Coastal Voices project members and affiliates inspired a room of international scientists gathered for the 2018 annual Pew Fellows*** meeting* held in Sooke, BC, in the last week of October. This was almost like a ‘mini reunion’ of knowledge holders who were all present at the Coastal Voices workshop in 2014. Four years later there are lots of new stories to tell!
Anne Salomon co-convened a workshop with fellow Pew fellows Jim Estes, Kristin Laidre, and Bob Steneck on: Navigating Towards Ecologically Sustainable and Socially Just Operating Space for Marine Mammals. The workshop was opened with talks by Wickaninnish and Kii’iljuus, followed by Iain McKechnie, Tim Tinker, Anne Salomon and Jim Estes, all participants of our inaugural 2014 workshop on Calvert Island. The conversation was enriched with presentations by Jon Moore on salmon and pinnipeds, Kristin Laidre on polar bears and Indigenous people in the Arctic, and Bob Steneck on biological archives of predator-prey interactions.
We then held a policy dialogue, including reflections from Coastal Voices collaborator; Linda Nichol at DFO, and representatives from the US Marine Mammal Commission and US Fish and Wildlife Service. Our discussion focused on these 3 questions:
1. What are the key points of US law under ESA and MMPA, and Canadian law under SARA and the Canadian Constitution to consider while addressing predator recovery and ecological and social sustainability?
2. How can FWS and DFO interface law and science to develop new ecologically and socially robust policy for the management and conservation of recovering marine predators, specifically sea otters, pinnipeds and polar bears?
3. What are possible policy pathways for co-management of recovering marine predators? Can you provide some examples of co-management policy pathways that have previously been used and discuss why/how/where, in your opinion, those have succeeded or failed?
The Pew Fellow Scientists had their socks knocked off! For many of these scientists, it is not super common to conduct research that so deeply engages Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous rights, and social justice. They were fascinated by the knowledge shared and left inspired to be more vocal and engaged in supporting science that is coproduced with Indigenous peoples, integrates Indigenous knowledge, and advances the pursuit of Indigenous rights.
*** an international conference that brings together leaders in marine conservation science and practice from around the world.
Wickaninnish (Cliff Atleo Sr.) delivers the opening talk of the workshop —> Navigating Towards Ecologically Sustainable and Socially Just Operating Space for Marine Mammals