Environment: Marine Protected Areas

August-September 1996

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.

by Jennifer Lash

Marine Life Sanctuaries Society (MLSS) is a charitable organization founded in 1989 to promote conservation and public stewardship of the marine environment through the establishment of marine protected areas. MLSS began when divers Bernie Hanby and Andy Lamb noted the overall drastic decline of rockfish during their many dives. Knowing that rockfish are long lived sedentary species, this decline triggered concern about the overall health of the marine environment. Hanby and Lamb initiated discussion about the various ways that this could be prevented and marine protected areas were identified as one under-utilized mechanism that conserve our unique marine environment.

Marine protected areas are designated areas within the marine environment which have long-term legal protection. They can range from small, no-take, harvest refugia to large, zoned protected areas that allow for a variety of human activities. In British Columbia there currently exist 106 Provincial Marine Parks, Provincial Ecological Reserves, National Marine Conservation Areas and Wildlife Management Areas. However over 90% of these offer limited or no protection to the marine species and habitat. This effectively leaves the BC marine waters with less then .01% protected.

It is the goal of Marine Life Sanctuaries Society to work with federal, provincial, regional, and First Nations governments, coastal communities, and stakeholders to increase the protection of BC's unique waters. This can be done through the establishment of a network of marine protected areas which address conservation issues including: protection of marine biodiversity, critical habitat, spawning or nursery grounds, establishment of control sites for scientific research, protection of unique features such as migratory bottlenecks.

Since its creation seven years ago, MLSS has played a lead role in raising awareness of marine protected areas and helping Whytecliff Park in West Vancouver become Canada's first no-take marine protected area. Our efforts are now being exerted to protect Gabriola Passage (near Nanaimo), Browning Passage (near Port Hardy), and Stubbs Island (near Port McNeill). MLSS has also been involved in discussions with federal and provincial governments surrounding the development of a BC Marine Protected Areas Strategy.

Kayakers

Kayakers can play an important role in the establishment and management of marine protected areas by sharing information about special areas or areas in which you have witnessed environmental change, supporting conservation organizations such as MLSS, writing to politicians about site specific projects, practicing low impact camping everywhere and especially within protected areas, and telling your friends about marine protected areas.

MLSS is currently working to establish Gabriola Passage as a no take marine protected area. This area is home to over 250 marine species and includes a current swept channel, sandstone shorelines, and a reef for seals and marine birds. Once a favorite spot for record-size lingcod and rockfish, this area has become overfished, resulting in drastic declines of these species. Once established, there will be no sport or commercial fishing permitted within the protected area.

If you would like to express your support for this project please write to:

Derek Thompson
Assistant Deputy Minister
BC Land Use Coordination Office
2nd Floor, 800 Yates St.
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Louis Tousignant
Regional Executive Director
Department of Fisheries & Oceans
555 West Hastings St.
Vancouver, BC V6B 5G3

For more information about Marine Life Sanctuaries Society and any of our programs please contact me.

Jennifer Lash Executive Director Marine Life Sanctuaries Society 629 Lambert St. Nanaimo BC V9R 3N9 tel:604-753-6468 fax: 604-753-6494 email: jenlash@island.net