Year of the Salish Sea

The Year of the Salish Sea (June 8, 2022-June 7, 2023) is

a call on our leaders and on the public to take action,

a provocation for greater collaboration,

and a catalyst for change.

About the Salish Sea

The Salish Sea is a biologically diverse inland international sea that is surrounded by mountainous watersheds of spectacular beauty. For more than 10,000 years, Indigenous peoples have lived and continue to live along and steward the shores of and cared for the Salish Sea.

The combined marine and estuarine waters of the Salish Sea stretch from the Pacific Ocean to the Strait of Georgia and Puget Sound. The western boundary of the Salish Sea is defined as the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca (along a line between Cape Flattery and Carmanah Point), the southern boundary extends to the southern ends of Puget Sound and Hood Canal, and the northern boundary is just beyond the Strait of Georgia and includes channels and waterways such as Discovery Passage, Sutil Channel, and Desolation Sound.

Year of the Salish Sea is an official World Ocean Day event!

Leading scientists worldwide have determined a healthy ocean is a critical part of the solution to the climate and biodiversity crises. Currently, less than 17% of land and 8% of the ocean worldwide is protected. By supporting 30×30, we can protect our planet’s life support systems – specifically the interconnected issues of ocean, climate, and biodiversity.The good news is, due to the efforts of the growing global 30×30 movement, including those involved in the World Ocean Day network, more than 90 countries have already committed to protecting at least 30% of their land and ocean by 2030.

Click here to read more about 30×30 and to sign the petition today.

Announcements

Kick-Off the Year of the Salish Sea with the YOSS Team and Swim Drink Fish

May 26, 2022

We are very excited to join Swim Drink Fish and various water stewardship organizations and water-loving individuals from across Metro Vancouver for a clean water celebration and to kickoff the Year of the Salish Sea! Come by to check out the amazing work from groups like False Creek Friends, True or False Creek, Year of the Salish Sea, Swim Drink Fish, and more. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

Date: Wednesday, June 8, 2022

Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm (PST)

Location: Creekside Community Recreation Centre (Multipurpose Room 4) in False Creek

6:00pm - Open time to chat, check out informational booths, and grab vegan snacks, Oceanwise seafood, and Salmon-Safe wine

7:00pm - Swim Drink Fish's 2021 Water Monitoring Report results presentation

7:30pm - Reading of the official City of Vancouver Year of the Salish Sea Proclamation

Eventbrite Link

Introducing the YOSS Logo

May 10, 2022

Our logo was designed by Ronnie Dean Harris aka Ostwelve, a Stō:lo/St’át'imc/N’laka'pamux artist based in New Westminster, B.C. Beginning in music, Ronnie has explored various mediums such as TV, film, visual + sound design alongside various research subjects including history, cosmology, genealogy and Indigenous policy.

Our logo was designed with the Salish Sea in mind, as well influenced by the famous Japanese painting “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”. The clouds are influenced by Salish weaving designs and the canoe is inspired by the many racing war canoes witnessed as a youth at festivals.

Follow the logo artist Ronnie Dean Harris at @ostwelveproductions or visit his websites: www.ronniedeanharris.com and www.ostwelvemusic.com.

What is the Year of the Salish Sea?

The YOSS (June 2022-2023) is a youth-led initiative that aims to bring together local First Nations, municipalities, organizations, and individuals in the Salish Sea ecosystem region to strengthen existing efforts working towards a healthy Salish Sea. At its heart is a belief in collective action and love for the Salish Sea ecosystem. The Year of the Salish Sea aligns with the work of the Salish Sea Hope Spot, the UN Ocean Decade, the UN Decade on Restoration, and it begins on World Ocean Day.

Learn More

@yearofthesalishsea on Instagram

@yearofsalishsea on Twitter

Year of the Salish Sea

RT @ScienceWorldTR: We 💕a #map, especially a GIANT MAP of 🇨🇦 #Oceans, #Freshwater, and Us from @OceanWeekCan! C'mon out front of… https://t.co/3f0JxCl6LU
Jun 8, 2022, 1:39 PM
Year of the Salish Sea

RT @Islands_Trust: Islands Trust joins the growing number of municipalities, First Nations & community organizations proclaiming June… https://t.co/k0ptY66ohX
Jun 8, 2022, 1:06 PM

Articles featuring the Year of the Salish Sea

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“The ocean is sublime. It’s beautiful and powerful. I’m drawn to it, I want to get close. I once stood, staring into the ocean. The waves reached out to me, yearning to pull me in. I wanted it to take me, to swallow me, to consume me. Maybe I was staring for too long, or my vision was getting blurry. I found myself laughing. For the ocean gave me life, a life I was ready to give.”
“There aren’t too many places where I do not feel rushed—where the soundscape is soft enough to grant me an opportunity for better connection with nature and with others. The slowness of the sea brings a necessary quietude to the city that never stops growing louder and building itself higher. This is a gift that the ocean gives us. What can we give it in return?”
“Water enables life, whether it's transporting nutrients throughout our bodies, raining upon and nourishing our soils, making a home for marine animals, or storing unimaginable amounts of carbon. The Salish Sea by extension is a place of magic for me because it reminds me of how powerful, vast, and awe-inspiring our seas and oceans are…”