June 9 2022

Great Bear Sea

cpawsadmin Campaigns, Ocean Campaigns british columbia, central coast bc, cpaws, great bear sea, kate macmillan, northern bioshelf regions

Photo: Lichen, Troy Moth, Salmon Beyond Borders. Tahltan lands and waters.

DEFENDING THE GREAT BEAR SEA

The Great Bear Sea is next to the sacred Great Bear Rainforest. Located off the North and Central Coasts of BC, the area includes Haida Gwaii and the waters around Northern Vancouver Island. Also known as the Northern Shelf Bioregion, these abundant offshore islands, rocky shorelines and deep fjords are home to iconic wildlife. Every summer, migrating humpback whales come to feed in these rich waters. Both Bigg’s and Northern Resident killer whales cruise through the Great Bear Sea. Once hunted to extinction from BC, reintroduced sea otters are bouncing back and helping bring back balance to ecosystems. Healthy kelp forests, seagrass meadows, and glass sponge reefs provide shelter for marine life like rockfish and shrimp. This rich stretch of ocean helps fight climate change by storing blue carbon.

Indigenous Peoples have stewarded the Great Bear Sea since time before memory. These waters have supported vibrant societies and cultures for thousands of years. Indigenous Peoples continue to lead the stewardship of healthy coastal waters now and for generations to come. Care and respect for nature is woven through many cultural values. Responsible management of the coast ensures sustainable resources and local food security.

diver in cloudy turquoise waters hovers over qhite square outline on seafloor

Boat surrounded by kelp, calm water and coastal shores

Orange sunset beams over crashing waves on rocky shore

Photos: © markus thompson – thalassia environmental

DEFENDING THE GREAT BEAR SEA

Working Together to Create Canada’s First Marine Protected Area Network

Now the dual crises of climate change and biodiversity loss threaten these rich waters’ ability to provide for the future. Overharvesting, destructive fishing, and pollution are mounting pressure and adding excess stress. Marine protected areas can act as an insurance policy to keep marine life healthy in the face of a changing ocean. These designations grant refuge from harmful human activities. When we protect the oceans, we’re not only protecting nature. We’re also supporting healthy, sustainable, local economies along the coast.

For over a decade, 17 First Nations in partnership with the federal and provincial governments, have been working together to create Canada’s first network of marine protected areas to safeguard the Great Bear Sea. The MPA network aims to protect marine wildlife and First Nations’ cultural conservation priorities.

We know MPAs work. BC has already made great strides to establish individual MPA’s along the coast. The region already hosts three established marine protected areas: Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area, and Scott Islands marine National Wildlife Area. The region is also home to the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation’s Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) marine protected area and the Mamalilikulla First Nation’s Gwaxdlala/Nalaxdlala1 (Lull Bay/Hoeya Sound) Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).

Northern Shelf Bioregion area

Working Together to Create Canada’s First Marine Protected Area Network

Map shoes red bold lines around north and central coast area

Northern Shelf Bioregion area

Map of north and central coast of BC dotted with existing marine protected areas.

Existing marine protected areas potential for a connected marine protected areas in the Great Bear Sea

Now it’s time for us all to connect the dots. We’ve seen MPA networks work in other parts of the world; now it’s BC’s turn to level up for our coast. By adding many smaller protected areas to neighbouring hotspots, the network can link important marine habitats. The benefits of a single MPA will spillover and amplify beyond the protected borders. MPA networks are more comprehensive and safeguard ocean biodiversity more effectively than individual sites.

Share your Support for Canada’s First MPA Network

Right now we need your help to share support for the completion of the network of marine protected areas. MPAs and networks provide refuge for ocean life to thrive and also benefit people by supporting sustainable industries, local economies, and coastal communities.

Tell the MPA Network partners that the network must have strong protections and meet minimum standards to support both the people and marine life who depend on these waters.

There will be public webinars, open houses and online surveys. Please visit MPAnetwork.ca to learn how you can share your support for the MPA network.

NEW! Learn more about the Great Bear Sea by visiting: greatbearsea.org

Learn More

Check out our Site by Site series on the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network

Visit site by site

May 27 2022

Ocean Week 2022: Defending the Great Bear Sea | Join CPAWS-BC Live on Zoom

Skye CPAWS-BC carlo acuna, cpaws, great bear sea, kate macmillan, marine protected area, mpa netowrk, ocean week

Join us for a global celebration of Ocean Week June 6-10 2022!

You’re invited to join CPAWS-BC’s Ocean Conservation Campaign experts for a special launch for our new Great Bear Sea campaign.

The Great Bear Sea, also referred to as the Northern Shelf Bioregion, is found off the north and central coasts of BC next to the famous Great Bear Rainforest.

Join us on Zoom on June 9 to learn about the incredible and unique marine life that lives here. Hear about how coastal First Nations are leading the process with the Canadian and BC governments to create a marine protected area (MPAs) network for the region. Thanks to people like you advocating for strong ocean protection, we have a plan to build on the existing three MPAs here to create a whole network of protected areas to further support important habitats. These connected MPAs increase the resilience to impacts and protect the health of the Great Bear Sea for present and future generations.

Carlo Acuña (he/him), Ocean Conservation Coordinator
Kate MacMillan (she/her), Ocean Conservation Manager

May 10 2022

Glass Sponge Reefs

cpawsadmin Ocean Campaigns bottom trawl, canadian parks and wilderness society, carlo acuna, glass sponge, hecate strait, howe sound, kate macmillan, reef bc, rockfish, sabine jessen, sally leys

The Sea of Glass: Protecting BC’s unique glass sponge reefs

Deep in the cold dark waters of the BC coast lie rare ecosystems once thought extinct: glass sponge reefs! While individual glass sponges have been identified around the world, glass sponge reefs are mostly unique to beautiful British Columbia. On the north and central coasts, these living reefs stretch for hundreds of kilometres across the seafloor and reach the height of a six story building. Smaller reefs also grow in the Salish Sea on the south coast, just outside Vancouver and Victoria. BC truly has a sea of glass!

Natural Solution to Climate Change

These marine animals are an integral part of a healthy marine habitat. Glass sponge reefs provide shelter for marine life including rockfish and shrimp, store carbon on the ocean floor, filter bacteria out of the water, and fertilize the ocean. The sea of glass supports thriving culture and livelihoods for coastal communities.

With skeletons made of silica, these sponges are extremely fragile. Bottom contact fishing such as bottom trawling and shrimp trapping easily shatter their bodies. Sediment on the seafloor kicked up by these fishing methods also causes them to “choke” and stop feeding.

Glass sponge reefs provide habitat for economically important rockfish and shrimp

Strong Permanent Protection for the Sea of Glass

CPAWS-BC looks to protect the Sea of Glass by calling on the federal government to ban bottom contact fishing on or near glass sponge reefs with marine protected areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) such as marine refuges and fishing closures.

North and Central Coasts

North and Central Coasts
South Coast

Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area

Off the north and central coasts of BC, the Hecate Strait/Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Area (MPA) prohibits bottom contact fishing. CPAWS-BC is calling on the federal government to make the MPA bigger because new research shows that sediment from beyond the one kilometre buffer zone, as far away as six kilometres, can cause the sponges to choke.

Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reefs

On the south coast, the marine refuges and fishing closures of the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative protect the Salish Sea’s glass sponge reefs. While not full marine protected areas, these OECMs prohibit bottom contact fishing. CPAWS-BC is calling on the federal government to make these protections more permanent since the current laws can be removed with a change in ministry leadership. We are also calling for better monitoring and enforcement because after the fact fines do not prevent fishing damage from occurring in the first place.

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