Eeyou Marine Region: Rediscovering the Bay and the islands Presented by: Félix Boulanger, biol. M.Env. COTA Tourism Conference Waskaganish July 13, 2017 1
What is is the Eeyou Marine Region Land Cla laims Agreement (E (EMRLCA)? • EMRLCA is an offshore agreement between the Federal Government and the Cree Nation Effective: February 15, 2012 • EMR includes James Bay and southeastern Hudson Bay • Canada recognized Cree ownership of the land in the offshore – 80% Cree and 20% Government • Owned collectively by the Cree: - Including subsurface rights - Islands are held by the Cree Nation Government (CNG) on behalf of the Cree Nation as a whole - Ownership of the waters and of the tidelands and seabed will remain with Canada under the terms of the EMRLCA eeyoumarineregion.ca 2
What is the EMRLCA? Cont’d • In the overlap Cree/Inuit area, “joint zone,” the land is owned jointly with the Inuit. • Overlap agreement signed before the EMRLCA. 3
EMRLCA: In Instit itutions of f Public Government (IP (IPG) • Three (3) institutions of public government created to implement the agreement: • EMR Impact Review Board • EMR Planning Commission • EMR Wildlife Board • Head Office in Waskaganish • Independent bodies with their own accountability – not part of the Cree Nation Government, not part of the Federal Government 4
EMRIRB EMRPC EMRWB Roderick Pachano Tina Petawabano Isaac Masty Chairperson CTA-EMR Chairperson Chairperson Isaac Masty Brian Craik Alan Penn Vice-Chairperson Vice-Chairperson Vice-Chairperson (GDO-GCC(EI)) (GDO-GCC(EI)) Aurelie Bourbeau- Sanford Diamond Lorne McNeice Fred Tomatuk Lemieux Member LEMR Officer Member Member (GCC(EI)) Waskaganish Sophie Fillion Government of Canada (GCC(EI)) Director Gordon Blackned Lucassie Brandon Moses Joannie Ikiddluak Wildlife Management Arragutainak Member LEMR Officer Member (GCC(EI)) Member Eastmain Government of Government of Nunavut George Claude Saint-Charles Nunavut Félix Boulanger Natawapineskum Vacant Member LEMR Officer Brendan O’Donnell Wildlife Liaison Government of Canada Wemindji Member Biologist Member (GDO-GCC(EI)) Vacant John Lameboy Government of Canada Member LEMR Officer Government of Canada Chisasibi Audrey Lapenna Vacant Piita Kattuk Laurianne Iserhoff Director LEMR Officer Accounting Member Whapmagoostui Administrator Government of Nunavut Priscillia Wesley Administrative Assistant
Eeyou Marine Region Pla lanning Commission (E (EMRPC) LAND USE PLANNING IN THE EMR IS MANAGED THROUGH THE EEYOU MARINE REGION PLANNING COMMISSION Mandate: develop planning policies, priorities and objectives for the EMR (Chapter 8) Responsibilities: • Develop planning policies, priorities and objectives regarding the conservation, development, management and use of Land in the EMR; • Document the present uses of the area; • Develop a land use plan to guide and direct resource use and development in the EMR; • Implement the land use plan; • Determine if development projects conform to the land use plan; • Monitor development projects to ensure their continued conformity with the land use plan. 6
Eeyou Mari rine Region Pla lanning Commission (E (EMRPC) Priority: developing a land use plan for the EMR. What is a land use plan? It is a plan to manage the development and use of land “The primary purpose of land use planning is to protect and promote the existing and future well-being of those individuals and communities resident in or using the EMR taking into account the interests of all Canadians; special attention devoted to protecting and promoting the existing and future well-being of the Crees and Cree lands” . – EMRLCA Implementation Plan: EMRPC working with other LUP responsible authorities to ensure LUPs are harmonized. ( CAT 2 and 3) Category 1 community use, etc.. 7
Commission’s Land Use Planning (LUP) process OVERVIEW OF PROPOSED PLANNING STAGES AND TIMELINES • Preparing the plan involves seven stages: • Stage 1: pre-planning (June 2014 to Sept 2017) • Stage 2: research and data collection (Sept 2017 to Sept 2018) • Stage 3: analysis of information (Sept 2018 to Sept 2020) • Stage 4: writing the plan (Sept 2020 to Sept 2021) • Stage 5: plan approval (beginning of March 2022) • Stage 6: implementation (2022) • Stage 7: evaluation, monitoring, and amendments ( ongoing ) 8
Eeyou Marine Region Im Impact Review Board (E (EMRIRB) DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS IN THE EMR ARE REVIEWED THROUGH THE EMRIRB TO DETERMINE THEIR POTENTIAL IMPACTS Mandate: review ecosystemic and socio-economic impacts of development projects in the EMR (chapter 18) Responsibilities: • Screening development project proposals to determine if impact review is required; • Reviewing ecosystemic and socio-economic impacts of project proposals that are subject to review; • Recommending whether projects should proceed and under what terms and conditions; • Monitoring projects and terms and conditions of project certificates. 9
Eeyou Marine Region Wildlife Board Mandate: a) Act as the main instrument of Wildlife management and the main regulator of access to wildlife; b) Establishes harvesting levels for species stock or population of wildlife in the EMR as required; c) Cooperates with other Wildlife management institutions in the EMR; d) Provides advice to other institutions relating to Wildlife management and conservation in the EMR; e) Manages a $5 million Wildlife Research Fund.
EEYOU MARINE REGION WIL ILDLIFE BOARD (E (EMRWB) Board members Staff Sophie Fillion Roderick Pachano (Chairperson) (Wildlife Management Isaac Masty - GCCEI (Vice-Chairperson) Director) Bert Moar – GCCEI Félix Boulanger Aurélie Bourbeau-Lemieux – GCCEI (Wildlife Liaison Officer) Vacant – Canada Priscillia Wesley Claude Saint-Charles – Canada (Administrative Assistant) Piita Kattuk – Nunavut Laurianne Iserhoff (Accountant Administrator)
EMRWB works in in partnership wit ith the Cree Trappers’ Association (CTA) a) Acts as a consultative body to the EMRWB with respect to wildlife matters; b) Manages harvesting among the Crees in the EMR as required; c) EMRWB provides funding to support CTA offshore functions: 5 EMR-CTA Local Officers Sanford Diamond (Waskaganish) Brandon Moses (Eastmain) George Natawapineskum (Wemindji) John Lameboy (Chisasibi) Vacant (Whapmagoostui)
RESEARCH FU FUNCTIONS • The $5 M research fund has been invested and the earning will be used to fund research projects. Update 2017: • Ongoing process to define research priorities • Waskaganish (May, 2016) • Eastmain (Winter, 2017) • Wemindji (Winter, 2017) • Chisasibi (Winter, 2017) • Whapmagoostui (Autumn, 2016)
Research Prioritization Stakeholders Screening + 12 Consultation Process Symposium Research Consultation Document (November, 2015) (March 2014) Themes (March 2015) Cree Community Selection of a Develop TEK & Consultations Short List of Priorities Science Protocol (Automn 2016 – Winter 2017) (2017-18) Research Funding Agreement 14
RESEARCH PRIORITIES CLASSIFICATION • Polar Bears • WATERFOWL • • Beluga EELGRASS WILDLIFE HABITATS • LOCAL FISHERIES • Marine Mammals • HYDRO PROJECTS’ IMPACTS (Seals) • Oceanography • Climate Change • Foxes and Wolves WB’S MANDATE • Boreal Frogs • Birds of Prey • Bats CREES’ INTEREST 15
RESEARCH PRIORITY PROPOSALS PRIORITY #1: HYDRO DEVELOPMENT / EELGRASS / WATERFOWL Scope: Large scale study - eelgrass mapping and productivity assessment, potential beds’ restoration, relationship with waterfowl (Canada goose and Brant), in the context of cumulative impacts and climate change. PRIORITY #2: LOCAL FISHERIES Scope: Stocks assessment of the fish populations, harvesting effort evaluation and mapping, development of long-term management plan in the context of cumulative impacts and climate change . RATIONALE Meets EMRWB definition of wildlife research; Respects EMRWB’s mandate & responsibilities; Relevance to the Eeyou Marine Region; High interest for the Crees; High potential for partnerships, collaborations and matching funds. 16
ECOTOURISM - Northern environments are vulnerable ecosystems - Species - Climate change - « Leave no trace » 17
ECOTOURISM POTENTIAL WILDLIFE-RELATED ECOTOURISM: - Polar bear watching - Marine mammals - Bird watching (ornithology) - etc. 18
ECOTOURISM CONCERN: POLAR BEAR Increase in tourism related to polar bear observation is likely in the future. • Polar Bear Management Plan • Consultations in coastal communities 19
ECOTOURISM CONCERN: POLAR BEAR Increase in tourism related to polar bear observation is likely in the future. • Increases the potential for human-bear conflict, can put people’s lives at risk • Can also lead to bear mortality from the need to protect the people • Prevention: public education, requirements for trained bear monitors and the development/availability and use of bear deterrent measures (stun guns, cracker shells, bear spray, portable electrical fences around campsites). 20
Recommend
More recommend
