Project dates: June 2026 - June 2029
Funding amount: $450,000
Project summary
Kwiakah First Nation (KFN), whose traditional territory spans the lands and waters in and around Phillips and Frederick Arm, in the Discovery Islands region of British Columbia, recently took over the License of Occupation for a decommissioned commercial Atlantic salmon farm and remodelled the old farm to serve as Kwiakah’s Centre of Excellence.
In this project, NSERC funding will support KFN to partner with national seaweed experts in North Island College’s (NIC) Centre for Applied Research, Technology and Innovation (CARTI) and transform the empty salmon cages into a thriving kelp research farm. The goals of the kelp research farm are to significantly increase biodiversity at the site, fill in key knowledge gaps regarding kelp blue carbon, and create additional habitat for wild fisheries- especially wild salmon migrating to/from the Phillips River watershed just north of the kelp research farm.
The project activities directly serve KFN’s Stewardship Economy vision where revenue is derived from regenerative, non-extractive, and non-degradational activities. Supporting new Indigenous-led economic development pathways such as KFN’s will position Canada as a leader in the blue economy and will help deliver on federal commitments of Truth and Reconciliation, Canada’s Ocean Protection Plan, and the 2030 Nature Strategy.
Research team
Allison Byrne
Researcher
Sylvie Stewart Grantham
Student Research Assistant
Partners
UN Sustainable Development Goals
The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) align with the college’s commitment to community well-being and sustainability. By integrating SDGs into applied research at NIC, we drive innovation that supports regional development while addressing critical social, environmental and economic priorities.
