Conservation

Invasive Species on Haida Gwaii

Like all islands, Haida Gwai was very susceptible to the introduction of foreign animals. The island's biological balance was enormously affected by the introduction of non-native species. Squirrels, beaver, raccoons and sitka mule deer were all introduced to Haida Gwaii. Since there are no predators on the island, and there was an abundance of food, the sitka deer population exploded. They demolished the cedar seedlings and have moved on to many of the small trees that take long periods to mature. Thirty-nine deer were introduced 130 years ago; now there are close to 200,000. Red cedar and other trees are now prevented from growing normally and there are very few small plants on the islands. Raccoons raid the eggs of the large population of ground nesting birds.

Marine Ecosystem on Haida Gwaii

The incredible chain of islands called Haida Gwaii links a diverse ecosystem that reaches across the entire Pacific Ocean. Today, fish declines are obvious and scientific studies have indicated that if fishing practices around the world don’t change, it all could be lost within 50 years. Overfishing, habitat damage, and climate change all contribute to these trends. The conservation work that the Haida Nation has done with help from the Canadian government has been impressive. A milestone was set in the summer of 2010 when Environment Minister Jim Prentice announced the designation of a 3,500 sq km area covering the Haida Gwaii called Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. It was a landmark in environmental progress. The designated area extends 10 km offshore from the existing Gwaii Haanas Park Reserve. Now more than 5,000 square km of wilderness are protected from the mountain tops to the deep sea.