Regulations that would protect a vast undersea mountain range west of Vancouver Island are currently available for public commenting, a step that brings the biodiverse region closer to being conserved under Canada’s Oceans Act.
After years of negotiating the shared governance of a vast offshore area west of Vancouver Island, today the federal government and four First Nations groups announced a major step towards protecting the unique deep-sea territory.
Off the west coast of Vancouver Island is an area spanning 133, 019 square kilometers identified as the Offshore Pacific Area of Interest, also known as Tang.ɢwan-ḥačxʷiqak-Tsig̱is. Within Tang.ɢwan-ḥačxʷiqak-Tsig̱is there are deep sea hydrothermal vents and seamounts surrounded by vibrant coastal ecosystems.