Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Encyclopedia
Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is a National Marine Conservation Area
of Canada
. It is located off the coast of the southernmost Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), 130 kilometres off the mainland of British Columbia
. It is immediately adjacent to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
. The level of protection differs from that of the National Park Reserve, however, allowing sustainable use of some natural resources in the area.
The park's establishment was celebrated in a ceremony held at the Haida Heritage Centre in Skidegate
, British Columbia, on June 13, 2010. Canada's Environment Minister, Jim Prentice
, and Guujaaw
, the President of the Council of the Haida Nation
, both spoke at the ceremony.
National Marine Conservation Areas
National Marine Conservation Areas is a Parks Canada programme responsible for marine areas managed for sustainability and containing smaller zones of high protection. They include the seabed, the water itself and any species which occur there...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located off the coast of the southernmost Haida Gwaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands), 130 kilometres off the mainland of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. It is immediately adjacent to Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site
Ninstints or SGang Gwaay Llnaagay on Anthony Island, in located in the southernmost part of Gwaii Haanas, just west of Kunghit Island, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981...
. The level of protection differs from that of the National Park Reserve, however, allowing sustainable use of some natural resources in the area.
Establishment
Local information sessions and consultation with stakeholders (commercial fishers, tour companies, the Haida, and local residents) began in 2007. In June, 2010, the Canadian parliament formally approved the creation of Gwaii Haanas NMCA Reserve.The park's establishment was celebrated in a ceremony held at the Haida Heritage Centre in Skidegate
Skidegate
Skidegate is a Haida community in Haida Gwaii in British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the southeast coast of Graham Island, the largest island in the archipelago, and is approximately west of mainland British Columbia across Hecate Strait...
, British Columbia, on June 13, 2010. Canada's Environment Minister, Jim Prentice
Jim Prentice
James "Jim" Prentice, PC, QC is a Canadian lawyer, and politician. In the 2004 federal election he was elected to the Canadian House of Commons as a candidate of the Conservative Party of Canada...
, and Guujaaw
Guujaaw
Guujaaw is a traditional singer, wood carver, traditional medicine practitioner and political activist. He is a Haida, of the Raven Clan of Skedans.-Background:Beginning in the 1970s, Guujaaw worked to protect Gwaii Haanas from logging activity...
, the President of the Council of the Haida Nation
Council of the Haida Nation
The Council of the Haida Nation is the Aboriginal Sovereign Authority and Government of the Haida Nation. The Haida Nation is engaged in a Title dispute of their territories, Haida Gwaii, with the government of Canada. The Haida Nation also includes portions of Alaska...
, both spoke at the ceremony.