Vast marine conservation reserve, bigger than P.E.I., to protect B.C. central coast

A federal official says all fisheries with the exception of bottom trawling may continue in the area.

The conservation area becomes the sixth of its kind in Canada and the second in B.C. after the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, which covers around 1,500 sq. km of land.

Though its boundaries aren’t finalized, a Parks Canada representative says marine reserve spans from near Gil Island in the north, to Calvert Island in the south, extending inland as far as Bella Coola.

The six Indigenous partners — the Wuikinuxv, Nuxalk, Kitasoo Xai’xais, Heiltsuk, Gitxaała and Gitga’at Nations — declared the area an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area, which affords them a key role in stewarding conservation efforts through Indigenous governance.

The area’s name means “realm of the salmon, home of the salmon.”

The federal government says marine conservation reserves are distinct because they fall within areas that are subject to Indigenous land claims, and their status could change depending on the outcome of those claims.

Its establishment will become official under the Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act, a process that is expected to take several years.

The next step of the agreement is the creation of a collective management board and a zoning plan that sets out what activities are allowed to occur in the area, with the intent of allowing fishing and tourism to continue.

“Establishing this protected area will help marine ecosystems, biodiversity, and culturally important values to flourish,” says a news release issued Friday from Parks Canada, the Fisheries Department and the First Nations partners.

“It will also support Indigenous and coastal communities, as well as the many marine sectors, including fisheries, that depend on a healthy ocean.”

The Fisheries Department will continue to manage and enforce regulations in the area.

Federal Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin says in the release that the conservation area is part of the government’s goal to conserve 30 per cent of Canada’s marine and coastal waters by 2030.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 22, 2026.

Marissa Birnie, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

Vast marine conservation reserve, bigger than P.E.I., to protect B.C. central coast

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