B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy

The B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy establishes the province's first shared vision for the B.C. coast. The strategy will guide our decisions over the next 20 years and help ensure we are prepared for the opportunities and risks that tomorrow may bring us. 

The vision is for a coastal marine environment that supports: 

• Biodiversity 
• Productivity 
• Resiliency
• The prosperity, health and well-being of coastal communities

The vision is supported by a suite of actions and activities that balance the needs of people and ecosystems.  

On this page

• Introducing the B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy
• Themes, goals and actions
• Co-developing B.C.'s first Coastal Marine Strategy
• Background to the strategy
• Timeline for strategy development
• Important resources

Introducing the B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy

In B.C. we live alongside a rich diversity of coastal marine habitats that support a world-renowned abundance of marine life. These habitats support benefits such as: 

• Protection from extreme weather 
• Resilience to climate change
• A place to collect and grow food
• Access to cultural practices
• Opportunities for learning, adventure and finding solace  
• Movement of goods and people 

Many of these benefits are only possible when the coastal marine environment is healthy. Coastal environments and communities are facing significant challenges, such as: 

• Climate change  
• Pollution 
• Habitat loss 
• Cumulative impacts of use and development  

The B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy (PDF, 8.5MB) outlines the actions we will take to steward our marine resources by striking a balance between taking and giving. To do this, the strategy focuses on the near shore areas and activities that fall under the B.C. government’s responsibility. Other governments share responsibility for stewardship, too. Strong collaboration and co-operation with other governments will help us achieve good outcomes for people and the environment. 

Themes, goals and actions

Each goal includes actions and activities that work together to achieve the strategy’s vision. The themes and goals are general and applicable across the coast. The actions and activities will be implemented in close collaboration between coastal First Nations, the government of B.C., and other governments and interest groups.  

Co-developing B.C.'s first Coastal Marine Strategy

The strategy fulfils a commitment to develop the first made-in-B.C. holistic vision for the coastal marine environment. 

The strategy was co-developed with many First Nations from across the coast. Notably, several First Nations and provincial staff formed a joint writing team to develop the policy Intentions Paper (PDF, 7.6MB) which helped set the direction for the strategy. Co-developing policy in this way is an important step towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in B.C.

Background to the strategy

The B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy was developed by bringing together perspectives of different interests, such as: 

• Provincial ministries across government
• First Nations, federal, and local governments 
• Indigenous communities
• Environmental groups
• Industries and interested parties
• Business owners and associates
• Residents and coastal communities 

Over the two and a half years spent developing the strategy, we heard from hundreds of people who shared their ideas, personal experiences and stories of their connections to the coast. What we heard during engagement was collected in the What We Heard Report (2023) (PDF, 1.8MB). This information shaped our 20-year vision and roadmap. The resulting strategy lays out actions to ensure coastal areas remain healthy and resilient to climate change and can support community well-being and a sustainable ocean economy into the future.

Timeline for strategy development

• January 2022: Co-development began with First Nations-B.C. leadership dialogues 
• June 2022: First Nations-B.C. writing team established
• December 2022: Released the co-developed Intentions paper (PDF, 7.6MB) for public comment. More than 900 submissions were received.   
• August 2023: Published the What We Heard report (PDF, 1.8MB), summarizing the results of the Intentions paper engagement process. 

Important resources

• B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy (PDF, 8.5MB)
• B.C. Coastal Marine Strategy text-only version (PDF, 4.7MB) 
• Intentions Paper (PDF, 7.6MB)  
• What We Heard Report (2023) (PDF, 1.8MB) 
• Map of the coastal marine environment in B.C. (PDF, 3.6MB)
• Provincial roles in coastal marine stewardship (PDF, 1.1MB)