What matters most to British Columbians when it comes to the future of our coast?
A new survey asked BC residents what was most important for the future of BC’s coastal economy. A striking 93% of respondents named marine conservation as a key priority, followed by small-scale fishing communities (83%), renewable energy (83%), outdoor recreation (82%) and ecotourism and wildlife (79%).
Respondents also identified the most pressing issues facing our coast: declining fish stocks (92%), open-net fish farms (90%), bottom trawling (90%), commercial overfishing (89%), and trawler by-catch (88%).
It appears that marine health and fish abundance are seen as central to BC’s future, which is no surprise as the coastal economy relies on healthy, thriving marine resources.
This is likely why 79% of respondents went on to express their support for a network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in BC. The MPA network in question is the Great Bear Sea MPA Network, which is a partnership between coastal First Nations, the Province of BC, and the federal government. The network will cover about 30% of the Great Bear Sea.
Most respondents also have lost confidence in fishing companies like Jim Pattison’s Canfisco and industrialists in the salmon farming industry (32%) as sources of information when it comes to marine issues. Only 25% and 32% of respondents respectively still view these sources as trustworthy.
It is clear that British Columbians understand that protecting the resources of our marine economy is key to BC’s future prosperity, and that big corporations are not the ones we trust to lead the way forward.
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