In Burrard Inlet, since European contact in 1792, a total of 1,214 ha of ecologically productive and culturally important intertidal and subtidal habitats across the Inlet have been lost to development. This includes 55% (945 ha) of the Inlet’s intertidal areas. In correlation, population abundance for focal species (e.g. food sources such as crab, salmon and herring) are estimated to have dropped in ranges between 50% and 99% from their mid-19th century and pre-contact levels. In Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN)’s Burrard Inlet Action Plan (2017) kelp is outlined as an important habitat that has faced declines over the past 150 years, and kelp mapping and stewardship are outlined as action items.

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In partnership with the Kelp Rescue Initiative, Tsleil-Waututh Nation is leading an iterative restoration project in Burrard Inlet, using emerging restoration techniques. As outlined in TWN’s Stewardship Policy, TWN holds mandates and goals to build relationships and rebuild the health of Burrard Inlet. Nation members can still remember a time when the water was so thick with kelp that it was difficult to paddle through. Kelp is part of what makes Burrard Inlet home for Tsleil-Waututh, so restoring kelp at this urban-ocean interface is a key priority.