Suggestions for rethinking governance in the Fraser estuary
Presentation Abstract
The Fraser estuary today has been hard hit by the past 150+ years of European colonization and settlement. It now faces a changing climate. Looking forward towards ecosystem recovery, and reconciliation, we should carefully consider the governance arrangements that got us to this point. Existing governance is fragmented and for the most part not linked to ecosystem management. Without necessarily intending to, decisionmaking has supported activities that resulted in the loss of 80% of the original wetlands, and has had harsh impacts for salmon and other species that previously were well and sustainably managed by Coast Salish peoples for millennia. There is little reason to hope that increased funding or political attention will improve the present situation without rethinking the existing governance arrangements. We consider key aspects of governance in light of failures in the estuary, and present ideas about how we can move towards arrangements that will support both ecosystem recovery and reconciliation. This research draws on the work that has been carried out to identify management strategies for the University of British Columbia/University of Victoria project, Prioritizing Threat Management Strategies to Ensure Long-term Resilience of the Fraser Estuary, as well as comparative legal research carried out through an Environmental Law Workshop at the Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia.
Session Title
The Lower Fraser River: A Wildlife Hotspot on the Brink
Conference Track
SSE4: Ecosystem Management, Policy, and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE4-643
Start Date
6-4-2018 11:45 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 12:00 PM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Environmental law--British Columbia--Fraser River Estuary; Wetland management--British Columbia--Fraser River Estuary; Wetlands--Law and legislation
Geographic Coverage
Fraser River Estuary (B.C.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Suggestions for rethinking governance in the Fraser estuary
The Fraser estuary today has been hard hit by the past 150+ years of European colonization and settlement. It now faces a changing climate. Looking forward towards ecosystem recovery, and reconciliation, we should carefully consider the governance arrangements that got us to this point. Existing governance is fragmented and for the most part not linked to ecosystem management. Without necessarily intending to, decisionmaking has supported activities that resulted in the loss of 80% of the original wetlands, and has had harsh impacts for salmon and other species that previously were well and sustainably managed by Coast Salish peoples for millennia. There is little reason to hope that increased funding or political attention will improve the present situation without rethinking the existing governance arrangements. We consider key aspects of governance in light of failures in the estuary, and present ideas about how we can move towards arrangements that will support both ecosystem recovery and reconciliation. This research draws on the work that has been carried out to identify management strategies for the University of British Columbia/University of Victoria project, Prioritizing Threat Management Strategies to Ensure Long-term Resilience of the Fraser Estuary, as well as comparative legal research carried out through an Environmental Law Workshop at the Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia.
