Marine Life

The biodiversity and productivity of the North and Central Coast and Haida Gwaii makes this place a unique home for salmon, herring, sea otters, killer whales, humpback whales, and more. The sea and the rainforest intertwine and nourish each other. Protecting the land alone is not enough.

Indigenous Nations

Where the forest meets the sea on Canada’s Pacific coastline, First Nations have cared for an incredible natural environment since time immemorial. Archaeological research supports the oral history of different Nations, showing a record of occupation that is 14,000 years old at some sites. The great diversity and abundance of wildlife in the Great Bear is mirrored by the richness of its cultures and traditions.

Conservation Issues

Industrial shipping, fishing pressure, net pen salmon farms and climate change all have an impact on this coastal ecosystem. We have an unprecedented opportunity to protect marine habitat in the region, and to shape the way Canada designs and manages all of its marine protected areas.

Marine Protection

The World Parks Congress recommended in 2014 that at least 30% of the world’s oceans should be protected in order to recover fisheries, and to maintain or restore biodiversity and ecosystem services. Currently, less than 1% of Canada’s marine environment is strongly protected.

Marine Protection

protect pacific herring