The Nanwakolas Council member First Nations are concerned about the impacts of climate change on habitats and species that they rely on. The Tlowitsis, Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala and K’omoks First Nations are partnering with other Coastal First Nations and The Nature Trust of BC on researching these impacts. A five-year project called “Enhancing Estuary Resilience: Sustaining Fish and Fish Habitat in a Changing Climate” is currently underway, with the purpose of studying key estuaries on the coast to better understand their resiliency to the changing climate. Estuaries are transition interfaces between the marine and freshwater environments that are critical to so many different species including salmon, bears, birds and plants. This project is focused on improving the estuary habitat to enhance the long-term sustainability and health of wild fish stocks by understanding the potential impacts of climate change and using this information to undertake restoration projects in 15 focal estuaries up and down the coast. Funding has been provided by the Federal and Provincial governments through the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund.
