On Tuesday, February 10, at 17:00, we will have our first master's thesis presentation and defense this year. Jean-Phillip Sargeant will present his master's thesis in Coastal and Marine Management, titled: Assessing the cooperative management regime in Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. His thesis advisors are Dr Brad Barr, senior policy advisor at NOAA National Ocean Service, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Jamie Alley, consulting geographer and a sessional lecturer in the Department of Geography at University of Victoria. The external reader is Dr John Colton, Professor, Community Development, Environment and Sustainability Studies at Acadia University. 

The presentation will be in room 1-2 at the UW and everyone is welcome to attend.

Abstract

Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site is often seen as a seemingly functional cooperatively managed protected area. Through the Archipelago Management Board (AMB), the Government of Canada and the Council of the Haida Nation manage this culturally and ecologically significant area from “mountain top to deep sea” together. In early 2014, the AMB invoked, for the first time in its history, the dispute resolution clause of its founding agreements. Based on interviews over a 5-month period with key-stakeholders, this study examined the potential repercussions of this action. The complexity that surrounds this cooperative management regime is exacerbated by the history behind each party, a shifting ecosystem it attempts to manage, and continuing disagreement over land-claims. Issues surrounding decision-making authority and governance are central to this thesis.

This presents a significant challenge for the AMB, but it also provides opportunity for the AMB to clarify its role and responsibilities in managing Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve, National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.