In a significant step for Indigenous-led marine conservation, the Council of the Haida Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada have detailed the formal establishment of two marine refuges in the waters off the Canadian archipelago, Haida Gwaii.

Details of the two marine conservation sites – G̱aw Ḵáahlii and X̲aana K̲aahlii – were revealed in a joint statement made tis week by the President of the Haida Nation, Gaagwiis Jason Alsop and the Honourable Joanne Thompson, Canada’s Minister of Fisheries. 

Covering a combined 29.58-square-kilometres, the designation of the two refuges aim to safeguard vital ecosystems, including key habitats for all species of salmon, herring, seabirds, and harbour seals while supporting local food security and cultural continuity for the Haida people.

The effort has been praised for signalling both a deepening commitment to marine protection and the continuation of a long-standing collaboration rooted in reconciliation and shared stewardship.

“These inlets support a rich diversity of life,” said Gaagwiis Jason Alsop. “Because of this, we have a sense of Gin ‘laa hl isdaa.uu – a responsibility to ensure future generations are able to continue to enjoy the bounties of the ocean.”

The new refuges complement the Haida Gwaii Marine Plan, a product of nearly two decades of Haida-led ocean planning. They also form part of Canada’s broader Northern Shelf Bioregion Marine Protected Area Network, and represent tangible progress under the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence – a major Indigenous-led initiative announced earlier this year.

The G̱aw Ḵáahlii and X̲aana K̲aahlii Marine Refuges will be co-managed by the Council of the Haida Nation and Fisheries and Oceans Canada under the principles of Indigenous governance and stewardship. Both sites were identified through traditional Haida marine knowledge as areas of high ecological and cultural importance.

Minister Thompson framed the announcement as “a concrete step” toward Canada’s commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and part of a broader national goal to protect 30% of marine and coastal areas by 2030.

“Working in partnership with the Council of the Haida Nation, these new marine refuges will safeguard the Northern Shelf Bioregion, support sustainable harvests, and leave a strong legacy for people who rely on these waters today and in the years ahead,” said Minister Thompson.

The marine refuges were formalised following a landmark June 2024 agreement among 17 First Nations, the Government of Canada, the Province of British Columbia, and Coast Funds, launching the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence – an initiative that aims to secure permanent funding for Indigenous-led stewardship across the region. It currently represents one of the world’s most ambitious conservation finance efforts.

While the modest size of the two marine refuges has not gone unrecognised, it’s also been acknowledged that they carry “outsized significance” embodying a shift toward long-term, Indigenous-led ocean governance in one of the most biodiverse marine regions on the planet.

For the Haida Nation, they are a reaffirmation of ancestral responsibility and environmental stewardship. For Canada, they mark progress on both biodiversity protection and reconciliation.

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