Shared Waters: restoring shellfish harvest in the trans-boundary watershed of Boundary Bay

• Main Author: Juteau, Christy
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: Western CEDAR 2018
• Subjects: Shared waters; Shellfish; Boundary Bay; Fresh Water Studies; Life Sciences; Marine Biology; Natural Resources and Conservation; Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology; Canada; Fraser River; First Nations
• Online Access: https://cedar.wwu.edu/ssec/2018ssec/allsessions/132; https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2567&context=ssec

Boundary Bay is a critical section of transboundary Salish Sea habitat, recognized locally, nationally and internationally. The intertidal salt marshes, mudflats and open water marine habitats of Boundary Bay comprise Canada’s top rated, globally significant, Important Bird Area (IBA Canada 2017), have recently been named a “Wetland of International Importance” as part of the Fraser River Delta Ramsar site (Ramsar 2012) and are “protected” through BC’s Wildlife Management Area designation (MFLNRO 1995). Indigenous peoples (including Semiahmoo First Nation) traditionally harvested the abundant fish and shellfish resources for their livelihood. Commercial oyster operations in B.C. began in Boundary Bay in 1904 and continued until the 1960s. Boundary Bay oysters accounted for 50% of the total provincial oyster production (1940 - 1963), until water contamination forced the closure of commercial, recreational and First Nations harvest (Delta Heritage Advisory Commission 2017). Multiple jurisdictions across the international watersheds of Boundary Bay make it a complicated region to affect change. Many individual organizations are collecting data and conducting stewardship projects; however, over the past few years, collaborative efforts to improve habitat and water quality have decreased (on the Canadian side). One significant factor was the dissolving of the Shared Waters Alliance, a transboundary working group (comprised of over 20 different government and non-government organizations) which focused efforts on improving water quality in Boundary Bay in order to re-open shellfish harvest (active from 1999 to 2011). In recent months, representatives from two stewardship groups: A Rocha Canada and Friends of Semiahmoo Bay Society have been engaging conversation with Semiahmoo First Nation, and all levels of government (Canadian and American) to re-vitalize a collaborative approach. Still in the early stages of revival of the Shared Water Alliance, we are updating our goals and establishing actions to move forward. We ...