'We're tired of waiting': the First Nation that unilaterally declared a marine protected area

For 20 years, indigenous people of the Kitasoo/Xai'xais saw their coastal waters being depleted while the Canadian state dithered. Now they've taken matters into their own handsFor years, the people of the Kitasoo/Xai'xais First Nation watched over their waters and waited. They had spent nearly two decades working with Canada's federal government to negotiate protections for Kitasu Bay, an area off the coast of British Columbia that was vulnerable to overfishing.But the discussions never seemed to go anywhere. First, they broke down over pushback from the fishing industry, then over a planned oil tanker route directly through Kitasoo/Xai'xais waters. Continue reading...