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United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Sustainable Development

Tsleil-Waututh Marine Stewardship

Tsleil-Waututh Nation (
Government
)
#OceanAction47613
Description
Description
səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) are the “People of the Inlet” and a distinct Coast Salish Nation whose territory includes Burrard Inlet and the greater Vancouver region in British Columbia, Canada. Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) holds a sacred, legal obligation to past, current, and future generations to protect, defend, and steward the water, land, air, and resources of our territory. Our stewardship responsibility includes the need to maintain and restore conditions that provide the environmental, cultural, spiritual, and economic foundation for our nation and community to thrive. Tsleil-Waututh does this through actively asserting and exercising our governance and stewardship rights. Tsleil-Waututh holds inherent and longstanding Indigenous rights and title throughout our territory, including to the land – upland, intertidal, and submerged – water, air and resources therein. These rights are recognized by Canada (Section 35 of the Constitution) as well as internationally (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People). Adverse cumulative effects of development have degraded the ecological, cultural and spiritual health of Burrard Inlet and the Salish Sea, throughout colonization. Climate change impacts will exacerbate existing cumulative effects, and pose new challenges unique to Indigenous communities. Climate change threatens to further dispossess Tsleil-Waututh from our lands and waters; impede our cultural health and expression; and infringe access to and the exercise of our inherent rights. Biodiversity has declined in Burrard Inlet, including traditional food species. Our stewardship obligations require us to turn to our ceremonies to guide us, and to speak on behalf of our relations who do not have a voice. With respect to SDG 14, TWN commits to: 1. Improve conditions in Burrard Inlet by advancing the six priority actions identified in TWN’s Burrard Inlet Action Plan: i. Update Water Quality Objectives for Burrard Inlet ii. Install scientific instruments to monitor water quality in Burrard Inlet iii. Characterize and reduce pollution from stormwater runoff iv. Map nearshore habitats and forage fish spawning beaches v. Conserve critical nearshore habitat complexes vi. Recover shellfish beds as an ecological and cultural stewardship obligation, and to support our inherent right to harvest. 2. Increase scientific knowledge and collaboration in Burrard Inlet through the holistic assessment of cumulative effects. Quantitatively and qualitatively establish metrics to describe pre-contact ecological conditions, to which measurements of current conditions can be compared. 3. Build community resiliency to climate change, in a culturally appropriate way that is reflective both of TWN’s self-determination and reciprocal relationship with Burrard Inlet. Incorporate Indigenous knowledge, community observations, and archaeological data, along with other scientific data collection and modeling, in developing a TWN Climate Action Plan. Design climate change adaptation strategies to enhance marine biodiversity and ecological resiliency. 4. Use and expand partnerships focused on ocean action and climate action, including but not limited to combating ocean acidification. 5. Protect Burrard Inlet, the Salish Sea, and all our relations therein, from unsustainable and emissions-intensive development. This includes, but is not limited to, the increased risk of oil spills and noise pollution associated with marine vessel traffic, which threatens orca whales and the entire ecosystem.

Goal 13

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

Goal 13

13.1

Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries

13.1.1

Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population

13.1.2

Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030

13.1.3

Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies

13.2

Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning

13.2.1

Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

13.2.2

Total greenhouse gas emissions per year

13.3

Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning

13.3.1

Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment

13.a

Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible

13.a.1

Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025

13.b

Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities


 

13.b.1

Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Goal 14

Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

Goal 14

14.1

By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution

14.1.1

(a) Index of coastal eutrophication; and (b) plastic debris density

14.2

By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans

14.2.1

Number of countries using ecosystem-based approaches to managing marine areas

14.3

Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels

14.3.1
Average marine acidity (pH) measured at agreed suite of representative sampling stations

14.4

By 2020, effectively regulate harvesting and end overfishing, illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and destructive fishing practices and implement science-based management plans, in order to restore fish stocks in the shortest time feasible, at least to levels that can produce maximum sustainable yield as determined by their biological characteristics

14.4.1
Proportion of fish stocks within biologically sustainable levels

14.5

By 2020, conserve at least 10 per cent of coastal and marine areas, consistent with national and international law and based on the best available scientific information

14.5.1
Coverage of protected areas in relation to marine areas

14.6

By 2020, prohibit certain forms of fisheries subsidies which contribute to overcapacity and overfishing, eliminate subsidies that contribute to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing and refrain from introducing new such subsidies, recognizing that appropriate and effective special and differential treatment for developing and least developed countries should be an integral part of the World Trade Organization fisheries subsidies negotiation

14.6.1

Degree of implementation of international instruments aiming to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

14.7

By 2030, increase the economic benefits to Small Island developing States and least developed countries from the sustainable use of marine resources, including through sustainable management of fisheries, aquaculture and tourism

14.7.1

Sustainable fisheries as a proportion of GDP in small island developing States, least developed countries and all countries

14.a

Increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, taking into account the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission Criteria and Guidelines on the Transfer of Marine Technology, in order to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries, in particular small island developing States and least developed countries

14.a.1
Proportion of total research budget allocated to research in the field of marine technology

14.b

Provide access for small-scale artisanal fishers to marine resources and markets

14.b.1

Degree of application of a legal/regulatory/policy/institutional framework which recognizes and protects access rights for small‐scale fisheries

14.c

Enhance the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources by implementing international law as reflected in United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which provides the legal framework for the conservation and sustainable use of oceans and their resources, as recalled in paragraph 158 of "The future we want"

14.c.1

Number of countries making progress in ratifying, accepting and implementing through legal, policy and institutional frameworks, ocean-related instruments that implement international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, for the conservation and sustainable use of the oceans and their resources

Name Description
14.1 By 2025, prevent and significantly reduce marine pollution of all kinds, in particular from land-based activities, including marine debris and nutrient pollution
14.2 By 2020, sustainably manage and protect marine and coastal ecosystems to avoid significant adverse impacts, including by strengthening their resilience, and take action for their restoration in order to achieve healthy and productive oceans
14.3 Minimize and address the impacts of ocean acidification, including through enhanced scientific cooperation at all levels
Water Quality: Update the 1990s Marine Water Quality Objectives for Burrard Inlet, in collaboration with the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. Completed objectives are posted here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/g
Cumulative Effects: Develop of an ecosystem model, using various lines of evidence and data collection, which can be used to assess and communicate potential cumulative effects of development proposals, and inform management decisions in Burrard Inlet.
Climate Action: Identify and take action to plan for and mitigate the impacts and vulnerabilities of TWN reserve lands to climate change; Reduce TWN’s contributions to climate change, including reduction in greenhouse gas emissions caused by activities o
Consultation: Assert and enact TWN’s laws, policies, and governance rights, in accordance with TWN’s Stewardship Policy, to uphold our sacred obligations in response to proposed development projects within our territorial waters. This includes stopping th
Staff / Technical expertise
Tsleil-Waututh knowledge holders; Tsleil-Waututh Nation staff time
No progress reports have been submitted. Please sign in and click here to submit one.
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Timeline
27 June 2022 (start date)
30 June 2025 (date of completion)
Entity
Tsleil-Waututh Nation
SDGs
13 14
Other beneficiaries
International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification
Ocean Basins
North Pacific
Communities of Ocean Action
Ocean acidification, Marine and coastal ecosystems management, Sustainable fisheries, Marine pollution
More information
Countries
Canada
Canada
Headquarters
North Vancouver, Canada
Contact Information

Jessica, Natural Resources Planning Manager (Acting)

jsteele@twnation.ca