On October 17, 2025, the President of the Haida Nation, Gaagwiis Jason Alsop, and Canada’s Minister of Fisheries, the Honourable Joanne Thompson, formally introduced two new marine refuges on Haida Gwaii. Also called the Queen Charlotte Islands, Haida Gwaii is biodiversity-rich archipelago off British Columbia’s west coast within the Nice Bear Sea. Audubon celebrates the institution of those marine refuges, which is able to defend over 29 km2 of essential hen habitat, in addition to habitat for salmon, herring, and harbor seals.
The 22.42 km2 G̲aw Okay̲áahlii Marine Refuge (Masset Inlet) and the 7.16 km2 X̲aana Okay̲aahlii Marine Refuge (Skidgate Inlet) have been each established underneath the Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence initiative to advance reconciliation and Indigenous-led marine conservation on the west coast of Canada. The marine refuges can be co-managed by the Council of the Haida Nation together with Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
“X̲aana Okay̲aahlii Marine Refuge will present safety for eelgrass and estuary ecosystems which might be important for a lot of birds, together with Black Oystercatchers that nest there,” mentioned Dr. Jeff Wells, vp of Audubon’s Canada program. “G̲aw Okay̲áahlii Marine Refuge will defend important stopover habitat for a lot of migratory birds, together with Western Sandpipers, in addition to killer whales, salmon, and different marine life that depend on the inlet. The institution of each marine refuges is a large win for the Haida Nation and can profit an abundance of wildlife for generations to come back.”
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The Nationwide Audubon Society protects birds and the locations they want, right now and tomorrow. Audubon works all through the Americas utilizing science, advocacy, training, and on-the-ground conservation. State applications, nature facilities, chapters, and companions give Audubon an unparalleled wingspan that reaches thousands and thousands of individuals every year to tell, encourage, and unite numerous communities in conservation motion. A nonprofit conservation group since 1905, Audubon believes in a world wherein individuals and wildlife thrive.
Media Contact: Rebecca Sentner, rebecca.sentner@audubon.org
