The changing climate is expected to significantly impact estuary ecosystems in many ways, including rising sea levels, ocean acidification and temperature.
"Although they only make up 2.3 percent of B.C.’s coastline, they support more than 80 percent of our wildlife, birds and fish," he said. "Cowichan Tribes aims to contribute to the management of our traditional territory through habitat restoration and monitoring of this important ecosystem. We look forward to seeing this important work continue, and to keep our territory thriving for future generations.
Much of the estuary is protected, acquired from 1985 to 1990, as part of the Cowichan Estuary Environmental Management Plan. The work includes undoing much of the alteration done to the estuary since the 1800s, which includes the diking of marshland for agriculture, and use by the logging industry for log storage and shipping.