B.C. is introducing new protection measures for 14.5 square kilometres of the Great Bear Sea.
The area of the sea spanning from the northern part of Vancouver Island to the southern border of Alaska is B.C.’s newest Wildlife Management Area (WMA).
The province says the protections were developed in collaboration with the Gitga’at First Nation and Gitxaała Nation, who will be helping develop a management plan for the area.
“The Great Bear Sea is home to some of the richest ecosystems in the world,” said Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill in a statement Wednesday.
“Together with First Nations, we’re conserving these important areas that support biodiversity, community well-being and economic prosperity for coastal communities,” she said.
The new WMA covers the northern coasts of the Kishkosh and Kitkiata inlets, south of Prince Rupert. The area is home to wild salmon, humpback whales, migratory birds, kelp beds, and eelgrass meadows.
The province noted the move will also provide additional food security to first nations and coastal communities.
The move is part of a broader effort to create a network of protected areas throughout the Great Bear Sea region. The province and various First Nations endorsed the action plan in 2023.
“The Marine Protected Area Network is designed for and by the people of the coast to protect and conserve these important resources to grow our local economies, enhance culture and biodiversity, and develop the tools to become more self-reliant,” said Christine Smith Martin, CEO of Coastal First Nations-Great Bear Initiative.
The province says it will manage the area collaboratively with the First Nations and work to balance commercial and public use.
It says there will be further public and stakeholder engagement during the management planning phase.
-With files from Sage Daniels
