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CBC
2 days ago
- Science
- CBC
Study finds impacts of colonization destroyed nearly 90% of Burrard Inlet food ecosystems
Social Sharing Michelle George's family has stories of the fish in the Burrard Inlet being so plentiful they stopped ships from sailing further into the water. "You could walk across the backs of [the fish] to get to the other side of the river," George said. "After dynamite fishing, it was completely wiped out." A new research study, in partnership with the səl̓ilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nation and the University of B.C., has found the impacts of colonization from as early as 1750, including smallpox, overfishing and industrialization, destroyed nearly 90 per cent of the food systems and sources in the Burrard Inlet in Metro Vancouver. Ecosystems 'devastated' Researchers say, to their knowledge, the study is the first attempt to quantify the impacts of colonization on an ecosystem. "After contact, our homes were devastated. Our lives were devastated, and so was the ecology around us," said George, co-author and cultural and technical specialist with the Tsleil-Waututh. Added co-author and Michelle's father, Micheal George (spelled Micheal), a cultural adviser with Tsleil-Waututh, "You go from hearing stories of abundance, you know, a wide variety of seafoods, to nearly nothing." WATCH | Study authors speak about impact of colonization: Study finds colonization destroyed 90% of food ecosystem in Burrard Inlet 23 days ago A new study from the University of B.C. and the Tsleil-Waututh First Nation found that smallpox, overfishing and rapid industrialization devastated the traditional foods of First Nations in the area. Study co-author Micheal George said his people went from hearing stories of abundance to "nearly nothing," while his daughter and another co-author, Michelle, said it shows the need for habitat restoration. Micheal said community members were eating clams on the Inlet's beach until about 1972. "I'm talking about eating clams on the beach, getting the water from the Inlet and boiling it right on the beach — to not being able to touch it at all." Studying the period between 1750 and 1980, the article draws on archeology, historical ecology, archival records and Tsleil-Waututh science. The research model estimated that in 1750 — 42 years before European contact — the Tsleil-Waututh harvested more than 2,200 tonnes of food from the inlet every year, including clams, herring, chum salmon, birds and crabs, according to a Tsleil-Waututh news release on the study. But many of those species, including herring, sturgeon and halibut, were all "extirpated" — meaning locally exterminated — from the Burrard Inlet. Keeping an eye on herring, a small fish with a big impact on the Pacific's ecosystem 3 months ago The Howe Sound Marine Stewardship Initiative and the Squamish First Nation have teamed up to study Pacific herring, a species which almost went extinct in the 1960s but has made a comeback in recent years. CBC's Camille Vernet explains why the fish plays an important role in balancing the Pacific's ecosystem. Fishing with dynamite Herring was extirpated as settler fisheries used dynamite fishing between 1885 and 1915. The dynamite fishing, in which settlers would throw dynamite off a wharf into the water, was a preferred method for fishing herring, according to a 2023 study on the collapse of forage fish in Vancouver. The UBC study also highlighted the particular cultural importance of Pacific herring as a food source for many First Nations in B.C. and as an ecologically keystone species. "Herring and salmon are two of the pillars of traditional səl̓ilwətaɬ diets and the loss of herring and salmon biomass in the [Burrard Inlet] ecosystem represents a loss to səl̓ilwətaɬ lifeways and food sovereignty," according to the study. Researchers also considered the impact of smallpox, noting reports indicated two smallpox waves killed between 50 and 90 per cent of the Tsleil-Waututh community. "The model showed a dramatic change in ecosystem state as soon as the 1782 CE smallpox epidemic hits, reducing the səl̓ilwətaɬ population by 80 per cent, from 10,000 to 2,000," said the report. Following the epidemics, the report says the settler population and environmental impacts increased. The study also noted that because the dramatic loss in certain fish populations happened before the baseline states of the inlet were established, the Western scientific understanding of the inlet's biodiversity has been based on a reduced state. "Where we are now is already at a level of devastation," Michelle George said. 'Tremendous loss' Bruce Miller, an emeritus professor of anthropology at UBC, said he's not surprised by the study's findings. "It's an important piece of work," he said. Miller said his work locally, as well as in the Gulf Islands and Puget Sound, also shows a "tremendous loss" of foreshore and species. "It's a message to the larger population that they're the people of this region, that they've been the stewards of it, that they're aware of what's happened." He noted Canada has a constitutional obligation to uphold Indigenous rights and way of life, and said a recent court case found the cumulative impact of a series of industrial developments violated the Treaty 8 rights of the Blueberry River First Nations in northern B.C. "[The Tsleil-Waututh Nation is] saying, 'We have a right to show you what the cumulative effects are,'" Miller said. "And, man, have they shown what the cumulative effects are. That's why this is important." Michelle George still has hope for the future of the Inlet. She said the community has been transplanting eel grass there, which she hopes will benefit the forage fish. Herring are returning too, Michelle said — and orcas. "I think the killer whales coming back is a huge sign, related to the herring, and then also just the … entire food web."
The Province
22-07-2025
- Science
- The Province
Smallpox, overfishing, industrialization destroyed 88% of harvestable food sources in Burrard Inlet: Study
Tsleil-Waututh's Michelle George called the study "scientific proof of what my ancestors and family have been saying for generations.' Michelle and Michael George stand on a beach across from the Westridge Terminal in Burrard Inlet. The cultural and technical specialists with the Tsleil-Watuth Nation co-wrote a report with the University of B.C. highlighting biodiversity loss in the Inlet caused by overfishing and industrialization. Photo by Jason Payne / PNG A first-of-its-kind study from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the University of B.C. estimates that smallpox, overfishing and industrialization brought by settlers in the 18th century destroyed 88 per cent of harvestable food sources in the Burrard Inlet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The study used archeology, historical ecology, archival records, ecological data and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) knowledge to model the effects of colonial development on the amount of harvestable food in Burrard Inlet from 1750 to 1980. 'Burrard Inlet was a thriving ecosystem that had sustainable economics to feed the people, plus some, for thousands of years,' said Michelle George, cultural and technical specialist with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and co-author of the study. 'That has been pretty much devastated.' Two of the most dramatic impacts highlighted by the model were the impact of smallpox and commercial overfishing. The first wave of smallpox, which occurred in 1782, killed as much as 80 per cent of the Tsleil-Waututh community. Commercial fishing began around 1820, leading to severe overfishing that decimated many fish populations by the turn of the century. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Before the initial smallpox outbreak, the study's model showed decades of stable food sources, from salmon and herring to waterfowl, seals and bivalves, among dozens of others. Shortly after smallpox killed an estimated 8,000 of the estimated 10,000 Tsleil-Waututh living in the area at the time, salmon, waterfowl and other animal populations began to swing wildly. 'Having one thing missing from the food chain or one thing taken out, and you sort of see this collapse or continuous ripple effect throughout the food chain ecosystem, throughout our territory,' George said. 'Predator populations exploded and prey plummeted' immediately after the first smallpox outbreak, suggesting not enough Tsleil-Waututh people survived to effectively steward the environment, said Meaghan Efford, a post-doctoral research fellow at UBC and lead author of the study. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It shows how strong the relationship is between the Tsleil-Waututh and the ecosystem.' The second of the two major impacts was the introduction of commercial fishing in the 1880s, which decimated many species of fish and the predators that fed on them. 'My ancestors talk about walking on the backs of fish and having so much fish that boats couldn't pass,' George said. Efford said the archeological record from pre-colonial times suggests the inlet was an abundant food source. 'When you look at the archeological record, there are tens of thousands of salmon bones,' she said. And it wasn't just salmon. According to City of Vancouver Archives, Calvert Simson, who arrived at Burrard Inlet in 1884, told an interviewer in 1933 that herring in the inlet were so thick at the time that they could be caught with a rake. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There were 'acres' of ducks in Coal Harbour, feeding on the herring,' he said. Herring populations were destroyed between 1880 and 1915, according to the study, which coincided with the rise of commercial fishing, including the opening of Spratt's Oilery in Coal Harbour in 1882. Spratt's processed herring oil for use as an industrial lubricant. Chum and pink salmon in the inlet fell by 40 to 50 per cent from 1750 to 1980, according to the study. Herring and salmon were pillars of traditional səl̓ilwətaɬ diets. Their loss from the Səl̓ilwət (Burrard Inlet) ecosystem is a loss to both səl̓ilwətaɬ lifestyles and food sovereignty, George said. 'There's a huge health gap and a huge health impact, because our people are not harvesting or eating traditional foods,' George said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The way that we went out and harvested foods, traditionally, there would have been cultural transmission' of traditional practices, stories and spiritual relevance to specific places and resources, George said. 'It's not just the environment and ecology, it's also the people,' she said. A recent project to restore elk, a traditional Tsleil-Waututh food source, to the Indian River Valley provides a striking example. 'Not too long ago, we brought elk back to the Indian River Valley, and then we started harvesting the elk and bringing it back to the community,' said Michael George, a cultural and technical specialist with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation — and also Michelle's father. 'Trying to get our caterers to cook with elk was difficult because they didn't know how to do it with such lean meat because they're accustomed to fattier beef,' he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Spratt's Oilery in Coal Harbour, 1884, in a photograph taken by Maj. James Matthews. Photo by Vancouver Archives George said for her the study was scientific proof of 'what my ancestors and family have been saying for generations.' She hoped it would serve as a tool 'to prove that we know what we're doing' and ensure greater nation-to-nation consultation moving forward, especially in the face of the current push by provincial and federal governments to fast-track large-scale industrial projects. 'We've watched our inlets, our home be devastated for 150 years,' she said. 'And it's all been done without us. 'We're not anti-development,' George said. 'But how can you do this better? How can you do this greener? How can we do this so that there's something left for the future generations? 'We know what we're doing,' George said. 'We've known for generations.' Read More ngriffiths@ @njgriffiths Vancouver Canucks News News Sports News
Vancouver Sun
22-07-2025
- Science
- Vancouver Sun
Smallpox, overfishing, industrialization destroyed 88% of harvestable food sources in Burrard Inlet: Study
A first-of-its-kind study from the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the University of B.C. estimates that smallpox, overfishing and industrialization brought by settlers in the 18th century destroyed 88 per cent of harvestable food sources in the Burrard Inlet. The study used archeology, historical ecology, archival records, ecological data and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) knowledge to model the effects of colonial development on the amount of harvestable food in Burrard Inlet from 1750 to 1980. 'Burrard Inlet was a thriving ecosystem that had sustainable economics to feed the people, plus some, for thousands of years,' said Michelle George, cultural and technical specialist with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and co-author of the study. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. 'That has been pretty much devastated.' Two of the most dramatic impacts highlighted by the model were the impact of smallpox and commercial overfishing. The first wave of smallpox, which occurred in 1782, killed as much as 80 per cent of the Tsleil-Waututh community. Commercial fishing began around 1820, leading to severe overfishing that decimated many fish populations by the turn of the century. Before the initial smallpox outbreak, the study's model showed decades of stable food sources, from salmon and herring to waterfowl, seals and bivalves, among dozens of others. Shortly after smallpox killed an estimated 8,000 of the estimated 10,000 Tsleil-Waututh living in the area at the time, salmon, waterfowl and other animal populations began to swing wildly. 'Having one thing missing from the food chain or one thing taken out, and you sort of see this collapse or continuous ripple effect throughout the food chain ecosystem, throughout our territory,' George said. 'Predator populations exploded and prey plummeted' immediately after the first smallpox outbreak, suggesting not enough Tsleil-Waututh people survived to effectively steward the environment, said Meaghan Efford, a post-doctoral research fellow at UBC and lead author of the study. 'It shows how strong the relationship is between the Tsleil-Waututh and the ecosystem.' The second of the two major impacts was the introduction of commercial fishing in the 1880s, which decimated many species of fish and the predators that fed on them. 'My ancestors talk about walking on the backs of fish and having so much fish that boats couldn't pass,' George said. Efford said the archeological record from pre-colonial times suggests the inlet was an abundant food source. 'When you look at the archeological record, there are tens of thousands of salmon bones,' she said. And it wasn't just salmon. According to City of Vancouver Archives , Calvert Simson, who arrived at Burrard Inlet in 1884, told an interviewer in 1933 that herring in the inlet were so thick at the time that they could be caught with a rake. 'There were 'acres' of ducks in Coal Harbour, feeding on the herring,' he said. Herring populations were destroyed between 1880 and 1915, according to the study, which coincided with the rise of commercial fishing, including the opening of Spratt's Oilery in Coal Harbour in 1882. Spratt's processed herring oil for use as an industrial lubricant. Chum and pink salmon in the inlet fell by 40 to 50 per cent from 1750 to 1980, according to the study. Herring and salmon were pillars of traditional səl̓ilwətaɬ diets. Their loss from the Səl̓ilwət (Burrard Inlet) ecosystem is a loss to both səl̓ilwətaɬ lifestyles and food sovereignty, George said. 'There's a huge health gap and a huge health impact, because our people are not harvesting or eating traditional foods,' George said. 'The way that we went out and harvested foods, traditionally, there would have been cultural transmission' of traditional practices, stories and spiritual relevance to specific places and resources, George said. 'It's not just the environment and ecology, it's also the people,' she said. A recent project to restore elk, a traditional Tsleil-Waututh food source, to the Indian River Valley provides a striking example. 'Not too long ago, we brought elk back to the Indian River Valley, and then we started harvesting the elk and bringing it back to the community,' said Michael George, a cultural and technical specialist with the Tsleil-Waututh Nation — and also Michelle's father. 'Trying to get our caterers to cook with elk was difficult because they didn't know how to do it with such lean meat because they're accustomed to fattier beef,' he said. George said for her the study was scientific proof of 'what my ancestors and family have been saying for generations.' She hoped it would serve as a tool 'to prove that we know what we're doing' and ensure greater nation-to-nation consultation moving forward, especially in the face of the current push by provincial and federal governments to fast-track large-scale industrial projects. 'We've watched our inlets, our home be devastated for 150 years,' she said. 'And it's all been done without us. 'We're not anti-development,' George said. 'But how can you do this better? How can you do this greener? How can we do this so that there's something left for the future generations? 'We know what we're doing,' George said. 'We've known for generations.' ngriffiths@ @njgriffiths
