When coastal communities lose access to marine resources, their economic well-being suffers, cultural ties to the marine ecosystem weaken, traditional knowledge and practices are lost, and resource stewardship diminishes. These consequences, well supported by international examples, highlight the need for a change in the way business is done on the ocean. A new solution for fisheries must be found to secure the future marine ecological and economic prosperity for B.C., and for First Nations and rural communities in particular.

Ecotrust Canada is building that solution by designing a place-based fishery model on the North Coast of B.C. in the Skeena Region. “Our vision is to build a commercial fishery which is integrated, collaborative, and based on triple ‘E’ principles for ecology, economics and social equity,” explains Devlin Fernandes, Program Manager in the Skeena. “The community-led approach is a core value underpinning our work because we believe that this approach provides the innovative, proactive, practical yet ambitious opportunities necessary to create positive change for future generations in the North Coast and Skeena watershed.”