The Province of British Columbia and Coastal First Nations leaders have signed a joint declaration reaffirming their commitment to protect the province’s North Coast and its conservation economy.

Premier David Eby joined Coastal First Nations President Chief Marilyn Slett, Lax Kw’alaams Mayor Garry Reece, Haida Nation President Jason Alsop, Indigenous Tourism BC’s Paula Amos, and Hereditary Elder Clarence Innis for the signing ceremony in Vancouver on Wednesday.

The North Coast Protection Declaration emphasizes that protecting the coast is not a barrier to economic prosperity, but the foundation of it - citing the success of the Great Bear Rainforest agreements, which have created more than 1,400 permanent jobs and over 140 businesses.

The declaration also defends the federal Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, which formalized a longstanding ban on crude oil tankers along B.C.’s North Coast in 2019.

Leaders say repealing that protection would jeopardize major projects, jobs, and the environment.

The document urges Ottawa to uphold the moratorium, calling coastal protection a national responsibility and an investment in the future.

For more information, visit Government of British Columbia.