Haida Gwaii Yáanuu • G̱iinuu Giant Red Sea Cucumber Management Plan Engagement Sessions
Yáanuu • G̱iinuu giant red sea cucumber community engagement sessions are scheduled for Hlg̱aagilda on October 23 and G̱aw Tlagée the following day. Both sessions will centre around the newly drafted Haida Gwaii Yáanuu • G̱iinuu Management Plan, which developed from consensus recommendations of the GayG̱ahlda G̱iinuu Working Group (GG̱WG). Engagement sessions like these provide Haida citizens and island residents an opportunity to give feedback on the management direction of select species. As will be the case for the tube-footed yáanuu • g̱iinuu which has not been commercially harvested on Haida Gwaii since 1995.
GG̱WG formed under the GayG̱ahlda • Kwah.hlahl.dáyaa Changing Tide Framework for Reconciliation and includes representatives from the Council of the Haida Nation (CHN), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), and Gwaii Haanas Parks Canada (PC). Since its inception, it has been the primary focus of the group to collaborative development a Haida Gwaii sea cucumber management plan and perform stock assessment of sea cucumber populations on Haida Gwaii.
The Yáanuu • G̱iinuu Management Plan is guided by Haida principles and underpinned by an ecosystem-based management approach. It provides a current understanding of the yáanuu • g̱iinuu ecosystem and details ecological, cultural, social, and economic management considerations. It also includes the recommendations of a prior Gwaii Haanas Sea Cucumber Technical Working Group and outlines Haida Gwaii’s current monitoring and management strategies, including population assessments and monitoring, ecosystem monitoring, fishery monitoring, and enforcement.
A final revised management plan incorporating community input is scheduled to go to the Aquatic Management Council (the CHN-DFO co-governance table) for approval in March 2026. The management plan will serve as the guiding framework for the first commercial fishery jointly developed by CHN, DFO, and PC.
Engaging Haida citizens in the development and implementation of land and marine-related initiatives is an essential component of the Nation’s work. A holistic approach to planning important in the context of the commodification of natural resources, given current and past exploitative management practices, which have led to the perilous conditions of various coastal species.
When and where’s it happening: October 23 from 5-8 PM at the HlG̱aagilda Small Hall, October 24 from 5-8 PM in the G̱aw Tlagée CHN office boardroom. Dinner and prizes will be provided.
Photo credit: Pauline Ridings/DFO