Community Conservation Research Network |

Coastal Communities At The Ready

CCRN — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:48:28 +0000

Coastal Communities… At the Ready is a new film that explores how coastal communities are preparing for, and responding to, a range of climate change impacts and other hazards hitting the coast. That includes everything from hurricanes and other extreme weather, to floods and erosion, to tsunamis and oil spills.

“Most of the world’s people live by the sea and are under the threat of a variety of marine hazards. Marine hazards are not new on the coast but they are becoming more common and more intense under the pressures of climate change. Where the sea meets the land in coastal communities, developing good responses to the impending threats is vitally important.” (from the film)

Coastal Communities… At the Ready combines global perspectives with the experiences of two Canadian coastal communities – Tofino and the District of Clare – to examine how communities can adapt to climate change, and prepare for hazards, with a focus on the tools and knowledge that can lead to success.

This 13-minute film will be of interest to all those concerned about living on the coast, making a living at sea, and dealing with climate change – including communities and community associations, citizen organizations, governments and policy-makers. The film, which is also suitable for school and university classrooms, provides a better understanding of the issues and challenges coastal communities face, and how they can overcome these challenges.

Produced by Nexus Media. Executive Producer: Anthony Charles. Funded by the Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN) and Saint Mary’s University.

Nakatuenita: Respect

CCRN — Sun, 17 Mar 2019 17:00:27 +0000

Pressured by the Church and Governments the Innu were settled into communities in the middle of the 20th Century, then the Churchill Falls Hydro Project flooded vast areas of their land without permission. Their communities fell apart and into despair.

Now the Innu are taking back control of their land, government, schools, social services and their resources which are overseen by the Environmental Guardians.

Timor Leste

CCRN — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 16:12:24 +0000

Produced by Cintia Nascimento, this video focuses on coastal conservation in Timor Leste.

Indigenous Voices on the Environment and the Economy

CCRN — Tue, 02 Apr 2019 18:44:41 +0000

Key themes found throughout the resources below relate to how Indigenous communities are facing and responding to environmental and livelihood sustainability challenges, drawing on Indigenous perspectives on the environment and natural resource stewardship. A dialogue is built through personal accounts both from within Canada, and internationally.

Indigenous knowledge (IK) has the potential to provide invaluable insight for community-based development and conservation efforts through the sharing of multi-generational intellectual capital within and between communities and organisations. This traditional knowledge system provides a means of addressing both environmental and social concerns simultaneously, and sustainably. By incorporating Indigenous knowledge in the policy process, and going beyond simply the duty to consult with aboriginal peoples, we gain unmatched insight into sustainable social-ecological management – for the benefit of all.

Session Chair

Maureen Googoo

(A Mi’kmaq journalist from Indian Brook, Nova Scotia)

Key Themes:
Indigenous Issues, Livelihoods, Climate & Environmental Change, Governance, Rights & Conflict

Click titles to view videos and presentations:

Indigenous Voices on Environment and Economy: Welcome

Raymond Sewell (Saint Mary’s University)

Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Innu, and Passamaquoddy

Ken Paul (Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs)

Nuu-chah-nulth

Dawn Foxcroft (Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council)

Innu Nation

Richard Nuna (Innu Nation Environment Office)

Mosquitia & Panel Discussion

Facilitated by commentator: Osvaldo Munguia (Co-founder and Director, MOPAWI (Mosquitia Development Agency))

Clayoquot Sound, Canada

CCRN — Thu, 22 Mar 2018 17:25:35 +0000

View the complete CCRN’s Clayoquot Sound Community Story as a PDF

Laura Loucks

Key Messages

• Collective action in an unsustainable social-ecological system can catalyse a shift towards increased community sustainability when supported with financial resources and appropriate local institutions.

• Cross-cultural knowledge sharing and place-based learning are integral to transforming social-ecological systems at the community level.

• Social innovation can assist with transformation when supported by a network of collaborative organizations with a shared set of principles and a united vision to inspire change.

Community Profile

For millennia, the Indigenous Nuu-chah-nulth people have had strong cultural and livelihood connections with the terrestrial, fresh water and marine ecosystems of the west coast of Vancouver Island, Canada. Within this area, Clayoquot Sound is located primarily in the Nuu-chah-nulth Ha’ huulthii (homelands) of Hesquiaht, Ahousaht and Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations, encompassing nearly 350,000 hectares of a complex and globally significant social-ecological landscape (Figure 1).

The ecosystems of Clayoquot Sound are rich in biodiversity and characterized by a large contiguous rainforest canopy of old growth western red cedar and western hemlock covering steep-sided coastal mountains throughout six watersheds.

There are five different species of Pacific salmon which originate from the rivers of Clayoquot Sound and each supports some element of culture, economy and food supply for eight different communities within the region: Hesquiaht, Ahousaht, Opitsaht, Tofino, Estowista/Ty-Histanis, Ucluelet, Hitacu and Macoah.

Figure 1: Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere region

In 2000, Clayoquot Sound was designated a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve. The nomination for the protected area was made after more than a decade of conflict and community action to prevent the logging of old growth coastal temperate rainforests. The key conservation goals of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves are to conserve biodiversity and to safeguard the sustainability of natural and managed ecosystems by uniting communities and nations in peace and cooperation, through education, science, culture and communication ⁽¹⁰⁾.

Conservation and Livelihood Challenges

Resource extraction, conflict and collective action
Over the last 50 years, local communities have constantly struggled to assert local access rights to Crown resources and shape government policies for more sustainable resource management practices in fishing and logging. In the forestry industry, unresolved Aboriginal land claims and corporate rights to Timber Forest Licenses were at the heart of unsustainable land use. For example, logging companies commonly built roads along steep mountain slopes, despite the high risk of soil erosion and damage to stream and river habitats. Similarly, large tracts of old growth rainforest were clearcut, causing significant ecological damage without the consultation or consent of the Nuu-chah-nulth Ha’ wiih, who carry the traditional responsibility to preside over and protect the Nuu-chah-nulth Ha’ huulthii⁽⁹⁾.

However, in 1982 the affirmation of Aboriginal rights and treaty rights within Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution marked an enormous shift in Canadian Law⁽⁵⁾. These rights were further strengthened in the seminal Meares Island Case, which catalyzed a transformation process still underway in Clayoquot Sound⁽⁵⁾.

In 1984, a coalition of leaders and residents from Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation and the town of Tofino sought to protect Meares Island, within Clayoquot Sound, from being logged by the MacMillan Bloedel forestry company. The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council claimed the island as part of the traditional territory to which it had Aboriginal title and sought a court injunction against the logging of the Island. Subsequently, the logging company requested their own court injunction against the coalition. In an unprecedented decision, the British Columbia Court of Appeal granted the injunction to the Nuu-chah-nulth based on the irreversible damages of unsustainable forestry practices⁽⁵⁾. In the words of Justice Seaton,

“It appears that the area to be logged will be wholly logged. The forest that the Indians know and use will be permanently destroyed. The tree from which the bark was partially stripped in 1642 may be cut down, middens may be destroyed, fish traps damaged and canoe runs despoiled. Finally, the island’s symbolic value will be gone. The subject matter of the trial will be destroyed before the rights are decided”^{(5, pg.149)}.

The victory of the Meares Island Case also marked the beginning of the Tla-o-qui-aht assertion of rights and title to the Meares Island Tribal Park, and 10 years of conflict⁽⁹⁾. In 1994, in an effort to resolve an escalating environmental campaign, the British Columbia government announced a Scientific Panel for Sustainable Forest Practices in Clayoquot Sound. Through this, the Nuu-chah-nulth principle of hishuk-ish-ts’awalk (everything is one and interconnected) inspired a set of new hybrid protocols designed to respect both traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and scientific knowledge systems^(6).Recommendations of the scientific panel were eventually instituted through watershed management plans that now provide the foundation for adaptive ecosystem management in the region. One plan is in the Indigenous community of Ahousaht, where Chief Maquinna has noted:

“The Ahousaht believe that this is the beginning of a new era, based on recognition and celebration of Ahousaht people and culture, conservation of the world-class forest and marine resources of Clayoquot Sound, and the development of a more diversified, sustainable local economy, including community forestry.”⁽⁸⁾

A recent challenge concerns the decline of fishing and logging livelihoods over the last decade. On the other hand, employment in nature tourism has rapidly grown, and is now one of the main economic forces for West Coast communities, attracting over one million visitors per year⁽⁴⁾. However, several warning signs indicate the steady growth of tourism has potentially exceeded the sustainable capacity of many communities within the Biosphere Reserve. For example, the escalating rise in the number of West Coast visitors is strongly correlated with the increased seasonal demand on emergency medical services, increased summer drought vulnerability, lower average income levels and a reduced supply of long-term affordable housing units⁽⁴⁾.

Community Initiatives

Today, the principles and protocols established by the Scientific Panel are embodied in local community organizations with new governance models based on the shared desire to build a sustainable future on West Coast Vancouver Island. One such example is the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT), which is led by a voluntary board of directors, representing all local First Nations and communities within the Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Reserve, with a vision:

“…to live sustainably in a healthy ecosystem with a diversified economy and strong, vibrant and united cultures while embracing the Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations living philosophies of Iisaak, (living respectfully), Qwa’aak qin teechmis (life in balance) and Hishuk ish ts’awalk (all things are connected)”⁽²⁾.

In monitoring community development trends using a range of sustainability indicators, CBT raised the above-noted tourism issue. Given the potential negative impacts, local leaders worked to identify ways to diversify tourism livelihoods with elements of the knowledge and sharing economy. A new West Coast learning initiative⁽⁷⁾ was started, including (i) an initiative to identify community education needs and priorities, involving local organisations, educational institutions and government agencies; (ii) partnerships between organisations throughout the Biosphere region and between municipal and provincial governments, to align job training priorities; and (iii) leveraging of funds within the region to support an education asset inventory⁽³⁾ and research on the feasibility of education tourism to build local learning capacity and develop a visitor market demand for place-based education⁽⁷⁾.

In 2016, a collaboration of the CBT, First Nations, municipal governments, local education organizations and destination marketing organizations, launched the West Coast NEST (Nature, Education, Sustainability, Transformation) to connect people to all current learning opportunities offered in the region, focusing on four key market sectors: university field schools, professional development courses, adult learning and youth learning opportunities.

The vision is to enable all local community members and education-oriented organizations to participate fully in the learning economy, together with visiting learners⁽⁷⁾(Figure 2). By linking learning with tourism, the West Coast NEST is creating a global network of learners who can help catalyze a new local economic opportunity while shifting values towards sustainable livelihoods.

Figure 2: Nuu-chah-nulth Elder Ray Haipee teaching visiting learners.

Nested within the Nuu-chah-nulth values of Iisaak, qwa’aak qin teechmis and hishuk ish ts’awalk, the education tourism initiative is an opportunity to transform conventional tourism to attract a different type of visitor: one who wants to stay longer on the West Coast, learn from local people, experience local culture and contribute to stewardship of this ecologically significant place.

In this manner, local community organizations are working to shift away from an unsustainable tourist ‘consumer’ economy and moving incrementally towards a new ‘conserver’ economy, where broken cultures are restored and damaged SES are re-built. The communities see education tourism as having the potential to support an economic return from visiting learners while expanding local learning opportunities.

Seven principles for education tourism:
1) Attract co-learners: we welcome others to learn with us.
2) Community reciprocity: we share benefits between communities.
3) Local knowledge holders are experts: local people are reimbursed for sharing their knowledge.
4) Learning networks of practice: together, we are creating a culture of learning and collaborative problem solving.
5) Stewardship-in-place: every community has an outdoor classroom and a place to learn from the land.
6) Holistic hands-on learning: we learn best by applied learning and practice.
7) Cultural safety and sharing: we create safe spaces for learning and healing across cultural boundaries.

Practical Outcomes

The West Coast learning initiative has demonstrated innovative solutions for sustainable livelihood challenges. As more organisations contribute to education programme development, education initiatives for local and visiting learners increase, resulting in a broader distribution of economic benefits and sustainable livelihood options. In 2017, for example, 75 educational courses and 356 educational events were offered, over 150 temporary work opportunities were created delivering educational courses, and 712 temporary positions were created to deliver educational events. In 2019, these benefits have expanded to include 320 educational courses, 1,032 educational events, 66 seasonal positions and 2,064 temporary positions.

The West Coast NEST motivates both lateral and vertical connectivity across local communities in the region, as well as organisations who share a vision for higher learning and contribute to sustainable economic diversification. Working within the principles and values of a Nuu-chah-nulth worldview helps to guide a regional vision for higher learning while also supporting a shared culture of place-based stewardship. Likewise, training has been provided for over 40 students of a leadership program, from Nuu-chah-nulth and non-Nuu-chah- nulth communities, who continue to volunteer their time to local community projects.

Local economic development capacity is growing with the following programmes: First Nation Tourism Training certificate, governance training, grant writing workshops, strategic career management training and Critical Incident Stress Management Training in partnership with three First Nations and the Justice Institute of British Columbia.

The measurable benefits from education tourism help to support local municipal government plans and policies to further diversify the tourism economy and invest in sustainable economic development. The town of Tofino, for example, identifies several economic development goals in support of education tourism such as the goal for Tofino to become a centre of excellence in learning, research and development.

In summary, the West Coast NEST is an example of how cross-cultural collaboration, knowledge sharing and place-based learning are integral to transforming SES at the community level. As the number of education opportunities grow, more options for new and innovative forms of sustainable livelihoods naturally unfold, especially when supported by municipal government sustainable economic development initiatives. All these actions, when taken together, help to support the ground swell of social change and transformation underway in the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

References

Austin, M.A., Buffet, D.A., Nicholson, D.J., Scudder, G.G.E. and Stevens, V. (eds.) (2008). Taking Nature’s Pulse: The Status of Biodiversity in British Columbia [online]. Victoria, BC, Canada: Biodiversity BC. Available at: http://www. biodiversitybc.org/EN/main/downloads/tnp-introduction. html
Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT) (2014a). ‘Vision’. CBT [website]. Available at: https://clayoquotbiosphere.org/about- us/overview
CBT (2014b). Regional Education Asset Inventory. Tofino, BC, Canada: Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. Available at: https:// clayoquotbiosphere.org/files/file/5d6f46b85bb19/Regional- Education-Asset-Inventory_final.pdf
CBT (2016). Clayoquot Sound Biosphere Region’s Vital Signs 2016. Tofino, BC, Canada: Clayoquot Biosphere Trust. Available at: https://clayoquotbiosphere.org/research/vital- signs
Harris, D. (2009). ‘A Court Between: Aboriginal and Treaty Rights in the British Columbia Court of Appeal’. BC Studies162 (Summer): 137–152. Available at:https://commons.allard.ubc.ca/cgi/viewcontent. cgi?article=1181&context=fac_pubs
Lertzman, D.A. (2010). ‘Best of two worlds: Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Western Science in Ecosystem based Management’. Discussion Paper. BC Journal of Ecosystems and Management 10(3): 104–126. Available at: https://jem-online.org/index.php/jem/article/ download/40/12
Loucks, L., Thicke, C., Bird, G., White, B. and Harris, R. (2015). Education Tourism Market Development Strategy for the Pacific Rim Knowledge Initiative. Royal Roads University, Sooke, BC. Available at: https://clayoquotbiosphere.org/files/ file/5d6f46888bfc9/2015-Pacific-Rim-Education-Tourism- Market-Development-Strategy.pdf
Maaqutusiis Hahoulthee Stewardship Society (2017). Ahousaht Land Use Vision. Press Release, 25 January 2017. Available at: http://www.mhssahousaht.ca/news/press- release-ahousaht-land-use-vision
Murray, G. and King, L. (2012). ‘First Nations Values in Protected Area Governance: Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks and Pacific Rim National Park Reserve’. Human Ecology 40: 385–395. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-012- 9495-2
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2017). Final Report of the Twenty- ninth session of the International Co-ordinating Council (ICC) of the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme. Paris, France, 12–15 June (2017). Available at: http://www. unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/HQ/SC/images/FINAL_29MAB_ICC_REPORT_ENG.pdf

Acknowledgements

Support for this story was provided by the Community Conservation Research Network (CCRN) and the Clayoquot Biosphere Trust (CBT).

Born on the Rocks

CCRN — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 21:09:48 +0000

The story of the coastal communities of the Tsitsikamma and their relationship with the National Park and Marine Protected Area. Gradually, throughout the years they lose access to the natural resources around them which has dire consequences for their livelihoods. Check out this CCRN funded video produced by CCRN student Ella-Kari Muhl.

Listen to the accounts of local community members as they describe and express the struggles and challenges related to the implementation of the marine protected area, and how the current challenges are endangering the future of the community. The video highlights the values and needs of the local residents, and, through those values, demonstrates indicators and practices that would lead to success. For more information, check out the CCRN Tsitsikamma community story.

Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide (MERG)

CCRN — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 19:51:07 +0000

For the past several years, CCRN partner West Coast Aquatic has been working on a tool to support decision-making that is ecosystem-based and inclusive of multiple knowledge systems (indigenous, local and scientific). Over 200 information layers have been gathered for Barkley and Clayoquot Sounds, which allow a user to see how ecological, cultural and social values intersect in the marine space with human uses. Compatibilities can highlight economic and other opportunities, while conflicts signal the need for management considerations.

The tool is called the Marine Ecosystem Reference Guide (MERG), and is ready for use. It can be freely accessed, on any web browser, without the need to download an app or extension.

Marineguide.ca (no www in front) or https://marineguide.ca/MarineEcosystem/

Users can include industry who are developing proposal applications, Indigenous and other governments who are reviewing proposal applications, multi-sector resource co-management tables, academia doing research in the region, and interested members of the public.

MERG is simple to use, and includes both short “Get Started” document and a comprehensive online “Help” guide to support navigation of the tool. In addition to viewing the information layers included in the tool, users can also privately upload and view their own information in relation to the tool’s layers.

MERG will be continually updated. Annual updates will be made (e.g. to tenure and licence information), and the goal is to expand the geographic scope to include most of the west coast of Vancouver Island.

MERG is replicable. If groups in other areas are interested in developing a similar tool, West Coast Aquatic would be pleased to share their experience.

All information and images provided by CCRN Researcher Tawney Lem.

Communities Learn about Ocean Harvesting through Nuu-chah-nulth Values and Principles

CCRN — Tue, 23 Jan 2018 16:56:01 +0000

Ocean foods have nourished and sustained Nuu-chah-nulth First Nations for millennia, yet today many challenges exist for those who want to access Nuu-chah-nulth foods and exercise their Aboriginal rights to those foods.

The traditional foods that our ancestors enjoyed remain a significant aspect of social and cultural events, yet often it’s only our Elders who are experts in how to harvest, prepare, and preserve these foods. Having the knowledge and skills to access good, healthy foods for ourselves and our families is an inherent right that should be encouraged at the community level.

This was part of the motivation behind three harvesting workshops organized and coordinated by Uu-a-thluk this past summer in the three regions (i.e., Southern Region: China Creek and Broken Group Islands, Central Region: Toquaht Bay, and Northern Region: Nootka Sound and Yuquot). Thanks to a Special Projects grant from the Nuu-chah-nulth Employment and Training Program (NETP), Uu-a-thluk was able to launch this pilot project to better equip Nuu-chah-nulth for aquatic-related employment opportunities.

“Our hope is that we will make these workshops a yearly event and collaborate with Nations who would like to train members on seafood harvesting, preparation, and preservation,” said Michelle Colyn, Uu-a-thluk Capacity Building Coordinator. “This project will allow us to continue to assert our rights for present and future generations to develop fisheries-related opportunities in concert with Nuu-chah-nulth values and rights.”

Community members in the harvesting workshops learned a range of skills and knowledge such as modern ways of harvesting salmon, crab, prawn, groundfish, and kelp; how knowledge of harvesting ocean resources ties into careers in the fisheries and eco-tourism industries; handling, cleaning, filleting salmon, how to prepare kuutchis salmon (Nuu-chah-nulth salmon barbeque over fire), and preservation methods such as canning.

Figure 1: Northern Region Biologist Roger Dunlop leading a seaweed identification activity (harvesting workshop), Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation Science Camp

Participants in the Northern Region workshop canned bull kelp and made bull kelp salsa, while in the Central Region community members learned about the importance of the potlatch for Nuu-chah-nulth governance and for important events. This past summer while the workshop was taking place Toquaht community members were harvesting for a special memorial honouring Bert Mack (Deets–kee-sup), who served as Tyee Ha’wilth (Hereditary Chief) of Toquaht First Nation until 2009. Those taking part in this workshop also learned about how Nuu-chah-nulth would move through the seasons harvesting food during the 13 moons of the Nuu-chah-nulth calendar. Anii-tsa-chist (Larry Johnson), Toquaht fisher and President of the Nuu-chah-nulth Seafood Development Corporation spoke about the importance of being familiar with the “Seasonal Round” or Nuu-chah-nulth calendar.

“To truly get back to traditional foods it’s important to know why and when different foods are harvested. We’ve been removed from the fishing industry and the coastal way of life,” he said, adding that the residential schools and the shutting out of Nuu-chah-nulth from the commercial fishing industry have significantly contributed to this disconnection.

Defined by the principles of hišukiš c̓awaak meaning “everything is connected,” as Nuu-chah-nulth we understand our sacred duty to foster healthy relationships with the land, waters, plants, and animals that give us our food. With this comes the necessity to respond to our own requirements for safe, healthy cultural foods and the ability to make decisions over how much and what food we hunt, fish, gather, grow and eat to feed our communities. Field-based training opportunities like the harvesting workshops connect food sovereignty and food security with employment on the water, which is crucial to ensuring the long-term success of fisheries and fisheries related businesses. Engaging the next generation in this understanding often begins with something as simple as a first fishing lesson.

Anii-tsa-chist recalled the thrill of catching salmon on a rod for the first time and how he noticed this in the children who he taught to fish at the harvesting workshop in Toquaht Bay. “Adrenalin takes over and that excitement takes me right back to being a little boy and fishing stickleback in the rivers.” Although he added that this should be but one lesson of many. “Being a fisher isn’t something you learn from one course once a year. It’s a lifetime of things you pick up along the way.”

All information in this post provided by CCRN Researcher Dawn Foxcroft

Sea and Indigenous people

CCRN — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:58:06 +0000

Directorate of Coastal and Small Island Utilization, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of Indonesia in cooperation with Faculty of Human Ecology from Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and CCRN researchers (Dr. Arif Satria and Ahmad Mony) in Indonesia have launched a book titled “Laut dan Masyarakat Adat” or “Sea and Indigenous Peoples”. This book is the result of research on five indigenous communities inhabiting five small islands, Kawio Island, Kawaluso Island, Talaud Island, Liki Island, and Selaru Island. These five islands have direct border with neighboring countries such as Malaysia, Philippines, Palau, and Australia. The launching of this book brings Dr. Arif Satria as the main speaker and Prof. Dr. Dietrich G. Bengen from Fisheries and Marine Science Faculty – IPB as the discussant.

The book explores several topics, such as: defining Indigenous / local communities, economic and institutional profiles, problems and challenges facing Indigenous peoples, agrarian (land-based) bias, empowerment gaps, and roadmaps towards indigenous / local community empowerment. It is hoped that the publication of this book can provide an overview of the condition and existence of Indigenous and tribal peoples in Indonesia, especially in small islands, in order to maintain its sustainability. Currently the book is in Indonesian, however, those interested in the book can visit: https://kompas.id/gerai/belanja/buku/laut-dan-masyarakat-adat/

Book Review Event of “Sea and Indigenous People”

The launching of this book was attended by a number of stakeholders such as the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Village, Ministry of Bappenas, and a number of international and local NGOs. Dr. Arif Satria explained that the writing of this book became the foundation for the dissemination of the discourse of coastal and marine resource management based on indigenous peoples found in this research. National policies that have made room for the implementation of community resource management practices should be welcomed with innovative research to formulate effective and sustainable policy and action plans.

This book has been adopted as a basis in formulating policies and action plans for the empowerment of indigenous peoples who inhabit small islands by the Directorate of Coastal and Small Island Utilization, Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries of the Republic of Indonesia. The parties commit to continue similar research for other indigenous communities, and will use the SES approach (social ecological system) as the main approach of research. It is expected that appropriate coastal and marine resource management models will surface and will be implemented in indigenous communities in Indonesia.

Information in this post, and all images, were provided by CCRN Researcher Ahmad Mony.

Maintaining coastal and Indigenous community access to marine resources and the ocean in Canada

CCRN — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 15:47:59 +0000

Article Originally posted/authored on November 21, 2017 by CCRN researcher Nathan Bennett. This article is re-posted with permission from the author.

A team of academics, Indigenous peoples, fishers, and NGOs, including CCRN researchers Nathan Bennett and Natalie Ban, and CCRN Director Anthony Charles, recently published a review and policy perspective paper in Marine Policy urging that access for coastal and Indigenous communities should be a priority consideration in all policies and decision-making processes related to fisheries and the ocean in Canada. The ability to use and benefit from marine resources (including fisheries) and areas of the ocean or coast is central to the sustainability of coastal communities. In Canada, however, access to marine resources and spaces is a significant and growing issue for many coastal and Indigenous communities due to an increasingly busy ocean: ocean-related development, competition over fisheries and marine resources, and marine planning and conservation activities that confine activities to certain areas. Loss of access has implications for the well-being, including economic, social, cultural, health, and political considerations, and persistence of coastal and Indigenous communities across the Pacific, Atlantic and Arctic coasts of Canada. The vibrancy and continuity of these communities is important to Canadian society for many reasons, including identity, autonomy, sovereignty, culture, healthy rural-urban dynamics, and environmental sustainability. Greater attention is needed to the various factors that support or undermine the ability of coastal and Indigenous communities to access and benefit from the ocean and how to reverse the current trend to ensure that coastal and Indigenous communities thrive in the future.

KEY MESSAGES

Access to marine resources and the ocean is important for the well-being of coastal populations. In Canada, the ability of many coastal and Indigenous communities to access and benefit from the ocean is a growing issue. Access for coastal and Indigenous communities should be a priority consideration in all policies and decision-making processes related to fisheries and the ocean in Canada. Taking action now could reverse the current trend and ensure that coastal and Indigenous communities thrive in the future.

Recommended actions include:

Ensuring access is proactively and transparently considered in all fisheries and ocean-related decisions.
Supporting policy-relevant research on access issues to fill knowledge gaps and enable effective policy and management responses.
Making data publicly available and accessible and including communities in decision-making processes that grant or restrict access to adjacent marine resources and spaces.
Ensuring updated laws, policies and planning processes explicitly incorporate access considerations.
Identifying and taking priority actions now to maintain and increase access, when appropriate and sustainable, for coastal and Indigenous communities.

For more information, refer to the following publication and policy brief:

Bennett NJ et al. 2018. Coastal and Indigenous community access to marine resources and the ocean: A policy imperative for Canada. Marine Policy 87:186–193. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X17306413

Policy Brief: Maintaining coastal and Indigenous community access to marine resources and the ocean in Canada

Link to original post: https://nathanbennett.ca/2017/11/21/maintaining-coastal-and-indigenous-community-access-to-marine-resources-and-the-ocean-in-canada/