Nanwakolas and Marine Planning
Nanwakolas member First Nations have a traditional and ongoing relationship with the marine environment and its resources. The ocean has shaped our culture and society, and continues to be the basis of food, social and ceremonial practices and economic wealth of our people.
In 2010 the Nanwakolas Council, on behalf of its member First Nations, signed an Addendum to the Memorandum of Understanding on Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area Collaborative Oceans Governance with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the province of BC and two other coastal First Nations’ umbrella organizations to collaboratively lead an integrated ocean management plan for the Pacific North Coast that includes the traditional territories of our member First Nations. We also negotiated a funding agreement to develop marine plans for the territories of each of the member First Nations, and to integrate these plans into a sub-regional marine plan for the North Vancouver Island area. All of these planning activities are intended to be completed by the end of 2012, and are described in more detail below.
PNCIMA (Regional Level) Marine Planning
On behalf of its member First Nations, Nanwakolas is co-leading the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) marine planning process. Our co-leadership role includes participating as members of the multi-government steering, process and planning committees along with representatives from other participating First Nations’ organizations. Our participation is focused on ensuring the interests and aspirations of our member First Nations are taken into account in all discussions.
The PNCIMA Integrated Ocean Plan is intended to be an ecosystem-based management plan that addresses, as key priorities, strategies and spatial designations for marine economic development, marine protection, marine transportation and safety, and marine fisheries. It will be completed by the fall of 2012 and will include the four PNCIMA sub-regions of Haida Gwaii, North Coast, Central Coast and North Vancouver Island.
Further information and updates on the PNCIMA process, including background documents, committees, work plans and participants, may be found at www.pncima.org.
Community (Territory Level) Marine Planning
With the assistance of Nanwakolas staff, our eight member First Nations are preparing community plans — individual marine plans for their respective traditional territories — for completion by the fall of 2011. These plans will contain important background information, protocols, and key policies and strategies for marine resource management and marine activities, including spatial designations. Public access to these plans will be determined by individual member First Nations. These community marine plans are intended to assist our member First Nations in dealing with development, harvesting and conservation proposals in their marine territories. They will also help us pursue our ambitions for greater influence over marine management and governance, as a reflection of Aboriginal rights and title.Please follow the links to the left for further information and updates on the First Nation community plans.
Northern Vancouver Island (Sub-regional Level) Marine Planning
The eight individual community plans will be integrated into a broader, area-wide plan for Northern Vancouver Island Sub-region (sub-regional plan) by November 2011. This plan will attempt to summarize important background and identify common policy, protocol, strategies and spatial designations based on the individual community plans. The plan will be developed by Nanwakolas staff with the advice of a Marine Working Group representing Chiefs and Councils of member First Nations.
We want to ensure that every First Nation on Northern Vancouver Island has the opportunity to influence the sub-regional plan that we are preparing for this area. Efforts will be made to share our planning work with non-participating First Nations at technical meetings in the fall of 2011, to ensure that the final sub-regional plan has considered their own policies and plans in areas of overlapping interest.
Please follow the link to the left for further information and updates on the Nanwakolas sub-regional plan for North Vancouver Island Sub-region.
Staying Informed
We value the advice and comments of local residents, interest groups and local government on our marine planning activities. We will keep you regularly informed about our involvement in marine planning and PNCIMA over the next two years. In addition, we aim to host a series of public meetings in the fall – winter of 2011/12 to outline our organization’s role in PNCIMA and our marine planning activities, and to obtain feedback on our sub-regional plan.
For more information regarding the Nanwakolas Council Marine Planning activities please contact Scott Harris, Marine Planner at scottharris [at] nanwakolas [dot] com.