Gwaii Haanas: The Marine Protected Area in Waiting

December 1997 - January 1998

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

by Sabine Jessen

More than ten years ago, Canadians were captivated by the campaign to protect the islands of South Moresby in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). Often referred to as the Galapagos of Canada, the lands and waters of Gwaii Haanas support some of the most rich and diverse ecosystems in Canada. As word spread of the awe-inspiring beauty, unique environments and cultural heritage of these islands, support grew among British Columbians and other Canadians to protect this remarkable area located off the north-central coast of B.C.

 

In 1988, Canada and British Columbia agreed to establish Gwaii Haanas as a protected area, and eight years ago the Government of Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation signed the agreement creating the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve/ Haida Heritage Site.

Many people are unaware, however, that these original agreements also included a commitment to protect the rich and diverse marine environments surrounding Gwaii Haanas. So far, however, the adjoining 340,000 hectare marine area has not been afforded any protection.

The marine environment in Gwaii Haanas brims with life - supporting the most abundant and diverse number of marine species on the Pacific coast, including 17 species of whales, harbour seals, sea lions, 12 species of seabirds, and hundreds of marine invertebrate species such as starfish, sea cucumbers, anemones, abalone, sea urchins, clams, and turban snails. The extensive kelp forests found along the rocky shores provide food and shelter for many marine species, from fish to mammals.

The marine area also contains critical links between the ocean ecosystems and the protected terrestrial area. The rich sea life is an important source of food for millions of seabirds like the rhinoceros auklet, large numbers of bald eagles, the rare Pealeís peregrine falcon, and the unique subspecies of black bear found in Gwaii Haanas.

Marine refuges like Gwaii Haanas are essential for the health of ocean ecosystems, acting as nurseries for juvenile fish species. They also provide important opportunities for the research and study of marine ecosystems, and for educating the public about the marine environment and the critical interrelationships between the land and the sea.

The natural significance of the lands and waters of Gwaii Haanas has been recognized for generations. Protection of the islands is only half the job - without a corresponding marine protected area, it is difficult to ensure the ecological integrity of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems and to ensure sustainable management of the various human uses - such as fishing, tourism and recreation - which can affect the health of the species and ecosystems in this area.

As a result of negotiations by World Wildlife Fund Canada and the Nature Conservancy of Canada, the last legal impediment to creation of the marine protected area was removed in March of this year when four oil companies gave up their mineral drilling rights in the seabed. It is now time for Parks Canada to finalize the terms of the BC/Canada agreement and initiate the legislation to legally protect the marine component of Gwaii Haanas.

The Archipelago Management Board, the joint Government of Canada/Council of the Haida Nation organization charged with the management of Gwaii Haanas, must also develop a management regime for the marine waters of Gwaii Haanas to ensure the conservation of its species, habitats and ecosystems. This will require consultation with a variety of stakeholders and interests.

The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society and World Wildlife Fund Canada will be working with the communities on Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) to establish the marine component of Gwaii Haanas. But we need your help.

 

Hot Spots '98 Campaign The campaign to protect the Gwaii Haanas marine environment is part of WWF's national Hot Spots '98 Campaign, a special effort to add 14 of Canada's natural wonders to the nation's protected areas system by Canada Day-July 1st, 1998. These wilderness sites afford tangible opportunities for protecting significant portions of our natural heritage, and are the leading edge of the much larger effort that is still needed to meet the goals of WWF's Endangered Spaces Campaign-completion of a network of terrestrial protected areas by the year 2000, and a network of marine protected areas by 2010. Check out WWF's website at www.wwfcanada.org for further information.

Please contact Prime Minister Chretien, and urge him to give full protection to Gwaii Haanas, by finally completing commitments made in the Gwaii Haanas agreements, by legally designating the marine area by Oceans Day 1998. This can be through amendments to the National Parks Act, pending proclamation of the National Marine Conservation Areas legislation. Now is the time to complete this project, begun more than a decade ago, with a marine protected area for the awe-inspiring coasts, rocky shoals and deep waters of Gwaii Haanas, significant for nature, for the Haida, and for all of Canada.

The Right Honourable Jean Chretien

Prime Minister of Canada

House of Commons

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Phone:613-992-4211

Fax: 613-941-6900

Email: pm@pm.gc.ca

Remember, no postage is required for letters to the House of Commons.

Send a copy of your letter to:

Mr. Tom Lee

Assistant Deputy Minister, Parks

Department of Canadian Heritage

25 Eddy St. 7th Floor

Hull Quebec K1A 0M5

Phone: 819-997-9525

Fax: 819-953-9745

Email: tom_lee@pch.gc.ca

If you would like further information about the campaign to establish the marine protected area in Gwaii Haanas, please contact Sabine Jessen at CPAWS-BC 604/685-7445 or email sjessen@cpaws bc.com.

And please, send us a copy of your letters.

Sabine Jessen is Executive Director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS).

 

Why become a CPAWS-BC member? CPAWS plays a key role in establishing new protected areas and in improving the management of existing parks. We achieve our goals through advocacy, education, and cooperative partnerships with environmental groups, industry, governments, First Nations and others. We recently achieved our goal of protecting more than one million hectares of Northern Rockies' wilderness, the greatest combined abundance and diversity of large mammals left in North America, comparable to Africa's Serengeti. Increasing membership and continuing advocacy and research will assure continuing future successes. By being a member, you stay informed about wilderness protection issues in BC and across Canada and you will receive the BC Parks & Wilderness Quarterly and the bi-yearly Wilderness Activist, our national newsletter. Support the only national conservation group devoted exclusively to the protection of Canada's shrinking wilderness.