The maritime boundary between the west coast of the US and Canada does not correspond to any natural barrier or transition zone. Political decisions, rather than ecosystem realities, have arbitrarily divided a cohesive ecological entity.
Bert Webber Proposes Name Change
A retired professor of marine biology from the University of Western Washington in Bellingham, Washington submitted a request to both the US and Canadian authorities to consider renaming the vast inland waters of the Pacific Northwest as the Salish Sea. In May 2009 both governments agreed to consider Webber's request. Bert Webber first proposed this name change over 20 years ago. At that time it was quickly rejected, however in recent years, the idea has gained supporters on both sides of the border.
Name Derived from First Nations
The proposed name change honors the Coast Salish people, a culturally and linguistically related group of indigenous people who have lived on the shores of this inland sea for thousands of years.
Large Ecosystem
The Salish Sea is a large, rich and diverse ecosystem, fed by rivers and streams from both sides of the US-Canada border, and impacted by increasing human activity along all 4,642 miles of its shorelines. Over the years, the arbitrary divisions and borders have resulted in a fragmented understanding of the total ecosystem, and piecemeal management of the resources.
Endangered Species in the Salish Sea
The Salish Sea is home to several threatened or endangered species identified under the US Endangered Species Act and/or the Canadian Species at Risk Act. These include:
- Southern resident orca whales (Orcinus orca)
- Marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus)
- Some runs of Pacific salmon (Onchorynchus ssp.)
Naming the Eco-system Could Help Unify Management
Designations of endangered, threatened, and species-of-concern are not always consistent on both sides of the border, even though numerous species of sea mammals, fish, and birds range back and forth across the international boundary throughout their life cycles. A single name for the entire area could help reframe research and management practices.
Geography of the Salish Sea
The water Bert Webber hopes to have renamed as the Salish Sea starts at the southern end of Puget Sound near Olympia, goes north into Canada to the beginning of the Johnstone Straits, and stretches west down the Straits of Juan de Fuca to the open ocean.
Decision on Salish Sea to be Made Before the End of 2009
The British Columbia Geographic Names Office is expected to make a decision on the Salish Sea name by late summer 2009, and the Washington State Board of Geographic names is expected to do so by October 2009. If the name is approved, local names such as Puget Sound and the Georgia Basin, will continue to be used, but Salish Sea will be the umbrella name referring to the entire ecosystem.
Though there is some opposition to the name change, many people feel Bert Webber’s proposal is an idea whose time has come.
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