Unique underwater mountains near the Island protected in agreement with Feds and First Nations

A section of the Pacific Ocean 150 km off the Island’s western shores has been designated a Marine Protected Area (MPA). The MPA designation is a joint agreement between the Council of the Haida Nation, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Pacheedaht First Nation, Quatsino First Nation, and the federal government. ‍

MPA status means the designated region will be managed for the long-term conservation of marine resources, ecosystems, or cultural heritage.

The protection covers an area four times the size of Vancouver Island—approximately 133K sq. km—making it the largest MPA on Canada’s Pacific coast. The area makes up 2% of Canada’s ocean coast. Canada currently has protections on 15% of its ocean waters, with a goal of doubling that by 2030.

“The joint designation demonstrates that all parties share a long-term commitment to ocean protection and biodiversity conservation,” said Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, president of the Council of the Haida Nation.

He says the joint designation of the MPA “shows that a collaborative process can create meaningful measures to safeguard these unique deep-sea habitats.”

Called Tang.ɢwan — ḥačxwiqak — Tsig̱is, its name is a combination of words from the four different First Nations: Tang.ɢwan, a Haida word meaning “deep ocean”; ḥačxwiqak, a Nuu-chah-nulth and Pacheedaht word meaning “deepest part of the ocean”; and Tsig̱is, a Quatsino word referring to a “monster of the deep.”

The area has a unique ecosystem deep beneath the waves—more than 70% of all known Canadian seamounts and all hydrothermal vents are found within the new MPA. These underwater mountains and hotspots are teeming with life, with bacteria gathering energy from the gases escaping the vents (chemosynthesis) rather than the sun (photosynthesis). This creates a food chain of bottom-dwelling animals, some culturally significant to local First Nations.

The area was first protected against bottom-contact fishing in 2017, but the new MPA broadens its protection. Last year, the four First Nations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to determine conservation management.

Each nation will designate an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) within their respective territories. These allow nations to control stewardship and conservation goals within their territory. Haida Nation declared its portion of the MPA a Haida heritage site in 2022.

“Recognizing and respecting Indigenous governance in marine spaces is a necessary part of reconciliation,” the Pacheedaht First Nation wrote in a statement. “The collaborative governance and management of this marine protected area is an important next step on the path of reconciliation.”