Research to address Seafood Security/Sovereignty

The economy and food system of coastal Nations in BC has always been marine-centric: salmon, smelts, herring and shellfish, in particular, were key foods and the center of cultural life and the basis of trade relations.

When BC joined Canada in 1871, the terms of the agreement included that the new province would retain control of the land but would provide adequate lands for First Nations. Reserves were established with the assumption that large amounts of land weren’t needed because coastal First Nations had fish-based economies. As the settler population grew, reserves were reduced in size. Sea tenures were not recognized and fell under Canadian and American ‘commons’ property management. Despite the lack of treaties, in 1888, the Crown restricted fish use to subsistence only, preventing harvesting for economic, social and ceremonial purposes. The forced dispossession and relegation to labour, along with the practice of the government to hold their land ‘in trust’, meant most families could not even borrow money to buy boats.

The legacy of colonialism has had important health implications. For Indigenous Peoples, the health of marine ecosystems and humans are intimately linked. This knowledge is echoed in nutrition research undertaken by First Nations with academic partners: salmon is the most widely consumed traditional food, with 92% of BCFN adults reporting having consumed it (fnfnes.ca) Salmon and other seafood are naturally rich in high-quality protein and a number of essential minerals (selenium, iodine, zinc, copper) and vitamins (vitamin D, choline). Furthermore, seafood contains long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 FAs), which are very important for human health since they are involved in neurological development, cell membrane functions, local hormone production for blood pressure regulation, immune functions and inflammatory responses. As ascertained by both Indigenous knowledge and Western science, the potential decline or disappearance of marine fish in the diet due to environmental changes will have a significant adverse impact on the health of First Nations in BC.

The overall goal of this 4-year participatory research project is to jointly develop adaptation strategies to this changing food system that are congruent with cultural, social, ecological and health priorities of the Nations and provide the scientific rationale for their implementation based on different health implications.

This innovative project brings together the experience and knowledge of members of Tla'amin, Skidegate, Nuxalk and 'Namgis First Nations with a multidisciplinary team of researchers. Team expertise spans Human Nutrition and Food Security, Environmental Health, Social-Ecological Systems and Resilience Theory, Fishery Science, Marine Ecology, and knowledge users in Public Health. For the first time, a participatory research project will be conducted in support of healthy culturally-appropriate food system under climate change.

The adaptation strategies will be informed by alternative climate change scenarios with species distribution models guided by our partnering communities and created from:

• dietary data collected in each partnering Nation in 2022/2023 and in 2009 as part of the First Nations Food Nutrition and Environment Study, and

• information shared by the Nations about seafood fisheries and changes in harvest