Transcript
[Text on screen:]
In September 2023, the First Nations Fisheries Council and Transport Canada reached out to First Nations partners to discuss some of the shared challenges they are experiencing and addressing through the Oceans Protection Plan.
[Chief Gordon Planes, Hya-Quatcha, T'Sou-ke First Nation:]
Through the Oceans Protection Plan, some of the challenges that we address is the changing environment. We see it, we feel it, we smell it. We need to prepare for what those challenges are gonna be. And when it comes to EMSA, the program to enhance maritime situational awareness, it gives us those assets that we can actually be able to do outreach and actually with everyone that lives in T’Sou-ke, just seeing what we’re doing, how we’re doing it professionally and then how we can offer to have that knowledge exchange go out to everyone, just say “hey, we all have to be doing this.”
[Shae Harding, Tsawout First Nation:]
It’s magnifying our voices and allowing us to come together and talk about all the problems that we’re facing and realize that a lot of these problems are shared. We are learning how to use EMSA to maximize its capabilities, use it for our oil spill response and for data collection and so that we can have it all in one platform.
[John Henderson, TLAT-WA-GALA Hiɫumus, Vice President - North Vancouver Island, First Nations Fisheries Council:]
It's like having a place for all of us to share information and then it compels us to make a delivery point and for somebody to represent us in a good way. We live in a community where the tide factors are anywhere from 12-14 knots and they spread pretty fast. It doesn't take much. If you had an oil spill in our community, it would destroy the habitat within 24 hours—we wouldn't be able to fix it. Through the partnerships with First Nations Fisheries Council, we grew to understand the necessities to work together. When we’re talking about sharing the wealth and knowledge we have with our youth, it's something that gets lost because they’re not learning the same processes we have. In some cases, the resources are gone.
[Chief Gordon Planes, Hya-Quatcha, T'Sou-ke First Nation:]
We notice that Canada is changing and we can learn from the East Coast, the West Coast and the Arctic. That is very vital information to have and sharing with all the Inuit, the people on the West Coast and the East Coast gives us really good insight into the future and I think doing that we can prepare ourselves for what comes next.
[John Henderson, TLAT-WA-GALA Hiɫumus, Vice President - North Vancouver Island, First Nations Fisheries Council:]
We all learn from our ancestors, and we want to preserve it. The legacy that we hope to build together and collectively amongst all of us as one is far reaching.
[Shae Harding, Tsawout First Nation:]
Transport Canada has actually been awesome in training us with whatever needs that we have there. It's been really great and we’re excited to learn more about how to use that.