News

October-November 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

GULF ISLAND NATIONAL PARK

The long-awaited, Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, announced in late spring, consists of properties on 16 islands, plus numerous small islets and reef areas in BC’s southern Gulf Islands. The park will help ensure these beautiful areas are protected and biodiversity conserved.

Once full jurisdiction over the provincial lands is transferred to Parks Canada, undesignated camping on former provincial Crown lands will be reviewed. This will help park managers determine if camping impacts on some of the more fragile areas will require camping restrictions, or the development of designated campsites rather than uncontrolled camping. This initial review should result in the development of Interim Management Guidelines for the park during its first year of operation. Kayakers are encouraged to participate in the public consultation process to make their views known, and to share their knowledge about kayaking routes with park managers.

These Crown lands include the small islands off Sidney such as Dock, Greig, Reay, Imrie and the Little Group; Isabella and the Channel Islets off Saltspring; Red Islets, Bright Islets and Hawkins Island off Prevost Island; Georgeson, the Belle Chain, Pine and Java off Saturna; and Blunden off South Pender.

All existing provincial park campsites incorporated into the national park reserve will continue their current status for the next 4-5 years until a full Management Plan for the national park reserve is in place, with fees the same as those charged by BC Parks. The provincial parks being transferred are McDonald, Isle-de-Lis, D’Arcy Island, Beaumont, Princess Margaret, Prior Centennial, Winter Cove, Cabbage Island and Sidney Spit.

For more information on the new national park reserve, contact Parks Canada at 250- 654-4000 or gulfislands@pc.gc.ca.

JOHNSTONE STRAIT IN WINTER

Tom Sewid’s Village Island Tours & Water Taxi is now offering tours and charters aboard his new fully enclosed and heated boat, the Gla Lis, out of Sayward (1 hour north of Campbell River). If you want to get out on the water during the quieter season, he offers native-themed whale, bear or wildlife viewing tours with reduced off-season rates.

Web: www.villageisland.com. PH: 250-282-3338.

MARINE ADVENTURE GALLERY

The Marine Adventure Gallery, a multifaceted marine adventure facility, is now open in Shoal Point on Fisherman’s Wharf in Victoria. Activities include whale watching, cycling, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing and marine charters. You can also peruse the fine West Coast art of some of the area’s premier artists, purchase travelwear and accessories and top quality equipment for snorkeling, scuba diving and kayaking, or just sit in the comfy reading room with a warm mocha and catch up on your West Coast reading. Training courses, evening travel shows, and photography workshops available.

Web: www.marineadventuregallery.com, PH: 250-361-3684, E-Mail: info@marineadventure gallery.com.

TAPS’ NEW ADDRESS

The Trade Association of Paddlesports (TAPS) has moved to a new location in Olympia, Washington. The move offers the Association more office space and better facilities.

New mailing address: P.O. Box 6353, Olympia, WA 98507. Ph: 360-352-0764. Toll Free: 800-755-5228.

Email: . info@gopaddle.org

UPDATES & CORRECTIONS

• The Nanika Kayak Kaddy can carry 150 lbs, not 90 lbs as stated in our last issue.

• Wilderness Kayak Institute’s website is www.wildernesskayak.net.

• Klepper Canada’s toll free number is 1- 866-323-3525.

MARINE RESERVES URGED

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has issued a call to expand the number and size of marine reserves where fishing is banned. It says that such reserves are often effective in allowing a rapid recovery of fish stocks depleted by fishing, and that the overspill of fish and marine animal stocks out of such reserves and into unprotected areas proves to be a quick benefit for the fishing industry.

A WWF-supported review of scientific data on marine reserves shows that fish stocks recovered most efficiently when 20- 40% of the habitat of the fish concerned was turned into a no-fishing zone. Fiona Gell and Callum Roberts of the environmental department of the University of York, UK, reviewed the evidence from dozens of marine reserves and published their conclusions in the journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution.

GREAT BARRIER REEF GETS BOOST

Australian Environment Minister David Kemp recently announced that fishing and other extraction will be banned from about 30% of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.No-take zones now protect only 4.5% of the reef from fishing, including widespread trawling. Scientists say that is not enough to protect biodiversity.

Concerns over the reef’s health have been mounting in the past few years. Threats include coral death from global warming, sediment run-off from rivers, agricultural pollution and fertilizers, starfish plagues, illegal fishing and interest in nearby oil deposits. The protection plan is part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s Representative Areas Program, which aims to have each of the reef’s bioregions represented in the no-take zones.

NEW MARINE LIFE HOTLINE

A new toll-free hotline has been created by the Vancouver Aquarium and the federal Habitat Stewardship Program for Species at Risk to report sightings of whales, dolphins and sea turtles in BC waters: 1- 866-I-SAW-ONE (1-866-472-9663). Sightings also can be reported via email: sightings@vanaqua.org. Researchers welcome information from the public to learn more about marine animals and develop conservation programs.

WHALE TALES

Whale Tales, a bi-monthly compilation of news articles and information related to whale watching, is compiled and distributed for the information of WhaleWatch– the Responsible Whale Watching Network. For further information on the Responsible Whale Watching Initiative, including archives of Whale Tales, visit www.responsiblewhalewatching.org .

NO-VESSEL ZONE AIDS RESEARCH

This summer, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in the US created a temporary, expanded No-Vessel Zone as part of a study to measure the potential effects of vessel presence on the behavior of Southern Resident killer whales. The study compared observations of whale behavior withvessels present, operating in compliance with federal whale-watching guidelines, to behavior when vessels were not present.

To aid in data collection, the voluntary, quarter-mile no-vessel zone, already in place on the west side of San Juan Island, was expanded to a half-mile a radius around Edwards Point and north to Lime Kiln Lighthouse in August-September. Orca researchers David Bain and Jodi Smith, and Canadian scientist Rob Williams, were lead scientists for the vessel study.

The Northwest Fisheries Science Center has recently begun studies, and is also contracting with researchers to conduct studies, to close information gaps and help with conservation planning to recover the population. Contact Brad Hanson: 206-860-3220

SONIC PROJECT POSTPONED

A seismological research project that could have injured or killed marine mammals, fish, birds and turtles this summer was postponed till next year.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada recommended to Natural Resources Canada that the project be postponed to protect marine mammals. The project is being rescheduled to allow time for more thorough examination of potential effects.

The whales, fish, birds and turtles are safe from this project for at least another year thanks to a variety of scientists and concerned citizens on both sides of the border, as well as TV, radio and newspaper media who asked serious questions regarding the potential danger in this project.

For more information: www.vanaqua.org/aquanews, or www.orcanetwork.org.

ICELAND WHALING

Iceland is about to resume commercial whaling. Paddlers and others are urged to contact Iceland’s Prime Minister David Offsson (E-Mail: olafur.davidsson@for.stjr).is to express concerns and ask that these plans to be cancelled. An international boycott is in the works. Stay tuned.