Can a body of water inspire hope?

Recovery efforts in the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region show how, when communities come together, positive change can occur, thereby proving that a body of water can inspire hope for our planet’s future. Positive change occurs through decisive action, and within the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region such work has led to a “a stunning recovery of marine life” (Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society, 2020). But what makes a UNESCO Biosphere Region and what are the key factors to their success? In this post I will delve into two key factors that prove the above theory: cultivating partnerships and balancing the environment and economy. Through analysing the actions of the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region I will show how a body of water can inspire hope.

UNESCO Biosphere Regions are areas of unique global ecological significance that actively make an ongoing commitment to sustainability. The estimated value for the marine ecosystem of Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound is between $100 million and $2.8 billion CAD (Molnar, 2015). The glass sponge reefs are truly what makes the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region unique on a global scale: “Glass sponge reefs are presently found only along the west coast of Canada and the United States” (Fisheries and Oceans Canada, n.d.). The sponge reefs are unique in their structure and method of growth (sponge growth on dead sponge) and the Howe Sound provides perfect conditions that facilitate this growth: “deep habitats exposed to currents, cool water, high silica concentrations, and an abundant food supply” (McAuley, 2017). The Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS) has conducted extensive research on the glass sponge reefs and in 2017 put together a report detailing their biology and ecology. In this report they stress the importance of the need to protect them from bottom-contact fishing: “the delicate nature of the sponge skeleton makes them susceptible to breakage upon physical impact…growth is slow…and damage to the underlying substrate of sponge skeleton may inhibit recovery altogether”, (McAuley, 2017). The creation of this report led to the implementation of important marine refuges in the sound which inhibit the use of bottom-contact fishing in those areas (see reference image). These marine refuges will protect the glass sponge reefs for generations to come and allow them to continue to provide important habitat for many small fish species such as rockfish. The discovery of the reefs and the subsequent studies conducted led to their protection, a true example of a community that actively makes an ongoing commitment to sustainability and a proven illustration of how a body of water can inspire hope.

Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Marine Refuges. Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Recovery efforts in the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region show how, when communities come together, positive change can occur, thereby proving that a body of water can inspire hope for our planet’s future. But how does change occur? For two decades HSBRIS has run the Howe Sound Community Forums, a round-table discussion on sustainable development and conservation efforts in the sound. HSBRIS states that “the success of the Forum to create community in Átl’ka7tsem/ Howe Sound has recently inspired major investments by NGOs and governments” (HSBRIS, 2020). It’s at these forums that partnerships are cultivated. One such example is the decision of the Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society (HSBRIS), the Marine Stewardship Initiative (MSI), and Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS) combining shared funding and resources to initiate rockfish monitoring within the glass sponge reefs. In the announcement made by HSBRIS, they stated that the project will “strengthen effective conservation measures in and around our glass sponge reef marine refuges” (Simons, 2022). These forums show how cultivating partnerships and working together can ultimately lead us to create positive change.

As the world’s population grows, pressure on our limited resources is mounting and this pressure has led to the decimation of wild areas such as the marine life in Howe Sound. With population growth not expected to slow, it’s imperative that we find sustainable ways of working to ensure we reverse the effects of climate change and biodiversity loss. There are many industries operating within the Biosphere boundaries and it’s HSBRIS’s role to collaboratively work toward a sustainable future, where both the environment and economy thrive. The quality of the marine environment in the sound began to decline in the early 1900s with three industrial facilities “discharg[ing] their effluent directly into Howe Sound, contaminating sea life, drastically decreasing populations of forage fish and suffocating areas of the sea floor” (HSBRIS, 2020). After public outcry in the 1980s, new environmental regulations and reforms were put in place, leading to the closure of two of these facilities. “While the Port Mellon pulp mill is still in production, the new treatment system there has resulted in the highest air and water pollution standards of any pulp mill in Canada with a 97% reduction in dioxins and furans” (HSBRIS, 2020). This is a perfect example of how industry can continue to operate within a UNESCO Biosphere Region without having a dire impact on the environment. The closing of the copper mine and installation of new water treatment facilities led to “Pink salmon return[ing] to spawn in Britannia Creek…for the first time in a century” (HSBRIS, 2020). When communities work together with governments, positive change can occur, leading to recovery efforts and ongoing commitments to sustainability.

The Squamish Estuary is one of the greatest recovery examples in the Sound, made possible by grassroots dedication from the community. The estuary was used for many industrial uses, such as a log sorting facility and in the 70s a berm that was initially constructed to facilitate port development. Community outrage around environmental concerns halted the coal export facility but the impacts to local wildlife had already occurred: “Chinook salmon returns in the watershed plummeted in the years following the construction of the training berm from well over 20,000 to under 3,000” (Squamish River Watershed Society, n.d.). It was out of this community frustration that a new alliance formed, the ‘Restore the Shore’ project began and is still in operation to this day. The project is led by the Skwxkwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation), Squamish River Watershed Society (SWRS) and Fisheries and Oceans Canada, with the goal of restoring the estuary to the productive ecosystem it once was. And it’s working: “After more than 30 years of restoration, the estuary is once again a rich, productive ecosystem with diverse habitats for migratory and resident waterfowl and a variety of other birds and is recognized internationally as an Important Bird Area (IBA)” (HSBRIS, 2020). Further to this, new environmental regulations were put in place, with the estuary now protected within the “Skwelwil’em Squamish Estuary Wildlife Management Area, one of the great reconciliation and conservation success stories in the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound region” (HSBRIS, 2020). This collaboration is another great example of how communities can work with the government to facilitate conservation, leading to positive change.

Cheshire, S. (2022). Judith Holm of Squamish Environment Society describes the recovery efforts in the Squamish Estuary.

While at times the world can seem bleak with climate change impacts and biodiversity loss dominating front-page news, the Átl’ḵa7tsem / Howe Sound UNESCO Biosphere Region is a beacon of hope. They have proven that by working together and balancing both the environment and economy, communities can achieve positive change.

The following resources were used to write this article:

Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society. (2020, September). HSBRI_Application_Sep+2020_Final+(1).pdf. Átl’ḵa7tsem/Howe Sound Biosphere Region. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/58c0c358ebbd1a9d3cd1ecf0/t/6206aac589fc5464ccfd91bc/1644604158860/HSBRI_Application_Sep+2020_Final+%281%29.pdf

McAuley, L. (2017, June 3). Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Identification. Marine Life Sanctuaries Society. Retrieved March 5, 2023, from https://mlssbc.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/hs-reefs_mcauley-final_060317.pdf

Molnar, M. (2015). Sound Investment: Measuring the Return on Howe Sound’s Ecosystem Assets. David Suzuki Foundation.

Simons, R. (2022, August 31). Rockfish monitoring  — Howe Sound Biosphere Region. Howe Sound Biosphere Region. https://www.howesoundbri.org/latest-news/2022/8/28/rockfish-monitoring

Squamish River Watershed Society. (n.d.). Why Restore The Shore is important. Restore the Shore. Retrieved March 27, 2023, from https://www.restoretheshore.ca/why-restore-the-shore-is-important