The first-ever Salish Sea Symposium marked a pivotal moment under the Salish Sea Strategy, uniting partners from various sectors to discuss the future of the region. Hosted on January 23 to 24, 2024, at the Vancouver Convention Centre, this landmark event, attended by over 420 participants, both in-person and virtually, fostered dialogue, collaboration, and innovation across diverse perspectives.
The goal of both the Salish Sea Strategy and Symposium was to strengthen the bridge between government, Indigenous communities, academia, and industry. The theme, "Building on our past, advancing our future," illustrates the importance of building a progressive path forward.
Working closely with Transport Canada, the Salish Sea Strategy’s Joint Planning & Advisory Committee—a group of over 20 members representing organizations from all levels of government, industry, academic, transboundary and civil society—and Indigenous communities co-developed an inclusive agenda for the Symposium that emphasized dialogue over presentations, showcased underrepresented and diverse regional voices, and prioritized partnership-driven sessions.
Indigenous voices
A focus of the Symposium was to include and learn from Indigenous perspectives on the Salish Sea region. Grand Chief Doug Kelly, and Washington State Representative Debra Lekanoff emphasized the vital role of Indigenous leadership, history, and perspectives to informing the Salish Sea Strategy. Discussions highlighted the need to not only amplify Indigenous voices, but also address barriers hindering their full participation, such as resource constraints and historical imbalance.
Collaborative initiatives
Throughout the Symposium, participants explored diverse collaborative initiatives, ranging from marine conservation projects to emergency response planning. Examples like the Marine Partnership Plan and the Salish Sea Statement of Cooperation showcased successful models of cross-border collaboration, emphasizing the value of shared governance and collective action.
Challenges and opportunities
While the Symposium celebrated successes, it also confronted challenges head-on. Participants highlighted issues like data management, sustainable funding, regional governance, and the impact of maritime activities on marine ecosystems. Discussions showed that there was a need for accessible data platforms, long-term funding commitments, and innovative solutions to mitigate environmental threats.
Looking ahead
As the Symposium concluded, participants voiced a shared commitment to continued collaboration and action. Recommendations ranged from establishing new transboundary partnerships to prioritizing research on marine conservation and noise pollution. With the momentum gained from this inaugural event, partners emphasized the need to continue listening, having candid conversations, and developing mutual understanding of shared needs and goals. To this end the Salish Sea Symposium represents not a finish line but a starting point for future regional engagement and dialogue through the Salish Sea Strategy. To learn more about the Salish Sea Strategy and next steps, visit the website or reach out to PACSalishSeaStrategy-strategieDeLaMerDesSalish@tc.gc.ca.
Positive feedback
The post-event survey showed a positive reception among participants, with an impressive 76% expressing satisfaction with their overall experience of the Symposium. There was also a focus through the collaborative planning process to balance the content and participation of the Symposium across governments, First Nations, local communities, industry, and regional groups. The Symposium agenda ended up having 70% of attendees and 69% of speakers/presenters from non-governmental communities and groups. This was possible through long-term valuable engagement and discourse among diverse regional partners. Even still, participants encouraged organizers to reflect on those that did not participate and seek out ways to amplify those voices in the future.
Conclusion
The 2024 Salish Sea Symposium is a testament to the power of collaboration and dialogue in addressing complex regional challenges. As the Government of Canada and its partners reflect on the insights gained and commitments made, the Symposium serves as a reminder that continued partnership and collective action is what’s needed in order to safeguard the Salish Sea for generations to come.