On March 8, the High Seas Treaty was agreed upon and signed by United Nations member nations, after nearly 20 years of negotiation. The historic treaty will provide a legal platform for establishing large areas of the high seas as marine protected areas. The intention is to gain stronger protection for marine life and biodiversity for the planet beyond national jurisdictions. This phenomenal agreement gives rise to the question: Can we also reach such an agreement between Canada and the United States to protect marine life and biodiversity of the Salish Sea? Given our history, it would seem more than achievable.
The Salish Sea is truly a wonder. On a daily basis, we see orcas, salmon, eagles and many other species travel up and down its coasts, taking advantage of the remaining healthy habitats for feeding and refuge. None of them take notice of the international boundary running through the middle of the sea and the different governments managing these waters. Just as these species travel freely across the border, so does the water and any pollutants they may be carrying.
As partners in the region, we know the Salish Sea is under mounting pressure and understand the urgency to work together to address these growing and increasingly complex threats. And we see that increased prioritization of collaboration and stronger protection measures on both sides across the border is needed.
This region is in the midst of a delicate balancing act as an urbanized international ecosystem, trying to accommodate economic development and environmental protection, while creating and maintaining healthy communities. This balance is made more difficult by the numerous government bodies involved in managing the Salish Sea whose mandates do not necessarily align.
Consider the interconnectedness of these waters. On both sides of the border, we experience heat domes, forest fires and sea level rise. Centering the connections between land, water and people is inherent to how coastal Tribes and First Nations have stewarded this sea since time immemorial, without artificial colonial borders. Today, this border undermines our efforts and continues to disconnect us from each other and the Salish Sea as a whole.
History shows that successful collaboration and action is possible. In 1992, the Environmental Cooperation Agreement between British Columbia and Washington provided a formal platform for productively working together — but the impact of that agreement’s efforts waned over time. Other agreements have been created but none that capture the holistic need to set a recovery goal for the Salish Sea. Thirty years later, chinook salmon and southern resident killer whales are on endangered species lists in the U.S. and Canada, and we share concerns over contaminants from stormwater and climate impacts. The need for cooperation and collaboration across the international border is more pronounced than ever.
We applaud the excellent work being done to protect and restore our marine waters by government agencies, tribes, nongovernmental organizations and individual residents. Time and again, however, we see that we’re not keeping pace with habitat losses. We’re not upholding treaty rights for tribes and First Nations, and we are falling behind on the acknowledgment that management of our lands and waters must be built with Indigenous governments through a comanagement model.
The High Seas Treaty is a reminder that we must keep our eye on big, audacious goals for our oceans, and investments to see those goals reached. The migration patterns of the southern resident killer whales remind us of our interconnected waters and the need to do what it takes to protect them and the Salish Sea.
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