May 1, 2026

Stewarding the sea: how Tla’amin Nation is mapping the future of ʔəms giǰɛ

May 1, 2026

For the Tla’amin Nation, the relationship with the ocean is guided by taʔow—the principle of doing things the right way in relationship with the land and sea. This ancient responsibility is now meeting cutting-edge technology as the Nation advances its own Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) process to protect the northern Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.
A new technical report from the University of British Columbia’s Conservation Decisions Lab details a major milestone in this journey: a Marxan Pilot Analysis designed to identify the most critical areas for conservation and community use within Tla’amin territory (ʔəms giǰɛ).

A Nation-Led Vision

As the first modern treaty First Nation in BC, Tla’amin is exercising its inherent rights to manage marine resources that have sustained its people for millennia. Today, those resources face mounting pressures from climate change, industrial development, and vessel traffic.
The pilot analysis is the first of a two-stage framework. Stage 1 (the focus of this report) identifies where protection and community importance are highest. Stage 2 will eventually determine how different activities—like sustainable aquaculture or commercial fishing—can be accommodated through a multi-zone management plan.

Data Guided by Community Knowledge

What makes this planning process unique is its foundation in community values. In January 2026, Tla’amin staff and knowledge holders gathered for workshops to define what matters most. This wasn’t just about fish counts; it was about:

Food Security: Ensuring abundant access to salmon, clams, crab, and prawns.
Cultural Connection: Protecting sacred sites, fish traps, and “teaching landscapes” for the next generation.
Ecosystem Health: Safeguarding foundational habitats like eelgrass beds and kelp forests.

Crucially, the analysis used Oral History (OH) layers—spatially explicit data of traditional harvesting areas—alongside government datasets to ensure the maps reflect Tla’amin’s lived reality.

Mapping the “Hotspots”

The analysis divided the territory into nearly 3,000 “planning units,” each 1km x 1km in size. By running 100 different scenarios through the Marxan software, researchers identified “selection frequency” hotspots—areas that the model repeatedly chose as essential for meeting Tla’amin’s goals.
The results highlighted several core priority areas:

The Northern Inlet Corridor: Including Desolation Sound and Okeover Inlet, which are rich in eelgrass, shellfish, and archaeological features.
The Malaspina Peninsula: A vital nearshore corridor for kelp, salmon, and herring.
Texada Island Channels: Important for Dungeness crab, killer whale hotspots, and rockfish.

Looking Ahead: A Climate-Resilient Future

The work doesn’t stop here. The report identifies significant data gaps, such as limited mapping for prawns and eulachon—that will be priorities for future research.
Furthermore, the Nation is looking toward climate-adaptive planning. Research suggests that by mid-century, culturally critical species like salmon and herring may see median declines of 7-16%. The next phase of planning will incorporate these projections to ensure that ʔəms giǰɛ remains productive for the next seven generations.
Ultimately, this pilot isn’t just about maps—it’s about governance. By using these tools, Tla’amin Nation is creating a transparent, evidence-based foundation to assert its authority and ensure the health of the ocean for centuries to come.