The Broughton Archipelago

On the coast of British Columbia between northern Vancouver Island and the mainland is a group of islands known as the Broughton Archipelago. The largest of these, Gilford Island, is home to the community of Echo Bay. About 30-40 people live in the area, from Cramer Passage, southeast to Shoal Harbour, and north to Scott Cove. The Salmon Coast Field Station (SCFS) is located on the edge of a small bay just south of Echo Bay proper.

The SCFS is located near Gilford Village (Gwayasdums in the Kwak’wala language) in the heart of the Kwicksutaineuk territory, traditional home to the Kwakwaka’wakw people. The Broughton Archipelago has a rich cultural heritage, as First Nations communities have flourished in the area’s sheltered waters for centuries. Today, there are visible cultural landmarks in the area, including middens from clam and mussel terraces, culturally modified trees (CMTs), and petroglyphs.

In addition, important salmon and whale migration routes intersect here. The archipelago is home to two protected areas: The Provincial Watershed Conservancy Area and the Broughton Archipelago Provincial Marine Park. 

The area has been extensively logged and heavily developed for finfish aquaculture. The Broughton Archipelago is the most concentrated area of fish farms in British Columbia, and has been the focus of much scientific research and media attention.

The Provincial Watershed Conservancy

The developing Provincial Conservancy Area spans four coastal watersheds - the Ahnuhati, Kakweiken, Ahta, and Kwalate - and over 5,000 hectares in the southern Great Bear Rainforest. It includes three of the remaining four undeveloped watersheds on BC’s southern coast. BC’s Ministry of Environment rates this area’s fish and wildlife value as the highest on BC’s mainland coast and lists it as a top priority for grizzly bear, salmon, and old-growth ecosystem protection.

Broughton Archipelago Provincial Marine Park

The Broughton Archipelago Provincial Marine Park is BC’s largest marine park, spanning over 11,500 hectares. According to BC Parks, this area is one of the most under-represented terrestrial ecosystems in the province. The Outer Fiordland Ecosection Coastal Western Hemlock is a wet maritime submontane variant of hemlock forest, and currently only 1.3% of its ecosystem in BC is protected. The Broughton Archipelago – one of only three protected areas for this ecosystem – contains 63% of the protected Coastal Western Hemlock variants.

Significant Ecosystems

Significant terrestrial ecosystems of the Broughton Archipelago include temperate rainforest (old growth and second growth), coastal conifer forest, subalpine meadows, and historic and present-day landslide activity.

Aquatic ecosystems in the area include surge channels and lagoons, rocky intertidal zones, eelgrass beds, mudflats, estuaries, salmonid streams, wetlands and lakes, floodplains, and clam beaches.

Biological Diversity

The land and waters around SCFS are teeming with life. There are many species of marine invertebrates, reptiles, and amphibians, as well as hundreds of species of fish, birds, and mammals.

By observing the impressive numbers of top predators in the area, one can glimpse into the abundance of life that allowed such a large population of First Nations to settle here. The islands form a maze of protected bays and waterways for a wide range of species, both local and migratory, including transient orcas, Pacific white-sided dolphins, large groups of harbour porpoises, seals, and Steller sea lions. River otters, mink, and raccoons are also common sights along the shores. Coastal black-tailed deer and black bear are common, as well as hundreds of species of birds.

Finally, the Broughton Archipelago is also home to many species of salmon. It is an important area for salmon on their journeys to and from the sea, as it allows them to acclimatize to ocean conditions in rich estuaries before going to sea. On their return voyages, runs of primarily pink, coho, and chinook salmon fill local streams before they spawn and die.