səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh Nation) and the Province of BC have co-developed and co-signed an updated marine water quality policy, called xaɬəmət ct tə səlilwət / Water Quality Objectives for səlilwət (Burrard Inlet).
xaɬəmət ct tə səlilwət means “protect Burrard Inlet” in the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language. This was a first-of-its-kind government-to-government initiative that weaves together western science and Traditional Indigenous Values and Knowledge.
This policy redefines how clean the Inlet’s water, sediment and animal tissue need to be to protect shared Water Values including, among others, shellfish harvesting at rates relevant to coastal Indigenous peoples. Updating the Water Quality Objectives was the first priority action identified in Tsleil-Waututh Nation’s 2017 Burrard Inlet Action Plan.
The policy contains specific numeric objectives for various water quality parameters (see the example below for microbiological indicators). It also includes overarching objectives, including the reduction of contamination of any kind in səlilwət.
As provincial policy, the Water Quality Objectives must be considered in all Ministry of Environment and Parks decisions affecting water quality in səlilwət, for example, in the context of authorizing discharge permits. Tsleil-Waututh Nation calls on all jurisdictions, agencies, and individuals to use and respect this policy and the huge body of associated work to take immediate actions to reduce contamination in səlilwət (Burrard Inlet).
You can find links to the updated policy, associated technical documents, and interactive educational products on our TLR Stewardship webpage.
