Master canoe carver,
Joe Martin, has stories
to tell from his experiences of fishing and hunting at the Tofino Mudflats and from stories he was told by his elders.
Fish traps were built with loads of rocks carried by canoes. The canoes were paddled to the site at high tide and rocks were positioned to create enclosures. The enclosures were baited with mussels, collected on branches hanging over the water from the shoreline. Fish were attracted to the broken mussels and were trapped within the enclosure as the tide receded. Joe remembers skewering perch caught this way, and cooking it over a fire.
Every beach and bay had individual names that described what was found there. For example, as a child, Joe helped catch fish from a net strung across “Tsa mit aa” (meaning Coho Stream) in the cove identified as “Maltby Slough” on today’s maps. There were many other sites used throughout the Mudflats.
It is estimated that about 10,000 Tla-o-qui-aht lived in the area at one time. They followed laws for harvesting the eelgrass, clams, crabs, fish, ducks, and other resources found in their territories. Respect for nature was taught from an early age. Lessons were often given while eating so that the connection between food and caring for resources was reinforced. Bodies and minds were nourished at the same time.
The Tla-o-qui-aht continue to gather resources from the Tofino Mudflats. Joe knows many people who harvest clams, crabs, ducks and deer. This productive area remains important to the Tla-o-qui-aht who still call it home after thousands of years. |
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Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation
The Tofino Mudflats lies within the traditional territory of the
Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation. Over 50 archaeological sites, including shell middens, fish traps, and canoe skids, reflect a long history of resource use and management in the area.
History of the WMA Designation
The province of British Columbia recognized the ecological significance of the Tofino Mudflats over 50 years ago. In the 1950s, the Provincial Museum and the B.C. Game Department documented waterfowl resources in the Tofino area to determine its suitability as a “public shooting ground.” The first formal protection was instated in 1956, when several parcels of land were designated as reserves for “Use, Recreation and Enjoyment of the Public.”
In 1993, the Pacific Estuary Conservation Program recommended that Tofino Mudflats become the top priority on Vancouver Island for development of a Wildlife Management Area (WMA). A proposal was drafted and referred to 15 agencies, public groups, First Nations, and the Clayoquot Sound Central Region Board (CRB). On April 10, 1997, the Tofino Mudflats were officially designated as a Wildlife Management Area.
Mandate
The WMA designation protects key habitats and thereby ensures the long-term viability and ecological health of the fish and wildlife living in the Tofino Mudflats.
Environmental impacts and threats to the WMA include resource depletion, bird disturbance, other wildlife-human interactions, and environmental degradation. These issues are being addressed by:
- Increasing awareness and education about the WMA among adjacent landowners, other local residents, and visitors to Clayoquot Sound.
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- Encouraging the development of community stewardship programs.
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- Collecting ecological data and species inventories within the WMA.
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- Prohibiting development and other activities that are detrimental to sensitive fish and wildlife habitats.
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- Collaborating with municipal, First Nations, regional and federal government agencies in improving environmental conditions beyond the WMA boundaries.
Management Plan A management plan for the WMA was developed in 2001. The plan is implemented with assistance from a local Advisory Committee of interested individuals and organizations. You can download the three documents that comprise the Management Plan: Backgrounder, WMA Management Plan, and Wildlife Viewing Management. Partners The Tofino Mudflats WMA is protected under the British Columbia Wildlife Act. The WMA is administered by the B.C. Ministry of Environment’s Environmental Stewardship Division, Parks and Protected Areas. The partners of the Vancouver Island Conservation Land Management Program are instrumental in providing funds and coordination to sustain and manage the WMA. Partners are The Nature Trust of British Columbia, Canadian Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited Canada, Habitat Conservation Trust Fund, and the Ministry of Environment. The Nature Trust of B.C. works to protect B.C.’s natural diversity of wildlife and plants and their critical habitat, through the acquisition and management of ecologically significant land. The Canadian Wildlife Service is Canada's national wildlife agency that focuses on the protection and management of migratory birds and nationally important wildlife habitat, endangered species, research on nationally important wildlife issues, control of international trade in endangered species, and international treaties. Ducks Unlimited Canada conserves, restores and manages wetlands and associated habitats for North America's waterfowl. Several organizations are partners in delivering educational, conservation and public awareness programs for the WMA. The Raincoast Education Society is a local non-profit organization that promotes awareness and stewardship of the Tofino Mudflats by offering special programs and information packages to residents and visitors. These programs include the annual Shorebird Festival, monthly birding events, field trips and activities with the schools, the Young Naturalists program, and slide shows and guest speakers at the Raincoast Interpretive Centre and other venues in Tofino. The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund provides funding to support stewardship of the Tofino Mudflats WMA. The Habitat Conservation Trust Fund was created by an act of legislature to preserve, restore and enhance key areas of habitat for fish and wildlife throughout B.C. Anglers, hunters, trappers and guides contribute to Trust Fund projects through licence surcharges. The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust provides funding for educational programs. It also administers research and monitoring initiatives in the Tofino Mudflats WMA, which lies within the Clayoquot Sound UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The Clayoquot Biosphere Trust promotes sustainable development, conservation and healthy communities in and around the Biosphere Reserve. Additional support is provided by: Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce District of Tofino Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada lies just to the south of the Tofino
Mudflats WMA. Grice Bay, a designated sensitive area located within the
park, is part of the Tofino Mudflat complex. Over the past few years,
Parks
Canada has been collecting baseline data on a variety of physical and
biological features within Grice Bay. This data is being used to
develop a
model to measure and predict the cumulative effects of anthropogenic
activities on Grice Bay. Some of these features will also be used as measures to monitor long-term coastal ecosystem health within the
coastal
BC bio-region. Parks Canada's goal is to encourage appreciation,
understanding and enjoyment of national parks without causing harm to the
ecosystem. Promoting awareness and stewardship of the mudflats is mutually
beneficial and provides on-going opportunities for collaboration and
support. The Tofino Botanical Gardens Foundation provides access to the northern shore of the Tofino Mudflats WMA through its network of trails and paths, including a permanent bird blind. The TBGF frequently collaborates with other local organizations to offer educational programs and information about the mudflats. It also offers two-day naturalist programs at the Clayoquot Field Station. Tofino Streamkeepers is a non-profit group of local volunteers who work to conserve and restore streams and wetland habitat in our communities. The group works cooperatively with government agencies, fisheries biologists, and local businesses and residents. Tofino Streamkeepers is a member of the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation, an organization that supports the many streamkeeper groups across B.C. and the Yukon. Pacific Rim Fish and Game Association Strawberry Isle Research Society Tofino Salmon Enhancement Society Bird Studies Canada University of Northern British Columbia -- Resource Recreation and Tourism Tax-deductible donations to assist in raising awareness and stewardship of the Tofino Mudflats WMA are welcome. Contributions can be made through The Raincoast Education Society.
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