensifying impacts of climate change.

More than four years ago, the Province heard these concerns and took steps to co-develop BC’s first Coastal Marine Strategy. The formation of the Strategy was a collaborative effort that involved the Province, First Nations, citizens, and stakeholders across industry, tourism, and the conservation sectors. Together, we contributed to an intersectional plan that will better protect and manage the coast through a proactive approach, rather than the ad-hoc methods of the past.

We understand that the Province is making an effort to build trade partnerships for our sustainable seafood industry and navigate British Columbians through a period of economic turmoil; all while the consequences of numerous coastal threats compound to work against these goals. The Coastal Marine Strategy connects the dots between these issues and will serve as a roadmap to illustrate how we can best resolve these concerns together, as one issue impacts the other.

The Coastal Marine Strategy will celebrate one year since its release on July 11th, 2025. We want to ensure that progress is being made and that the Strategy does not lose momentum. Today, we ask that you stand up for the coast in two ways:

● Allocate funds towards the Coastal Marine Strategy – This is a critical time for the Coastal Marine Strategy, as its implementation is set to begin in 2026. Right now, the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship is carrying out engagement with First Nations to identify initial implementation actions. These initial steps will be limited by the funds that are available. By providing resources to the Coastal Marine Strategy, you will give it the running start it needs to achieve its goals.

● Enshrine the Coastal Marine Strategy into law – Although the release of the Coastal Marine Strategy is a significant accomplishment for BC, there is already a glaring functional gap that exists: the Strategy does not have a legal framework to back it up. Legislation is key to strong, integrated coastal management. An accompanying legal framework will ensure the policies outlined in the Coastal Marine Strategy are prioritized, long-lasting, and able to withstand changes in the political landscape - in fact, some of the goals of the Strategy cannot be achieved without legislative means. Without a legal framework, the Strategy could fall short of meeting its desired outcomes.

Adequate funds and legislation are the two legs upon which the Coastal Marine Strategy will stand. A well-funded Coastal Marine Strategy that is strengthened by legislation will allow British Columbians to reap the benefits of:
● A flourishing blue economy – British Columbians are struggling with high costs of living and economic uncertainty. Across the province, ocean-based activities contribute $21 billion annually and directly employ 131,000 people full-time. The marine-based tourism and recreation industry alone generates over $5 billion every year1. An investment in healthy and productive coastal ecosystems is an investment in British Columbia’s economy.

● Climate mitigation – The Strategy supports the mapping, conservation, and restoration of carbon-sequestering coastal ecosystems like eelgrass meadows, kelp forests, and salt marshes. These ecosystems mitigate climate change by absorbing atmospheric carbon through plants and algae, storing the carbon in their tissues and the sediments within their habitats.

● Climate adaptation – An increase in sea level rise, storm surges, flooding, and shoreline erosion (all impacts from climate change) pose a major safety risk to people living in coastal communities and cost the Province significantly when it comes to infrastructure repair. The Coastal Marine Strategy will address these impacts by incentivizing the restoration of natural shorelines, as their gradual slopes and increased vegetation absorb energy from wave action – helping communities adapt to a rising sea level, while reducing erosion and flood risks. Fewer seawalls and other hard-armoured structures means the Province can save on infrastructure repair costs, all while providing critical habitat for intertidal life and forage fish.

● A clean coast – The presence of marine pollution along BC’s coast contributes to poor water quality, which subsequently impacts food security, ecosystem health, the blue economy, and recreation. The Coastal Marine Strategy commits to the prevention and cleanup of marine pollution; furthermore, the Strategy’s desired goal of a clean coast is strengthened by the federal moratorium on oil supertankers on the north coast (C-48). The moratorium reduces climate impacts and prevents the risk of catastrophic oil spills in the Great Bear Sea.

● Indigenous co-management and reconciliation – The Coastal Marine Strategy seeks to advance meaningful acts of reconciliation by encouraging the designation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas ( IPCAs), integration of Guardians programs, and introduction of a Healthy Shellfish Initiative to ensure Indigenous cultural survival and food security.

The Coastal Marine Strategy has the potential to radically transform coastal management for the better, making BC a leader across Canada. When the ocean thrives, so do we. In a time when many outcomes are uncertain and the Province is seeking made-in-BC solutions to global issues, the Coastal Marine Strategy brings a wave of hope to all those who call the coast home and rely upon its abundance.

As environmental organizations, we are deeply committed to the wellbeing of BC’s coastal ecosystems for the benefit of biodiversity and communities. We hope that this letter communicates that we are highly invested in the success of the Coastal Marine Strategy and eager to support the Province as this strategy transitions from paper to actions.

We encourage you to stand up for the coast by allocating funds towards the Coastal Marine Strategy’s implementation and prioritizing its enshrinement into law.

1Big River Analytics Ltd. (2021). Economic Contribution Analysis: For the Economic Contribution of the Oceans Sector in Coastal BC. Unpublished and prepared privately for the governments of British Columbia and Canada.

Sincerely,

Anna Barford, Oceans Campaigner, Stand.earth
Beatrice Frank, Executive Director, Georgia Strait Alliance
Bob Peart, Chair, Friends of Shoal Harbour
Chloé Dubois, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Ocean Legacy
Donald Gordon, Co-Founder, Lasqueti Shoreline Debris Initiative
Dorrance Woodward, Chair, Association for Denman Island Marine Stewards
Elika Cairns, Program Director, Átl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Stewardship Initiative
James Casey, Senior Specialist, Restoration and Regeneration, World Wildlife Fund - Canada
Jessica Clogg, Executive Director and Senior Counsel, West Coast Environmental Law
Karina Younk, Chair, Board of Directors, BC Marine Trails
Karen Wristen, Executive Director, Living Oceans Society
Kyle Armstrong, Executive Director, Peninsula Streams Society
Natalie Groulx, Conservation Director, Ocean Program, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society - BC (CPAWS-BC)
Nikki Skuce, Director, Northern Confluence Initiative
Peter Ballin, Chair, Conservation Committee, BC Nature
Sarah Cook, Executive Director, SeaChange Marine Conservation Society