Category: Timeline Stories

The Government of BC officially transferred the authority to administer a number of environmental and marine statues to the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (WLRS). This transfer includes the authority to manage tenures under the Land Act, as well as licensing the growth and harvesting of wild aquatic..Read More

The Government of BC released a What We Heard Report to summarize nearly 1,000 public feedback submissions on the Coastal Marine Strategy Policy Intentions Paper. The issues of most concern for respondents were restoration of wild salmon populations, addressing marine pollution, and incorporating legislation in the strategy. Moreover, 88% of..Read More

A public engagement period for feedback on the Coastal Marine Strategy Policy Intentions Paper extended from December 15, 2022 – April 14, 2023. We gathered together a coalition of 19 environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) to offer unified feedback on the Policy Intentions Paper, we submitted this joint letter on behalf..Read More

The ministry releases a Policy Intentions Paper for the BC Coastal Marine Strategy that was co-written with representatives from coastal First Nations. The Policy Intentions Paper lays out 6 outcomes they want to see achieved for coastal marine areas across British Columbia, as well as 30 policy intentions to get..Read More

Premier John Horgan announces the creation of the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship that will co-manage lands and waters with First Nations and ensure the effects of economic activity are aligned with environmental objectives. The Ministry consolidates provincial ocean management programs and is responsible for the development of..Read More

The Ministry will engage coastal First Nations’ leadership on a process for developing a Coastal Marine Strategy and key priorities. Then in collaboration, they will draft an intentions paper. Following this step, we expect further engagement over this government’s mandate to develop a made-in-BC Coastal Marine Strategy.

As we await the creation of BC’s first Coastal Marine Strategy, BC remains one of the last coastal jurisdictions in North America without a united plan and law to protect and manage its coast. Our goal is to ensure the Government of BC implements an effective Coastal Marine Strategy and..Read More

Intensifying climate change impacts, record low salmon runs, and increasing demands over resources continue to negatively impact coastal communities and ecosystems, making the need for a Coastal Marine Strategy more urgent than ever.

For the first time, the Government of BC commits to developing a Coastal Marine Strategy in partnership with First Nations and other orders of government, as a means to preserve coastal marine ecosystems and in turn, growing coastal economies. Minister of State for Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Nathan Cullen,..Read More

British Columbia enacts legislation requiring the province to bring its law and practices into harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) – this includes its marine management regime.