West Coast Environmental Law
Transforming the legal landscape. We’re a non-profit org safeguarding the environment with legal strategies that bridge Indigenous and Canadian law. Since 1974 🌱 Visit: wcel.org
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- How does respect for #IndigenousRights relate to the economy? Tahltan Elder & Mineral Explorationist Ma-Lah Allen Edzerza explains how building trusting, respectful relationships w/ First Nations creates the certainty companies need to finance projects and move them forward. Check out the interview⬇️
- Ecosystem accounting captures the often ignored perks oceans provide—such as clean water, wildlife, and climate benefits—alongside revenue from traditional industries like fishing. According to Statistics Canada, ocean and coastal ecosystems generated at least $7.1 billion in benefits in 2023.
- Win for BC #WildSalmon👏 New court ruling upholds Ottawa's phaseout of open-net salmon farms in the Discovery Islands—helping to protect wild salmon from disease in one of their most vulnerable migration routes. “When science & the law align, wild salmon can have a real fighting chance at recovery.”
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- “ #WorldWetlandsDay, marked each year on Feb. 2, is a timely reminder that #wetlands are not just 'ecological decoration.' They are essential infrastructure that protects communities in Ontario and across Canada from the growing threat of flooding..."
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- TAKE ACTION: Bill C-12 unjustly threatens fair hearings and access to asylum for migrants and refugees. Migrants could lose status overnight with no legal recourse. Stand up for human rights and tell Senators to Vote NO on #BillC12! Every message counts 👇 #cdnpoli
- Respecting #IndigenousRights is good for business. #UNDRIP benefits BC's economy by: 🔹Lowering project risks & delays 🔹Improving investor confidence & clarity 🔹Strengthening partnerships 🔹Improving enviro, social & governance outcomes 🔹+ more Read Gitxaała Chief Councillor Linda Innes's op-ed ⬇️
- It's not the environment versus the economy – functioning ecosystems are a key driver of economic activity. For coastal communities, an oil spill prompted by lifting the oil tanker ban could jeopardize billions in economic activity from tourism & other sectors that rely on a healthy coast. #cdnpoli
- This afternoon at the BC Aboriginal Land Managers Association AGM, we had the honour of hearing West Coast Lawyers Joanna El-Mikati & Eugene Kung talk about their connections to #IndigenousLaw and the RELAW Program (Revitalizing Indigenous Law for Land, Air & Water). Follow us to hear their stories.
- Investments to tackle #GhostGear (abandoned or lost fishing gear) were axed in 2024 and Ottawa remains silent about future funding. Yet in social media, DFO is showcasing Canada’s “pioneering ocean conservation efforts” to combat the problem. "They just let it collapse. It’s just so disappointing.”
- The #HighSeasTreaty is the world’s first global treaty to protect ocean life in international waters. West Coast Lawyer Stephanie Hewson spoke with Maritime Mag about what this means and why Canada must follow through on its intention to ratify the Treaty. #cdnpoli
- On Oct. 26, 16 youth across Canada head to trial, challenging government actions that worsen the #ClimateCrisis and violate their rights. In La Rose v. His Majesty the King, they’re demanding accountability and a Climate Recovery Plan. Learn more: ourchildrenstrust.org/canada #ClimateLitigation
- There are more than 100 proposals for Indigenous Conserved and Protected Areas #IPCAs which could bring Canada closer to its conservation goals if they had the financial support they need. – Valérie Courtois, Indigenous Leadership Initiative #cdnpoli
- Major flood events produce a familiar cycle of shock, scrambled recovery & promises to do better next time. BC’s Flood Strategy offers a better path forward, but lacks funding to implement it. We explore a few challenges in strengthening BC flood mgmt and make the case for investing in resilience 👇
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- In Dec 2025 the BC Court of Appeal released its judgment in #Gitxaała v. British Columbia—affirming that BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act is legally enforceable. Our Q&A delves into common questions about the case, the decision & what comes next 👇 #IndigenousRights #BCMining
- Exciting #ocean news 🌊 On Jan. 17, the #HighSeasTreaty entered into force, marking a historic milestone for global ocean protection. Now the Treaty is officially international law and will play a key role in reaching the goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030. @highseasalliance.bsky.social
- Show your support for Kaska Nation's Dene K’éh Kusān – a stewardship plan for protecting 3.9mil hectares of incredible landscape. Economy, conservation, and reconciliation come together to ensure these lands and waters stay accessible and healthy for everyone for years to come. @cpawsbc.bsky.social
- The #ClimateCrisis is making wildfires bigger, longer, and more destructive, and the world is losing forests to fire at an unsustainable rate. This map shows some of the hardest-hit forests across Brazil, Bolivia, Russia, Australia and Canada ⬇️
- Cassiar Asbestos Mine exposed approx. 50,000 people to asbestos over its 40-year lifetime. Decades later, many have died or are coming out with cancers and diseases related to asbestos exposure. “It’s sort of like Cassiar has been forgotten...it was a tragedy.” Read their stories below. (Pt. 1/2)
- The #ExxonValdez spill still looms over today's tanker debate – lasting devastation no one wants to repeat. Though safety and rules have improved, the risk isn't worth it. It'd be like saying "because my car has ABS brakes, I don't have to wear a seat belt anymore," said WCEL Lawyer Eugene Kung.
- Join us as a Summer 2026 Law Student! Applications close TONIGHT (11:59 pm PT). Details below 🌱
- Hey law students: if you're looking for hands-on experience in environmental and Indigenous law, come join us! Now accepting applications for Summer 2026 student placements until January 12, 2026. Details and job posting here: wcel.org/job-posting/...
- We're looking for our next Development Officer! This role manages West Coast’s Annual Giving program and uses their strong cultivation, solicitation and stewardship skills to advance West Coast's mission. Sound like you, or someone you know? Apply by Tuesday January 13: www.wcel.org/job-posting/...
- Join us for a free screening of Ocean with David Attenborough—a stunning documentary showcasing the wonder of ocean life and the challenges facing it in never-before-seen footage. Meet fellow ocean lovers & learn about what's happening here in BC. 🍿 Jan 28 @ VIFF Centre. Tickets below!
- Canada played a leading role in negotiating the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It must uphold that leadership by delivering on its #OceanProtection commitments – aligning collaboration and backing projects with stable long-term funding.
- While province's #CleanBC review includes helpful recommendations, we must reject its lowering of ambition and further weakening of climate targets. #bcpoli
- The oil & gas industry continues to be a destabilizing influence around the world. #ClimateCrisis
- We're seeking a new staff lawyer to join our Marine team! As Canada’s only dedicated public interest #MarineLaw program, we support First Nations, local groups, ENGOs & Crown govs to maintain and restore the health of the coast & ocean. Apps close tomorrow (Jan 6)❗ www.wcel.org/job-posting/...
- First Nations leaders urge #BCgov to uphold the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act after recent court rulings, as "fear-based response" calling for amendments risks undoing hard-won progress on reconciliation. www.timescolonist.com/the-mix/bc-f... @ubcic.bsky.social #bcpoli #DRIPA
- Indigenous-federal collaboration has led to some of the strongest signs of fish stock recovery in Canada 🐟 Yet there's a “massive gap” in how federal processes incorporate Indigenous knowledge and support collaborative management – it's still the exception when it should be the norm.
- Legal advocates weigh in on the Canada-Alberta MOU and its implications for federal #ClimateAction and #IndigenousRights: “It is incredibly fraught with potential for successful legal challenge by Indigenous rights-holders,” says Staff Lawyer Anna Johnston. #cdnpoli
- We recently hosted our first RELAW Co-learning Program retreat of the year. Participants engaged in #IndigenousLaw in Story at Manning Park Resort. Many conversations and laughs were had around the fire, sharing ways of knowing and being from our respective backgrounds and cultures. Read the recap!
- We hosted a webinar about the recent Gitxaała v. BC judgement, which affirmed that BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act is legally enforceable. Legal counsel explored what it means for #IndigenousRights, provincial laws & decisions about resource development. Recording below!
- Save Record Ridge Action Committee is taking legal action over community concerns re: Record Ridge Mine, w/ support from our EDRF legal fund. As the project awaits more approvals, SRRAC aims to ensure a fair process – challenging BC's decision to waive the mine's environmental assessment. #bcpoli
- West Coast’s 2024-2025 Impact Report has arrived! ✨ See what our team of expert lawyers & strategists has been up to in the past year – and read stories of impact in our work developing legal solutions that braid Canadian and Indigenous law. Read it here ➡️ www.wcel.org/annual-reports
- The 2021 #BCFloods showed us the cost of delay, but four years later we are still unprepared. "By leaving the [BC flood strategy] unfunded, the province is forcing local governments to compete for scraps through a broken system," writes Lina Azeez @watershedwatchbc.bsky.social. #bcpoli
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- WEBINAR: The BC Court of Appeal has ruled that #DRIPA is legally enforceable.⚖️ Join us Tue Dec. 16 @ 12pm PT for a convo w/ legal counsel for Gitxaała Nation & Ehattesaht First Nation to unpack the decision and what it means for #IndigenousRights & prov/fed laws: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...
- Hey law students: if you're looking for hands-on experience in environmental and Indigenous law, come join us! Now accepting applications for Summer 2026 student placements until January 12, 2026. Details and job posting here: wcel.org/job-posting/...
- BC passed #DRIPA in 2019, spelling out how the Province must implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This ruling quashes the Province's attempts to evade legal accountability and confirms that DRIPA must be more than an empty political promise. #IndigenousRights #bcpoli
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- In a landmark decision today, the BC Court of Appeal affirmed that BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act #DRIPA is legally enforceable, and that First Nations can take the BC government to court if it doesn't meet its obligations. gitxaalanation.com/gitxaala-app... #bcpoli
- The decision was the result of Gitxaała Nation's partial appeal in their mineral tenure case which challenged BC’s gold-rush era mineral tenure system. The court found that the system is inconsistent with UNDRIP and that BC has a legal duty to cooperate with Nations to align its laws with #UNDRIP.
- Great news! The Union of BC Municipalities @ubcm.bsky.social has endorsed a resolution calling on the Province to give the BC #CoastalMarineStrategy legal teeth. This has been years in the making in collaboration with coastal First Nations & informed by many stakeholders' input. More below! #bcpoli
- Deadline to apply is coming up this Sunday December 7. More details below and help us spread the word by sharing with your circles!
- .@wildsight.bsky.social is arguing that the BC government's decision not to require an environmental assessment for a project this large is unreasonable given the demonstrated impacts to wildlife, water and Indigenous rights. Learn more and see how you can support below.
- Stay afloat and sign up for the Law Aquatic newsletter 💌 Every quarter, we curate inspiring stories and share our expert take on emerging issues in marine protection and ocean law. Subscribe now to receive the next issue this Thursday! wcel.org/law-aquatic-...
