Sea of Possibility

Roberts is a Guardian Watchman for the Wei Wai Kum First Nation, part of a growing network of Indigenous-led stewardship initiatives across the region. His job: monitoring salmon runs, collecting data and protecting part of their ancestral territory now known as Heydon Bay. The camp here, tucked in a remote cove a couple hours north of Campbell River by boat, hosts Guardians for weeklong shifts.

The fence temporarily halts the salmon’s migration. When fish congregate, Roberts and other Guardians open a small gate, channeling the fish into a pen on the other side. There, the Guardians take scale samples and record the overall condition of the fish, before releasing them upstream.

“They should be here any day now,” he says. He should know—by his estimate he’s spent four full years of his life at this camp.

The Great Bear Sea is one of the most ecologically rich cold-water marine environments in the world, home to kelp forests, whales, sea otters and five species of Pacific salmon. But decades of overfishing, logging, warming waters and increased commercial shipping have severely impacted these critical ecosystems. For generations, Indigenous communities have been excluded from coastal planning and conservation decisions, despite their deep ecological and cultural ties to the land and sea. The loss of access to traditional harvest areas and the degradation of this unique ecosystem have left many communities struggling to maintain food sovereignty and cultural practices.

Now, in an unprecedented move, 17 First Nations across coastal British Columbia have come together—along with Canada’s federal government, the provincial government and nonprofit partners like Nature United, the Canadian affiliate of The Nature Conservancy—to continue to reclaim stewardship of their ancestral waters. The challenge is formidable, but the collective vision could reshape marine conservation in Canada and beyond.

Central to this vision is the establishment of Canada’s first Marine Protected Area Network—a system of ocean sanctuaries often described as “national parks of the sea.” These Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) set aside critical habitats where industrial fishing, oil and gas drilling, and other potentially harmful activities are restricted. The goal is to protect biodiversity, support sustainable fisheries and preserve ecosystems and economies for generations to come.

“This is Canada’s first Marine Protected Area Network and the largest co-governed by Indigenous people in the world,” says Jenn Burt, marine program director for Nature United. “It really is about supporting a First Nations’ vision for stewardship, management and governance.”

That vision draws on an innovative blend of Indigenous-led science and Traditional knowledge. “This agreement is a recognition that it is Indigenous communities who have stewarded their traditional territories for thousands of years and are the best caretakers of their land,” says Christine Smith-Martin, CEO of Coastal First Nations. “This finally allows us to work together for the betterment of our oceans.”

While MPA networks have long been a global conservation tool, the Great Bear Sea agreement is the largest that is Indigenous led and, as community members often say, “made by the coast, for the coast.” First Nations and government partners are using Indigenous knowledge and the best-available science and technology to shape management plans, define permissible activities and set boundaries on protected areas. Unlike prevailing approaches that focus narrowly on managing fisheries, this network aims to safeguard entire ecosystems.

“Indigenous nations are holistic people,” says Merv Child, executive director of Nanwakolas Council, an alliance of First Nations for coastal stewardship. “Going forward, the relevant nations will negotiate the status of individual marine protected areas along the coast. The nations will have a say on what goes and what doesn’t go on in these areas.”

Tallio-Milton has been guiding since she was 16 years old and currently works for Tweedsmuir Park Lodge, but she dreams of launching her own guiding business.

“There are logistical barriers, but I think I can offer an experience that combines nature with the cultural history of this area,” she says.

That vision—linking conservation with community prosperity—is at the heart of the Great Bear Sea agreement. Over the next 20 years, the deal is projected to create more than 3,000 new jobs and 200 new businesses in eco-cultural tourism, marine stewardship, transportation and renewable energy, as well as sustainable fisheries and kelp farming.

For many, the connection is deeply personal. Trinity Mack values time spent harvesting salmon with family and laughing around the smokehouse. And in the fish’s annual migration, she sees a story of resilience.

“Salmon have faced immense amounts of pressure, from logging their streams to commercial fishing,” she says. “But they’re still here. They’re so resilient in the face of so much hardship. I see the First Nations as the same way. We had to deal with colonialism, residential schools and persecution. But we are still here. We still have a voice.”

Now, that voice is shaping the future of her community  and so many like it.

“We are at a time when we can actually make changes, where we can have a future where we don’t have to worry about not having enough food fish,” says Mack. “This is what our ancestors prayed for."