Indigenous Peoples: Stewards of the Land and Water, Leading the Future of Ocean and Marine Ecosystem Conservation
By UNESCO LINKS
Photo by Stijn Dijkstra on Pexels
Photo by Stijn Dijkstra on Pexels
The active participation of indigenous peoples and local communities is essential not only for protecting ecosystems and biodiversity but also for ensuring the survival of indigenous and coastal communities and their cultural practices and knowledge.
The First Nations—xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam Indian Band), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish Nation) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-waututh Nation)—together with the Province of British Columbia, the Government of Canada, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) hosted the fifth International Marine Protected Areas Congress (IMPAC5) 2023.
Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Pexels
Photo by Nandhu Kumar on Pexels
IMPAC5 provided a platform for knowledge exchange on five main themes:
(1) building a global marine protected area (MPA) network,
(2) advancing conservation in the blue economy,
(3) actively managing MPAs and human activity,
(4) conserving biodiversity and addressing the climate crisis and
(5) connecting ocean, culture and human well-being.
Moreover, three cross-cutting streams were woven throughout IMPAC5’s themes:
(1) indigenous peoples’ leadership in ocean conservation,
(2) young professionals’ voices and
(3) innovation and transformational change.
The congress highlighted MPAs and indigenous protected and conserved areas (IPCAs) as essential tools for ocean conservation and restoration. In particular, it was emphasized that IPCAs could pave the way toward achieving Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to effectively conserve and manage at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water and coastal and marine areas by 2030.
Given the contributions of MPAs, IPCAs and other effective area-based conservation measures, IMPAC5 stakeholders made several commitments to enhance their implementation. Most notably, 15 First Nations, along with the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia, jointly endorsed the Great Bear Sea MPA Network Action Plan for the Northern Shelf Bioregion. This collaborative partnership was guided by indigenous knowledge and science to protect and conserve key habitats, species and areas of cultural importance to First Nations. As such, this action plan has allowed the region to support over 64 species of fish (i.e., salmon and rockfish), 70 species of marine birds (i.e., puffins and auklets), 30 species of marine mammals, including orcas, sea otters and dolphins, and 52 species of invertebrates like shellfish, sea urchins, octopus and squid (Government of Canada, 2023).
Chief Marilyn Slett, President of Coastal First Nations, stated:
“We are honoured to showcase this Marine Protected Areas Network Action Plan—a milestone for ocean conservation that will protect and restore marine ecosystems across the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii. Our shared commitment to collaborative governance and management, based on sound science and traditional knowledge, is an example of true reconciliation in action and provides a blueprint for improving marine management and ocean stewardship worldwide.”
IMPAC5 concluded with a Leadership Forum and a Chairs Statement that showcased the congress’ spirit of collaborative governance by bringing together decision makers from around the world and highlighting the need for international action and partnership with indigenous peoples and local communities to protect the ocean and marine ecosystems.
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