June 23, 2023, marked a historic day in Burgeo as parties from across the province and across Canada came together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to collaborate on establishing a National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) in the South Coast Fjords area. The multipartite collaboration includes the Government of Canada, the Province of Newfoundland, the Miawpukek First Nation, the Qalipu First Nation and the Town of Burgeo.
The South Coast Fjords area, dubbed a biodiversity hotspot, is among the most productive marine environments in Atlantic Canada. The coastal and marine ecosystems include spruce-fir forests, rocky barrens, sand dunes, flat sandy beaches, estuaries, large granite cliffs and deep, glacially carved fjords. The coasts and waters are home to dolphins, porpoises and many endangered species.
Coming together to work on this project has been deeply meaningful to the Qalipu First Nation.
Chief Brendan Mitchell noted, “You have only to stand at the ocean’s edge to appreciate the power, beauty, and significance of water. This commitment to collaborate on the establishment of a new marine protected area in the South Coast Fjords region gives great meaning to me in my role as Chief. I look forward to working together in the spirit of protection and preservation of the world’s oceans.”
Following the official event which included drumming by the Burgeo First Nation Ladies Drumming Group, speeches, and MOU signing, participants travelled over to the Sandbanks Provincial Park for a Water Ceremony led by Arlene Blanchard White.
Chief Mitchell noted, “When we gathered at the beach, the importance of the day and the MOU we had just signed really hit home. As leaders, we are very busy, and things can sometimes get lost in the politics and busyness of it all. When we stood together in a circle to honour the water in ceremony, when we prayed for the waters that sustain us, that is when I believe we could all really feel the significance of what we were doing. Water is life, without it, we would be lost.”
