New Marine Centre

5.10 Historical Connections

A message about Ecological Sustainability should acknowledge the positive and negative contributions to this goal by human actions and inaction in the near past of British Columbia. Acts of individuals or governments through the years might be targeted which have had significan t effects in contribution in this area. I know it is probably easier to find examples showing the opposite, but we must attempt to point out the positive and try to encourage more.

First Nations an integral part of the ecosystem. Cultural practises which ensured sustainability of marine resources must be emphasized here.

Problems issues:

early fisheries using "endless" bountiful resources
logging impacting on watersheds and therefore sediment transport to ocean ecosystems
transportation corridors for lumber, mining, trade; certainly part of the ecosystem services of the area but also part of what has led to problems.
explorers, their contributions and the problems they brought for marine sustainability..
Marine mammal harvest: Whales, fur seal and sea otter population decimation and consequent ecosystem impacts.
Military.. Is the present use of military test ranges a sustainable use of the marine environment.
Subsea sonar problems
etc.

5.11 The First Nations role

Index