The aboriginal communities on British Columbia’s northern coast, already a port for ships to load grain and coal sent by rail from Canada’s interior, are expanding shellfish farming and ecotourism, said Art Sterritt, executive director of Coastal First Nations. The native group seeks to develop an economy based on renewable resources and has attracted investment from former Prime Minister Paul Martin and Chinese companies.
Coastal First Nations plans to fight any attempt by Enbridge to bring oil tankers to the area, said Sterritt.
Ocean-based industries currently contribute as much as $1.2-billion to communities along the northern coast where Prince Rupert, with a population of about 12,500 people, is the largest town, according to a study published today by University of British Columbia researchers Ngaio Hotte and U. Rashid Sumaila.
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