RESEARCH - Research Summary

Humanities and Social Sciences Theme

Research Summary

There is tremendous potential for the development of shellfish aquaculture on the coast of British Columbia, if care is taken to address potentially competing interests regarding marine conservation, coastal tourism, First Nations interests, and the needs of local communities affected by these developments. Building on research in 2002-2003 supported by AquaNet, this project will explore approaches to planning and management of coastal areas that will address these potentially conflicting purposes, and avoid the polarization that has occurred in the past, notably with forest management, and to a certain extent with finfish aquaculture.

The first component will examine the perceptions of residents in the Gulf Islands regarding aquaculture in a nearby marine protected area, comparing these findings with experiments in Britain. Secondly, the views of marine scientists and environmental groups will be examined, and a discussion paper will be developed to outline the most useful and cost-effective indicators for measuring the ecological integrity of an MPA. The second component will address the issue of stakeholder involvement on protected area decision making, by reviewing land planning processes in Canada and comparing these with the experiences of other jurisdictions, notably in the U.S. and Ireland. The third component will examine the interface of First Nations aspirations, shellfish aquaculture, and marine protected areas, taking into consideration the tensions between existing treaty processes, municipal regulations, and constitutional litigation. This First Nations research will contain a comparative component with recent experiences of indigenous groups in New Zealand.

The project will conclude with a two-day workshop involving key individuals from industry, government, First Nations and other interest groups who have participated in all these aspects of the research.

Network Investigators

Rick Rollins, Dept. of Recreation, Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, BC
Jeremy Rayner, Dept. of Political Science, Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, BC
Chris Tollefson, Faculty of Law, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC