Funded Projects

Lax Kw’alaams Band – Fisheries Department (LKB), is leading a project to enhance strategic, whole-of-watershed conservation planning by sharing and documenting community knowledge of aquatic species across marine and freshwater systems. This work builds on the deep cultural and ecological relationships that Lax Kw’alaams people maintain with their waterways—including the Skeena and Nass Rivers and adjacent marine ecosystems—and seeks to fill knowledge gaps about species use, ecosystem health, and habitat connectivity.

The project aims to understand how marine mammals and their prey species depend on both freshwater and marine environments, and how changes in river health (e.g., water quantity, quality, presence of prey) impact broader ecological systems. A key goal is to support LKB-led conservation strategies that integrate Indigenous knowledge with environmental protection measures, particularly for anadromous species and marine mammals.

Year 1 activities will focus on community engagement and knowledge sharing, including one inaugural community-wide event, four in-person workshops (two in Prince Rupert and two in Lax Kw’alaams), and one staff workshop. These events will involve Elders, youth, and Knowledge Holders, focusing on aquatic species habitat, health, and seasonal use. Outcomes include strengthened intergenerational knowledge, identification of LKB-informed protection measures, and a more integrated understanding of marine-freshwater system dynamics to inform long-term watershed planning.