Central Coast National Marine Conservation Area Reserve

Description

Ecological Context

Hundreds of islands, exposed rocky headlands, nearshore kelp forests, and the shelf waters of Queen Charlotte Sound characterize the Central Coast sub-region’s marine and coastal areas. Within the sub-region, the exposed outer coast meets an intricate nearshore with large-bodied sponge assemblages, structural corals, and a shoreline that is cut by narrow channels and steep-walled fjords containing ecologically complex estuaries, calm inlets, and pocket coves.

Marine life thrives in the diverse habitats of the Central Coast. Coral and sponge reefs, kelp forests, and eelgrass beds support invertebrate and fish communities including juvenile Pacific halibut, eulachon, salmon, crab, prawn, and numerous rockfish species. Herring spawn in the intertidal zone and shallow waters on eelgrass, kelp, rock, and other substrates. In addition, the sub-region is home to some of the biggest salmon runs on the coast.

Marine birds rely on the rich marine feeding grounds of the Central Coast. Globally significant nesting populations of fork-tailed storm-petrels, Cassin’s auklets, rhinoceros auklets, tufted puffins, marbled murrelet, and black oystercatchers are found in the area, including approximately one third of the world’s population of breeding Cassin’s auklets.

Numerous marine mammals are found in Central Coast waters. Grey and humpback whales migrate through the region, sometimes stopping to feed for prolonged periods. Pacific harbour seals are widely distributed throughout the sub-region, and Steller sea lion haulouts dot the outer coast. Killer whales, fur seals, porpoises, and Pacific white-sided dolphins are sighted on a regular basis throughout the Central Coast. Reintroduction of sea otters on the Central Coast has helped restore healthy kelp forest ecosystem dynamics.

The adjacent terrestrial area has become well-known as the Great Bear Rainforest. Here, many terrestrial animals, including black bears, the geographically unique spirit bears, grizzly bears, and wolves forage extensively in the intertidal zone of the sub-region, and create a vital link between marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

Cultural Context

For millennia, the wellbeing of the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Nuxalk, and Wuikinuxv has been linked, inextricably, to the health of the marine environment. Management and utilization of abundant marine resources, particularly salmon, supported ancient civilizations and allowed rich and complex cultures and societies to develop. Archaeologists have dated the origins of village sites on the Central Coast to as far back as 11,000 years, making them some of the oldest continually occupied sites in Canada. Pre-contact, the Central Coast supported some of the highest population concentrations in North America.

Historically, abundant herring and eulachon populations also characterized the Central Coast. These species were once the cornerstone of trade between coastal and inland First Nations in the region, and an important economic driver for First Nations and local communities. Groundfish such as 165 rockfish, halibut, sablefish, sole, and Pacific cod have been managed and harvested for many generations by the Central Coast Nations, and today are important to the modern commercial fishing industry. Declines in salmon, Dungeness crab, eulachon, herring and some groundfish species have impacted the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Wuikinuxv, and Nuxalk people’s way of life and their ability to rely upon and practice traditional marine management and harvesting for this and future generations.

The nearshore and inlets currently support geoduck, sea cucumber and sea urchin dive fisheries as well as Dungeness Crab and prawn fisheries. These valuable fisheries, which the Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Wuikinuxv, and Nuxalk have used for generations, continue to support both commercial and traditional fisheries. Northern abalone was once abundant in the region but is now an endangered species.

Within each of the zones of the Central Coast sub-region First Nations have identified C-CPs that include areas important for harvesting, areas important for culturally significant species, and areas important for culture and spirituality.

Human Use Context

In the last several decades the population of the Central Coast has risen and fallen despite consistent growth in the B.C. population as a whole over same period. Today, approximately 3,500 people live in the sub-region. Close to two-thirds of area residents are of Heiltsuk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Nuxalk, or Wuikinuxv ancestry. Bella Coola, Bella Bella, Ocean Falls, Wuikinuxv, Shearwater, and Klemtu are the main communities, all of which can be reached by boat and air/float plane. Bella Coola, Bella Bella, Ocean Falls, Shearwater and Klemtu are also served by B.C. Ferries. Bella Coola is the only community that is accessible by road.

The Central Coast economy has always been tied to the ocean. Post-European contact the industrial market economy was built largely on fishing and fish processing. More recently forestry activities, which have a significant marine component, have been an important employer, and finfish aquaculture and processing have become a significant economic driver for the Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation. Resource cycles and overharvesting have adversely impacted the health of these industries and have led to downturns in related fishing sectors. Emerging marine sectors, including shellfish and marine plant aquaculture, marine tourism, monitoring and research, and marine renewable energy could each play an important role in healthy First Nation and local communities. Over the last century Central Coast economies relied primarily on commercial logging and fishing industries, including commercial fisheries and recreational fishing service providers. While these industries are still critical, local economies are also becoming more diversified, with a recent focus on aquaculture, and tourism and other service sectors.

Other human uses include shipping (the Central Coast is an important part of the inside passage shipping corridor), public recreation (with activities such as sailing, powerboating, kayaking and recreational fishing), and research activities.