Six partner First Nations, the Governments of Canada and British Columbia announce the establishment of a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR), while First Nations simultaneously declare an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA)
Today, leaders from Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai'xais, Heiltsuk, Gitxaała, and Gitga'at Nations, Canada and British Columbia signed a historic agreement to establish a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve (NMCAR) on the Central Coast of British Columbia. An Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) was simultaneously declared by these Nations. The NMCAR and IPCA share the same footprint and name. "Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon" (phonetically: Me-ah-yall-twa Ha-lee-joh-gom hOH-own) is a hybrid composite place name drawn from the Indigenous languages of the partner Nations, meaning "Realm of the Salmon, Home of the Salmon."
This Establishment Agreement for Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon NMCAR marks the beginning of a new and exciting chapter for the Central Coast of British Columbia. Governance partners and interest holders-including residents, businesses, fishers, anglers, local governments, and the public-have an opportunity to work together to shape the future of the NMCAR. 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-so activities, including fishing and tourism, can continue in Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon and support the local economy.
Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon is part of the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence initiative supporting Indigenous-led stewardship on the West Coast of Canada. Adjacent to the Great Bear Rainforest, the area is a biodiversity hotspot that supports culturally and ecologically significant fish species such as salmon, eulachon and herring, extraordinary deep-sea coral and sponge reefs, and an impressive array of whales and other marine mammals.
The establishment of Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon uplifts the generational work of the Nations who have been stewarding the marine environment of the Central Coast for millennia. Establishing this protected area will help marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and culturally important values to flourish. It will also support Indigenous and coastal communities, as well as the many marine sectors, including fisheries, that depend on a healthy ocean.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada retains its regulatory authorities, including managing fisheries and enforcing fisheries regulations within Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, and will participate on the collaborative management board.
The establishment of Mia-yaltwa Ha'lidzogm hoon will protect the coastal waters of British Columbia, with final boundaries to be confirmed through ongoing consultation, and builds on years-long collaboration and marine planning on the Central Coast and North Coast, including Marine Use Plans, the Marine Plan Partnership, and the Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan.
