Planning for Our Oceans

We ask a lot of our ocean. We harvest it for fish and shellfish, we sail on it in everything from cruise ships to tankers, and we dump industrial runoff into it. The value of these natural goods and services totals billions of dollars annually, and contributes to the economies of the province and coastal communities.

Rockfish

Collapsing fisheries and other signs of ecological decline warn us that we are pushing the limits of what the ocean is able to absorb. Marine use planning is about being strategic about what we take from the ocean and what we put into it. By adjusting our practices to take into account the fragility of marine resources, we preserve natural capital while living comfortably off the interest.

The Oceans Act

The Oceans Act requires the federal government to engage British Columbians in a comprehensive, integrated management planning process in an area called the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area. This area includes BC’s Central and North Coast and Queen Charlotte Islands/Haida Gwaii marine regions. It covers approximately two-thirds of BC’s coast.

In 2005, the federal government said it would initiate a comprehensive marine planning process on the Pacific coast. However, the 2006 federal budget reduced the already inadequate funding for this process.

Supporting Marine Use Planning

Sierra Club BC and other conservation groups urge the federal government to support marine use planning and protected area designations and to increase public awareness and the demand for marine conservation. While waiting for the government to move on this issue, the Sierra Club BC and other groups are engaging in research and analysis to fill gaps in information that will be required for an effective marine use planning process.