The Province of B.C and the Nanwakolas Council join PNCIMA Steering Committee

November 25, 2010

The last few months have marked several milestones for the PNCIMA initiative. Both the Province of B.C. and the Nanwakolas Council have signed on to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that commits its signatories to work collaboratively on the development of an integrated oceans management plan for Canada’s Pacific North Coast.

The Province of B.C. and Nanwakolas have been actively involved in the PNCIMA initiative as observers, but are now official members of the PNCIMA Steering Committee responsible for the strategic direction of their collaborative work in the integrated ocean management process. These signatures effectively change the 2008 MOU from a bilateral to a trilateral agreement.

The MOU  was initially signed in 2008 by the Government of Canada (represented by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans) and First Nations of the Pacific Coast (represented by Coastal First Nations and the North Coast – Skeena First Nations Stewardship Society).

About the Government of B.C.:
The Government of British Columbia has a mandate for advancing B.C.’s interests in oceans management and marine fisheries, and for developing agreements and plans for the use and management of marine and foreshore areas.

About Nanwakolas Council:
The Nanwakolas Council is a non-profit society with current membership of the First Nations of Central and North Vancouver Island, including: Kwakiutl, Mamalilikulla-Qwe’Qwa’Sot’Em, ‘Namgis, Tlowitsis, Da'naxda'xw Awaetlala, Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw, ‘Komox and Kwiakah First Nations. The Nanwakolas currently administer land and resource referrals on behalf of member First Nations, and have a number of collaborative management agreements with the BC government on conservancies and land use management.