Best Practices

August-September 2003

This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
To download a pdf copy of the magazine click here: > DOWNLOAD

by Peter Ronald

The secret is definitely out: Orca Pass is a boater's destination of choice. The islands and waterways of the area attract countless sailors, cruisers, kayakers, fishermen, divers and wildlife watchers. The recreational opportunities in the Gulf and San Juan Islands are (I still hate to say it out loud) world class.

With so many people vying to experience this exceptional area, how can its natural features be protected from overuse? Will we overwhelm the sheltered anchorages and marine parks? Will we literally love the rockfish and killer whales to death? How can the quality of these experiences be maintained despite the intense competition to enjoy them?

The ecosystems that make up Orca Pass are extremely sensitive and highly productive. They are valuable both ecologically and economically. Although non-consumptive ecotourism is an appealing way to pursue a sustainable benefit from nature, most activities do have some effect, especially if they catch on and become popular.

Commercial tourism and recreational use can place considerable pressure on coastal habitats: unintentional trampling of vegetation, disturbance of nesting birds, disturbance of marine mammals and decline of fish stocks are just a few of these impacts. Since formal conservation efforts in the region are not keeping pace with the mounting pressures on both the land and marine ecosystems, other strategies are needed to maintain a balance.

The answer is to engender an ethic of stewardship, through best practices or codes of conduct that demonstrate a healthy respect on the part of all users for the natural and cultural features of the area. A code of conduct might be as simple (and wise) as 'take only photographs and leave only footprints', or as detailed as the United Nations' Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries. In the realm of ecotourism, the key is to 'walk our talk' , to put conservation first and demonstrate that environmentally responsible recreation and tourism are possible.

While regulations can address critical issues, they can take us only so far. Voluntary best practices are a way to raise standards of behaviour through education and peer pressure, without the logistical and financial burden of enforcement.

Codes of conduct help to minimize cumulative impacts on the environment. Best practices inform and educate recreational users about what's at risk. They identify the ways to enjoy the activity responsibly while preserving the experience for the next user - and our grandchildren.

GREEN BOATING

Increasingly, recreational and community groups are taking an active role in developing guidelines for the protection of marine plants and animals. Georgia Strait Alliance's Green Boating program is a great example. Aimed at helping recreational boaters minimize their impacts, the program seeks to deliver useful information in a friendly and effective way.

Although boaters contribute only a small portion of the overall pollution entering Orca Pass and our other coastal waters, these effects often concentrate near sensitive foreshore areas and confined bays.

Sewage disposal is a persistent problem. Some popular boating areas suffer from shellfish closures and other unpleasant effects. Best practice suggestions include: never pump sewage at the dock, in anchorages or near shellfish beds; install a holding tank and use pump out services; avoid chemical additives or bleach in your holding tank, as they are harmful to marine life.

Fuel spills and the pumping of oil, fuel and other fluids that accumulate in the bilge are also common problems. Proper maintenance and the use of drip trays, bilge filters, and absorbent pads can reduce the problem considerably.

To bring the package of wisdom together, the Georgia Strait Alliance has printed the handy Guide to Green Boating, for free distribution through boat shows, marinas, chandleries, and other outlets. Contact Georgia Strait Alliance for your copy (250-753-3459).

P. Mason.

WHALE WATCHING

In recent years, the whale watching industry in BC and Washington state has developed a detailed set of voluntary operator guidelines. Amidst the rapid growth of their sector and with signs of decline in the number of the southern resident killer whales on which they rely, the Whale Watch Operators Association Northwest committed its members to a best practices code of conduct for viewing orca and other wildlife (www.nwwhalewatchers.org).

A parallel guideline effort involving Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Veins of Life Watershed Society's Marine Mammal Monitoring (M3) Program and, on the US side of the border, the Whale Museum's Soundwatch program, resulted in a constructive dialogue between industry, government and NGOs, and an agreement for standards for both commercial and recreational boaters. The Be Whale Wise program is now concentrating on reaching recreational boaters who intentionally or inadvertently wind up too close to the whales (see page 15).

Fisheries and Oceans Canada is working to develop marine wildlife viewing regulations for application on all three of Canada's ocean coastlines. Through the experience of developing and refining its voluntary guidelines, the whale watch industry has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to conservation.

SPORTS FISHING

The explosive growth in popularity of sports fishing has brought increased pressures on some fish species including rockfish, lingcod and halibut.

The Sport Fish Advisory Board (the organization of anglers which advises Fisheries and Oceans Canada) has drafted a code of conduct for ethical anglers that includes suggestions to prevent the spread of exotic plants and animals and avoid spills of gasoline, oil or other pollutants.

As well as calling for scrupulous compliance with all fishing regulations, the code is loaded with tips that responsible boaters and anglers should incorporate into their fishing behaviour. Resource conservation is the position of most sportsmen, but these values need to be expressed and affirmed to make them meaningful.

For a copy of the code: www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/pages/sfg/general/ conduct_e.htm.

As fishing pressures increase and habitat and species decline, fishermen in Orca Pass are coming to support another proven best practice: the establishment of no-take marine protected areas that will encourage the recovery of long-lived, slow-growing fish, like rockfish.

SHORE LINE RESIDENTS

Best practices extend to land-based activities as well. Waterfront property owners, in particular, have a role to play in ensuring that they protect important habitat from inappropriate disturbance or development.

The Living by Water Project (www.livingbywater.ca) equips shoreline residents and users with information on how to protect the areas they love. Goals include preserving shoreline trees and eelgrass beds, preventing water quality problems and giving bird nesting sites plenty of room.

Shoreline access trails, stairways and docks are potential problems for soil stability and erosion, loss of native vegetation and shading of marine plants, including eelgrass.

Property owners need to consider the character of their specific piece of land and the many ecological functions it may provide. Shaded north-facing beaches in Orca Pass, for example, are prime habitat for surf smelt and other forage fish, an essential link in the marine food chain.

Dredging and siltation can kill eelgrass, eliminating food and shelter for an entire ecosystem. Septic systems need regular checking and occasional pumpout. Fertilizers and pesticides are hazards to marine life if used in the near-shore environment.

RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOUR

Best practices spell out principles and standards for responsible behaviour, and they need to be promoted throughout society. There are existing or developing best practices guidelines for the marine charter industry, kayakers, the cruise ship industry, snorkeling and SCUBA diving, for seabird and other wildlife viewing, even for bait digging.

The principles embedded in these codes are the key to conservation - respect for the land, water, cultural sites and host communities.

© Peter Ronald is the Georgia Strait Alliance's Marine Habitat Program Coordinator and lives in Victoria, BC. GSA and People for Puget Sound, the two lead partners in the Orca Pass project, are developing 'Pledges' for each sector to aid in the education process. Contact Peter for info: peter@GeorgiaStrait.org.