How will MaPP Plans be Carried Out?

For the first time at this scale, First Nations are at the table with other governments in planning the future of oceans management in our territories. As MaPP plans are put into action over five years, one of the desired outcomes it to strengthen collaborative oceans governance.

By working together, First Nations and other governments will strengthen collaboration in decision-making processes and promote engagement with marine stakeholder groups.

Here are a few of the ways this can be achieved:

• Improved processes and/or policies for encouraging effective working relationships between First Nations and tenure proponents/ holders, including opportunities for First Nation and local community economic benefits
• MaPP implementation agreements for each sub-region
• Engagement processes for the region and sub-regions
• Collaborative relationships with federal and other levels of government to support 
implementation of MaPP and other related recommendations and priorities
• Opportunities for more effective and collaborative evaluation of marine developments or projects

MaPP plans recommend marine zoning as a key approach for achieving a healthy marine environment, robust economy, and strong communities. This approach sets aside ocean areas for specific use to help reduce user conflicts and balance economic opportunities with protection.

Marine zoning will help increase awareness, understanding and agreement to follow the management direction for these zones. Some ways in which this will be achieved:

• An information and outreach strategy to inform managers and decision-makers about MaPP spatial management recommendations and implementation requirements, and support discussions with tenure applicants
• A system for ongoing monitoring and reporting on consistency between tenuring recommendations/decisions and the management direction in the sub-regional plans, including spatial zones
• A formal review of the effectiveness of MaPP zones, including stage of implementation and achievement of stated purpose or objectives for each zone
• Strategies for advancing protection management zones through the First Nations – Canada – British Columbia Marine Protected Area Network planning process

MaPP plans identify stewardship, monitoring and enforcement as one of five key elements for implementation: Enhancing stewardship of ecological and First Nations cultural values, and First Nations archaeological sites and areas through comprehensive monitoring and enforcement.

This approach will help:

• Increase an understanding of the cumulative effects of decisions
• Enhance governments’ and communities’ response to emergencies
• Enrich understanding and management of the connections between land and sea
• Enhance management and protection of First Nations cultural and archaeological sites and areas
• Expand capacity to monitor and respond to changes
• Strengthen compliance and enforcement programs

Some of the ways we will achieve this outcome:

• Selecting and monitoring regional and sub-regional ecosystem-based management (EBM) indicators of ecosystem health and human well-being
• Training First Nations and other residents on data collection related to monitoring programs for EBM indicators
• Implementing the MaPP framework for monitoring and understanding cumulative effects
• Identifying and pursuing opportunities to increase First Nations’ involvement in monitoring, compliance and enforcement activities
• Documenting and conserving First Nations cultural, heritage and archaeological sites and areas

MaPP plans will work to foster a new ecosystem-based marine economy for improved community and human well-being for First Nations and other coastal communities.

This will increase stability and certainty for marine industries and coastal communities by:

• Providing clear direction for existing and emerging sectors
• Reducing potential conflicts
• Managing sustainability of the marine economy

Examples of how this will be achieved:

• Action plans for funding and filling specific gaps in regional and coastal community marine infrastructure and services
• Sub-regional management plans for select marine-based industries to guide sustainable activities
• Studies on current programs and opportunities for increasing First Nations and local involvement and benefits from the fisheries economy such as seafood processing, shellfish aquaculture
• Training and development programs that address identified capacity gaps and increase employability of First Nations and other coastal residents
• Sustainable tourism products that support First Nations and other local economies

Over a five-year implementation period, MaPP will undertake studies and plans to better address the effects of climate change in the north Pacific coast region.

This will help determine cultural, social, ecological, and economic vulnerability to different climate change effects and result in adaptation plans.

Examples of how this will be achieved:

• Regional and sub-regional climate change risk assessments to identify levels of vulnerability to different oceanographic effects of climate change
• Identification of marine infrastructure vulnerable to climate change impacts, and investment in appropriate adaptation or mitigation strategies
• Climate change action planning that considers highly vulnerable First Nations cultural, social and ecological values and sites in the MaPP region
• Educational tools on climate change and its impacts on marine ecosystems and human well-being
• Increased awareness and capacity for governments, communities and households to respond to emergency situations