Home About us Marine planning Programs Resources Blog CCIRA CENTRAL COAST INDIGENOUS RESOURCE ALLIANCE Contact Common Voice Ecosystem-based Management (EBM) Central Coast First Nations continue to depend on the health of surrounding ecosystems to survive and flourish. Over the past two centuries, however, the Western industrial economy has disturbed ancient linkages between human communities and their environment. To address the harm of the industrial economy on natural ecosystems the scientific community coined the term ecosystem-based management (EBM), which recognizes that conventional resource management does not consider broader ecosystem dynamics or the linkages between communities and the environment, and is threatening biodiversity. Central Coast First Nations have been practicing ‘ecosystem-based management’ for thousands of years. These traditional resource management and enhancement practices contributed to the sustainability of some of the richest cultures and societies on the planet. The principles and practice of what western scientists and resource planners now call EBM are integral to the resource management direction in our plan. First Nations principles fundamental to EBM include: Respect Precautionary / inclusive and participatory The need for respect in interacting with the natural world and other humans is described in numerous First Nation oral histories. It encompasses the maintenance and restoration of ecological integrity, stewardship of resources and places, being inclusive and participatory, and applying the precautionary principle to ensure that decisions today are not detrimental to future generations. Balance Integrated & sustainable over the long-term Balance ensures the inter-generational equity (fairness to future generations) that has sustained First Nations cultures through time. Balance encompasses the modern concepts of sustainable use, integrated management and the fair distribution of costs and benefits. Intergenerational knowledge Adaptive management Within Central Coast First Nations communities, ‘listening to your elders’ speaks to inter-generational transfer of knowledge. Adaptive management is a modern term that expresses the similar concept that decisions should be based on learning from past experience. Inter-generational knowledge and successful adaptive management require good communication. Giving and receiving (reciprocity) The act of giving thanks is practiced throughout Central Coast First Nations cultures. Reciprocity within and between clans, and reciprocity with the spirit world is necessary. The principle of reciprocity speaks to shared responsibility and community – two themes, which are cornerstones of First Nation’s culture. Photo Credit: Doug Neasloss Photo Credit: Aaron Heidt Photo Credit: Doug Neasloss Photo Credit: Sheldon Tallio Share this: Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Marine planning Key issues Climate change Ecosystem-based Management Monitoring & enforcement Building capacity Vision & guiding principles Marine spatial planning Economic development Marine resource issues Land & coastal tenures Off-shore oil & gas Alternative energy Shipping & transportation Salmon Commercial fisheries Eulachon Aquaculture Recreation & tourism Commercial recreational fishery Food, social & ceremonial Northern abalone Marine planning documents About The Common Voice Our Nations created CCIRA to build upon our success in working together to develop and implement our Nation-level marine use plans. Today, CCIRA is involved in a wide array of projects and initiatives across the central coast. The Common Voice is one source of information about CCIRA’s activities in our communities. For more information about CCIRA and what we do, please contact us. PDF versions of The Common Voice are available for download Issue #12, December 2020 The Common Voice #12 Central Coast Indigenous Resource Alliance 2790 Vargo Rd., Campbell River BC, V9W 4X1 Contact us Follow us Search for: Search Recent dispatches New Research Supports Protection for Biological Hotspots on Central Coast Central Coast Nations Aim to Create a National Marine Conservation Area Reserve Coral Reef Discovery in the Central Coast a Major Find Lessons in Co-governance: Ensuring FSC Access to Dungeness Crab A New Vision for Salmon Monitoring and Stewardship on the Central Coast © Copyright CCIRA 2016 This site is supported by Pink Sheep Media.