Lelu Island Declaration
Declaration in British Columbia, Canada

Lelu Island Declaration
Original titleLelu Island Declaration
Created23 January 2016
Presented23 January 2016
LocationSalmon Nation Summit, Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada
Commissioned bySalmon Nation Summit organizers
Author(s)Coalition of hereditary chiefs, Indigenous representatives, environmental groups, scientists, and politicians
SignatoriesHereditary Chiefs and citizens of the Nine Allied Tribes of Lax Kw’alaams, other First Nations leaders, scientists, local politicians
Media typeDeclaration
SubjectProtection of salmon habitat and opposition to industrial development
PurposeTo declare Lelu Island and nearby Flora and Agnew Banks protected from industrial development and held in trust for all time, and to build a broad Indigenous–environmental coalition advocating for ecological and cultural stewardship

Lelu Island Declaration was a politically significant statement signed at the Salmon Nation Summit on 23 January 2016, by a coalition of Hereditary Chiefs, citizens of the Nine Allied Tribes of Lax Kw'alaams, environmental groups, and politicians declaring that Lelu Island, and Flora and Agnew Banks in British Columbia will be protected from industrial development and held in trust for all time. [1][2]

The declaration was explicitly framed as a defense of one of the most ecologically important salmon habitats in the Skeena River estuary, part of the second‑largest salmon‑producing river system in British Columbia. This was significant because it demonstrated a broad indigenous‑environmental coalition uniting multiple nations and communities across the Skeena watershed. By assembling more than 300 hereditary and elected First Nations leaders, scientists, politicians, and other stakeholders at the Salmon Nation Summit,[3] the declaration put intense public pressure on both the Government of British Columbia and Government of Canada over managing willful ignorance and indigenous rights.[4]

The declaration was also significant in highlighting internal political divisions among Indigenous communities.[5] This underscored broader complexities in governance, and how different authorities navigate natural resource management, consultation, and representation.[6]

Lelu Island Declaration

Text

The text of what is generally characterized as the full statement, which reads as follows:

The undersigned First Nation leaders and citizens of the Nine Allied Tribes of Lax Kw’alaams hereby declare that Lelu Island, and Flora and Agnew Banks are hereby protected for all time, as a refuge for wild salmon and marine resources, and are to be held in trust for all future generations. Our ancestral knowledge, supported by modern science, confirms this area is critical to the future abundance of the wild salmon our communities rely on. It is our right and our responsibility as First Nations to protect and defend this place. It is our right to use this area without interference to harvest salmon and marine resources for our sustenance, and commercially in support of our livelihoods.

We hereby extend an invitation to all First Nations, the governments of Canada and British Columbia, and all communities that depend on the health of Lelu Island, Flora and Agnew Banks and the Skeena River estuary, to join us in defending this unique and precious place, and to protect it for all time

Background

2014: Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia

In 2014, Tsilhqot’in Nation v. British Columbia established a legal context of indigenous rights and stewardship arguments influencing government decisions on development projects.[7]

2014–2015: Pacific NorthWest LNG Proposal

Petronas, a Malaysian state-owned company, proposes a liquefied natural gas terminal on Lelu Island in the Skeena River estuary, British Columbia.[8]

On 9 March 2016 an open letter critique of the assessment of environmental risks of the LNG project, highlighted concerns about ecosystem impacts, and was signed by more than 130 scientists.[9]

2016: Salmon Nation Summit & Lelu Island Declaration

Hereditary chiefs from multiple First Nations, environmental groups, scientists, and politicians convene at the two-day Salmon Nation Summit.[10] The Lelu Island Declaration is issued, calling for permanent protection of the island and surrounding banks from industrial development.[11]

2016–2020: Conservation and Protection

The Declaration is now regarded as a milestone in Canadian conservation politics. Ongoing advocacy pushes for permanent protection of the island and surrounding banks.[12]

2020-present: Collapse of Market

Since 2020, the global LNG market has been predicted to be oversupplied by the end of this decade, it appears British Columbia is likely to lose out to competition from producers in Qatar, the United States of America and Mozambique.[13]


Follow-ups

On 27 October 2016 SkeenaWild Conservation Trust filed an application for judicial review in the Federal Court.[14] The judicial review application was never decided, on 26 July 2017 the case was withdrawn after Petronas, the primary proponent, abandoned the project.[15]

The province’s Cumulative Effects Framework (updated through 2025) show that risk assessments and resource decision‑making now attempt to embed indigenous engagement and value assessment,[16] a shift consistent with the kinds of debates the Declaration helped amplify.[17]

References

  1. ^ "Pact aims to permanently guard island from LNG". Global News. The Canadian Press. January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  2. ^ "First Nations do not have veto over Petronas Pacific Northwest LNG project". Vancouver Sun. Postmedia Network. 2016-02-03. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  3. ^ "Salmon Nation Summit". Wild Salmon Center. Wild Salmon Center. 25 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2026. The declaration was the culmination of a two-day Salmon Nation Summit in the lower Skeena River port of Prince Rupert, B.C.
  4. ^ Ian Gill (25 January 2016). "Lelu Declaration a Major Wrench in Hardhat Premier's LNG Plans". The Tyee. The Tyee Publishing Society. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Lelu Island declaration sparks outcry from some First Nation leaders". Business in Vancouver. Business in Vancouver Media Group. January 23, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  6. ^ Ash Kelly and Brielle Morgan (23 June 2016). "Divide and conquer". Discourse Media. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  7. ^ "A Real Game Changer: An Analysis of the Supreme Court of Canada Tsilhqot'in Nation v. British Columbia Decision" (PDF). Fraser Institute. Fraser Institute. July 2014. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  8. ^ "Environmental Assessment Report – Pacific NorthWest LNG Project" (PDF). Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. Government of Canada. September 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  9. ^ "Scientific flaws in assessment of environmental risks from the proposed Pacific NorthWest Liquified Natural Gas facility at Lelu Island, Skeena River estuary (letter to the Honourable Catherine McKenna)" (PDF). Watershed Watch Salmon Society. Watershed Watch Salmon Society. 9 March 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  10. ^ "First Nations, MLAs, and MP Sign Declaration to Permanently Protect Lelu Island from Petronas LNG Project". *Intercontinental Cry*. IndiJ Public Media. 23 January 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  11. ^ The Canadian Press (25 January 2016). "Powerful Northern B.C. coalition inks pact to save Skeena River from LNG plant". CityNews. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Habitat Protection: Estuary Protection". SkeenaWild Conservation Trust. SkeenaWild Conservation Trust. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  13. ^ Maeve O'Connor (31 October 2024). "Turning Tides: The economic risks of B.C.'s LNG expansion in a changing energy market". Pembina Institute. Pembina Institute. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Notice of Application – SkeenaWild Conservation Trust v. His Majesty the King in Right of Canada, et al. (T-1836-16)" (PDF) (Judicial review application). PacificCell.ca. October 27, 2016. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  15. ^ "SkeenaWild Conservation Trust v. Government of Canada" (Webpage). Climate Litigation Database. Sabin Center for Climate Change Law. 2016. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  16. ^ "Cumulative Effects Framework Guidance". Province of British Columbia. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  17. ^ "Skeena Cumulative Effects Assessment: Advancing policy options for the conservation of the Skeena Watershed and Estuary" (PDF). WWF-Canada. 2018. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
  • Friends of Wild Salmon
  • ICCA Consortium
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