West Coast of Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Board Principles and Objectives

Fisheries and Oceans Canada - News Release

BG-PR-02-004E

February 21, 2002

WEST COAST OF VANCOUVER ISLAND AQUATIC MANAGEMENT
BOARD PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES

Objectives:

The objective of the Board is to lead and facilitate the development and implementation of a strategy for the integrated management of aquatic ecosystems in the management area, in a manner consistent with statutory authorities, policies, standards, and processes, which will:

protect, maintain and rehabilitate aquatic resources
manage aquatic resources on an ecosystem basis
respect and protect First Nations’ food, social and ceremonial requirements and treaty obligations
support a precautionary approach to aquatic resource management
consolidate information relating to different aquatic resource uses and utilization to provide a holistic picture of the health of ecosystems within the management area
integrate expertise and knowledge from First Nations, local, scientific, and other sources
ensure opportunities for coastal communities and other persons and bodies affected by aquatic resource management to participate in all aspects of integrated management, protection and restoration of aquatic resources
foster initiatives that maintain or enhance opportunities for coastal communities to access and benefit from local aquatic resources, while achieving sustainable social, cultural, and economic benefits from the integrated management and harvesting of aquatic resources for British Columbians and other Canadians.

The work of the Board will be governed by the following principles:

Hishukish Ts’awalk and Isaak:

Aquatic resources should be managed on an ecosystem basis, which is consistent with the principles of Hishukish Ts’awalk and Isaak.The Nuu-chah-nulth phrase Hishukish Ts’awalk (pronounced ‘he-shook-ish tsa-walk’) means ‘everything is one’. Isaak (pronounced ‘e-sock’) means ‘respect’. These phrases embody an understanding that all things are sacred and nothing is isolated from other aspects of life surrounding and within it. This concept contributes to a value system that promotes the need to be thrifty, not to be wasteful, and to be totally conscious of one’s actual needs when interacting with others. The belief underlying these two principles is that the goal in interacting with other people or species is not to maximize personal benefit, but to produce mutually beneficial outcomes. These outcomes arise from understanding and respecting the needs of other people or species, and recognizing an essential ‘oneness’ or interconnection with other people or species.

The protection, maintenance, and rehabilitation of aquatic resources, their habitats, and interconnected life support systems, should take precedence in managing aquatic resources, to ensure ecosystem sustainability and biodiversity. A ‘conservation-first’ approach will help ensure that aquatic resource use is conducted in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Precautionary Approach

Decision-makers should err on the side of caution when making conservation and resource management decisions. Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage, lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for postponing cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation.

Adaptive Management

Aquatic resource management decision-makers should integrate relevant local knowledge, together with appropriate ecological, social, and economic information, with the goal of continual improvement.

Sustainability

Sustainability is the use of aquatic resources such that the ecological, social, and economic factors are considered and balanced, while ensuring that current activities do not affect the potential for future generations to sustain themselves.

Shared Responsibility

The governments, coastal communities, and other persons and bodies affected by aquatic resource use are together responsible and accountable for integrated aquatic resource management.
The responsibility for integrated management decisions should coincide with the ecological unit, nature of the issue, the scale of impact, the ability to collect relevant information, and management capacity. There should be effective communication, information flow and linkages between various levels.

Inclusivity

Coastal communities and other persons and bodies affected by aquatic resource management should have an opportunity to participate in the formulation and implementation of integrated aquatic resource management decisions. The participation of coastal communities and other persons and bodies affected by aquatic resource management will promote improved decisions.

Benefits

Aquatic resources offer significant opportunities for economic diversification and the generation of wealth for the benefit of all Canadians, and in particular for coastal communities. Internal and external costs and benefits (including social, ecological, and economic) should be appropriately considered when making decisions related to aquatic resources.

Flexibility

Integrated aquatic resource management is a continuous process. Administrative structures and processes should be flexible and expected to evolve, and grow, to accommodate the management process.