Collaborative coastal marine habitat restoration within an indigenous co-management context in Gwaii Haanas, Haida Gwaii, western Canada

Relationships between indigenous Haida, sea otters, and ecosystems of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada, adapted and persisted for millennia until cultural disruption and sea otter extirpation by the maritime fur trade... [ view full abstract ]

Relationships between indigenous Haida, sea otters, and ecosystems of Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, Canada, adapted and persisted for millennia until cultural disruption and sea otter extirpation by the maritime fur trade during the 1700s and 1800s. For nearly 200 years now, ocean ecosystems of Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site have been out of balance. With loss of sea otters–voracious predators of shellfish like sea urchins, crabs, clams and abalone–macroinvertebrates became larger and much more abundant. As a result, contemporary kelp forests are greatly diminished in abundance, depth and area due to voracious grazing by hyperabundant sea urchins. Degraded kelp forests negatively impact marine ecosystems, species at risk, and culturally important species, including northern abalone and rockfishes, by reducing habitat that provides food and protection, reducing primary productivity, and decreasing protection from coastal erosion forces. We will restore kelp forests at a 3-km long pilot site by working with the commercial sea urchin fishery to mimic sea otter predation, removing and culling >75% of the urchins. Marketable urchins will be fished for commercial processing and provision of traditional foods, guuding.ngaay (red urchin) and styuu (green urchin), to Haida and other islands communities. Academia is engaged to advance knowledge about marine ecosystem processes. Through this restoration project, Chiixuu Tll iinasdll, Gwaii Haanas’ cooperative management partners – Council of the Haida Nation, Parks Canada Agency, and Fisheries and Oceans Canada – are showcasing how co-management and collaboration can advance shared conservation goals and objectives.