The West Coast Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Board is one of

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

's only co-management bodies for

aquatic ecosystem An aquatic ecosystem is an ecosystem formed by surrounding a body of water, in contrast to land-based terrestrial ecosystems. Aquatic ecosystems contain communities of organisms that are dependent on each other and on their environment. The t ...

s. During the 1980s and 1990s, the

federal government A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-gover ...

and coastal communities came to agree that a gap had to be closed; aquatic management decisions should start to include regional voices and representation, mainly coastal communities, fishermen, and

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

Roles and responsibilities

The board is a forum for the coastal communities and other persons and bodies affected by aquatic resource management off the West Coast. Through this forum they can participate more fully with

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

s in all aspects of management and provide recommendations to DFO. The board includes representatives from four levels of government, including the

Nuu-chah-nulth The Nuu-chah-nulth (; Nuučaan̓uł: ), also formerly referred to as the Nootka, Nutka, Aht, Nuuchahnulth or Tahkaht, are one of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast in Canada. The term Nuu-chah-nulth is used to describe fifte ...

First Nations. The board has been mandated to: :- be the primary forum on aquatic resource policy specific to the management area. :- deal with local aquatic resource policy issues with implications outside of the management area :- be a key source of advice to decision-makers on coast-wide aquatic resource policy relating to the management area. :- undertake integrated aquatic resource :- management responsibilities in the management area in cooperation with the relevant

government agencies A government or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an administratio ...

. The board makes decisions and recommendations both on the conservation of aquatic resources and input on associated

economic development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

opportunities.

Structure

The board consists of: :- two members appointed by the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown-i ...

:- two members appointed by the Province of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

:- two members appointed by

Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council The Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council is a First Nations Tribal Council in the Canadian province of British Columbia, located on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The organization is based in Port Alberni, British Columbia. History The Nuu-chah- ...

:- two members appointed by the regional districts :- eight non-government members jointly appointed by the governments pursuant to nominations solicited from coastal communities and other persons and bodies affected by aquatic resource management in the management area (i.e. commercial harvesters, First Nation harvesters,

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or plea ...

al sector,

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and manageme ...

) The geographic scope of the board corresponds with Nuu-chah-nulth Ha-houlthee, which extends seaward from Cape Cook on

Brooks Peninsula ''Parts of this article have been adapted from thBC Parks website'' Mquqʷin/Brooks Peninsula Provincial Park is a provincial park located on the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. History As a result of land-use pl ...

to Solander Islands, to the international boundary along the entrance to

Juan de Fuca Strait The Strait of Juan de Fuca (officially named Juan de Fuca Strait in Canada) is a body of water about long that is the Salish Sea's outlet to the Pacific Ocean. The international boundary between Canada and the United States runs down the centre ...

s, then true north to Sheringham Point. Inland boundaries generally follow the height of land along

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

s dividing

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

. Decisions are made by consensus.

Administration

The executive director is Denise Dalmer. Co-chairs include Tom Pater and Tom Happynook

Sources

*Sharmalene Mendis-Millard, "Central Region Governance", in Daniel Arbour, Brenda Kuecks & Danielle Edwards (editors). Ecotrust Canada. *
Nuu-chah-nulth Central Region First Nations Governance Structures 2007/2008
', Vancouver, September 2008. Nuu-chah-nulth West Coast of Vancouver Island Environment of Canada {{firstNations-stub