A tale of inaction – signifying nothing good for the orca

The news we received last week was troubling.  A young female southern resident orca was found dead in the Strait, the 4^th death in a year for a population that now only numbers 77 individuals.

Today we found out that this orca was pregnant with a full-term fetus and the bad news is doubled.

Photo: Lance Barrett-Lennard

When a small endangered population of animals loses a young female, the long-term negative impacts are devastating. To learn that with her loss, we have also lost a new member of this population is even more disheartening.

But this story is about more than just the incredible sadness of seeing a majestic animal in trouble but about what happens when our government ‘fiddles while Rome burns.’  If we care at all about this species and want to understand why it has such an uncertain future, we need to be clear on who the finger should be pointed at.

Southern resident orcas were declared endangered under the federal Species at Risk Act in 2001.  Soon after, killer whales scientists were brought together to begin drafting a recovery strategy for the species using the best available science to identify key threats to the species. 

The recovery strategy was due to be released in 2006, but it took another year and the threat of a lawsuit before it saw the light of day in 2007, with the orca’s critical habitat identified.  For a species to recover, the habitat critical to its survival must be identified and protected.

By 2009, we and our partners were back in court as the government was accused of failing to issue an order under its own Species at Risk Act to protect critical killer whale habitat.  They had a plan, but were delaying action.

The lawsuit pushed the government to issue the order, but the foot dragging continued and by 2010 we were back in court, this time with the government being accused of failing to legally protect all aspects of critical habitat for southern and northern resident killer whales.

Are you seeing the pattern yet?

By the end of 2010, the federal court ruled decisively in our favour, but by then 4 years had passed as we fought our government to enact their own laws, as tax payers money was wasted when it could have been spent acting to make the Strait healthier for the orca.

In 2011, we fought the government again as it attempted to reverse some aspects of the previous ruling and in 2012 we won again.

And then we waited.

Once threats to a species are identified in the recovery strategy, an action plan for mitigating and addressing these threats must be created.  It took until early 2014 for the draft action plan to be released (a year late), a plan which one again revealed how little commitment the government has to making change for the orca as its pages were filled with more research and inaction – and very little good news for the orca.

So here we are. 

Photo: Lance Barrett-Lennard

Southern resident orcas are an important indicator of the health of the Strait.  Their struggles show how threatened this body of water is and how little that matters to those with the power to do something about it.  And it’s about more than that.  If our government is so disinterested in protecting an iconic and well-loved species such as the orca, what does that mean for the 118 other at risks species in the Salish Sea?  It means we have a serious problem.

As frustrated as I am by the federal government’s inaction, as always, I am heartened by the passion and love that those of us who live along these waters have for the Strait and the orcas that live here. We see the big picture – both environmentally and economically – and know what the orca’s fate really means.

It’s not too late, and our job is to increase the pressure – with all of you standing right by our side – and stop the foot-dragging by our government.  We will also work with the scientists, local governments, business and industry who understand what’s at risk if we continue to do nothing.  Lucky for us, that list is long.

As seems to be the way these days, our government has abandoned its job of being steward of the environment, so it’s up to us to take the reins.  And we will so that in the years to come the news will be happier for the orcas and all of us who call the Strait home.

Orcas in trouble: gov’t plan for inaction

Ever since early 2012 when the federal court made its final ruling mandating that the federal government protect resident orcas critical habitat, we’ve been waiting for the action plan that would clearly lay out how we would act to protect our endangered southern resident orcas and their habitat.

With the release last month of the draft orca action plan by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), it seems we’ll have to wait longer – and this is a tragedy in the making.

“Vague and inadequate” are the terms you’ll see over and over again in our joint submission to DFO, ably put together by our colleagues at Ecojustice on behalf of Georgia Strait Alliance, David Suzuki Foundation, Raincoast Conservation Foundation and Wilderness Committee.

Photo: Lance Barrett-Lennard

Coming in at 21 pages, this so called ‘action plan’ is filled with language such as “considering action”, ”investigating” and “communicating”, all seemingly intended to make it look like something is being done while the major threats to orcas remain unabated. 

We firmly believe that research is essential, but an ‘action plan’ which is vague, with unspecific timelines and where the responsibility for many tasks is left to some unnamed agency in unacceptable.   We can tell you, someone named “other” is going to be very busy over the next 5 – 10 years!   What that means is the orca will continue to remain protected on paper alone - but in our local waters the dangers to their survival go unanswered and those whose responsibility it is to act are shirking their responsibility. 

According to the recovery strategy developed for both northern and southern resident orcas, these are the goals we need to reach in order for these whales to survive:

1.      Ensure that Resident Killer Whales have an adequate and accessible food supply to allow recovery;

2.      Ensure that chemical and biological pollutants do not prevent the recovery of Resident Killer Whale populations;

3.      Ensure that disturbance from human activities does not prevent the recovery of Resident Killer Whales;

4.      Protect critical habitat for Resident Killer Whales and identify additional areas for critical habitat designation and protection

As we state in our formal submission: “Unfortunately, while the Draft Action Plan identifies some important research projects, it generally fails to identify concrete actions or measures that will ensure any specific outcomes on the ground.”

Here are just a few of many incredible gaps in the “action plan”:       

• In light of the many projects being proposed for the Strait, there is no mention in the action plan about “shipping” or “tankers” nor any proposed action on mitigating oil spill impact. The orca recovery strategy clearly lays out these issues as being of critical concern, yet the action plan remains silent. 

• Research is a primary focus of this plan but with the slashing of research at the federal level, who is left to do it?  Notably, the closure of the lab led by world renowned marine mammal toxicologist Dr. Peter Ross has left the possibility of doing much of research listed as questionable.  So even in this ‘inaction plan’, the tasks identified are unlikely to occur as no one is responsible and no one is accountable

Again from our submission: “Unfortunately, apart from reiterating these four broad recovery objectives, in many other respects the Draft Action Plan is not based on the Recovery Strategy as is required.”

The orca recovery strategy laid out what needed to be done and in the last 2 ½ years, DFO has developed a plan that does not build on that strategy but instead asks us to wait – but the orcas can’t wait.

So what now? In our submission, we have made it clear to DFO that we demand better and we’ve laid out specific ways they can do that.  Also, we stated that we are willing to work with them to make this plan stronger because we believe it can be.

Orcas are not only a critical part of our local ecosystem but they are an integral part of our culture, society and economy – and we are committed to making their recovery a reality.

Your support has helped us be at the table to fight for the orcas for more than decade and we hope we can count on you as we continue to be the orcas voice at this important time because it seems from what we’ve read, the fight isn’t over.

Be a Wise Whale and Wildlife Watcher

Exploring the Whale Museum in Telegraph Cove (Photo by R. Spencer)

A couple weeks ago, I went up island with my family to do some whale and wildlife watching. Not only did we see belted kingfishers and a pair of sea lions and bald eagles, but we were lucky enough to glimpse a pod of northern resident killer whales and two humpback whales passing through Johnston Strait!  It was a thrilling experience for us, but I couldn’t help but notice some of the visitors and commercial operators were not following all the guidelines of our Wise Whale and Wildlife Watcher Pledge. If you’re planning an end of the summer camping or wildlife watching trip, it might be handy to review these guidelines, or Take the Pledge yourself!

As a recreational or commercial boater travelling in sensitive waters (like the Georgia Strait) it is very important to:

Be cautious and courteous. Marine mammals can be very cryptic creatures, and it is your responsibility as a boat operator to use caution while travelling through their habitat.
 

Slow down. Reduce speed to less than 7 knots when within 400 metres/yards to the nearest marine mammal, avoiding abrupt course changes.
 

*On our whale watching trip, the skipper was in constant communication with killer whale researchers positioned up the adjacent hillside. They would update him on their position, and make appropriate recommendations on how fast and what direction our boat should go (pretty neat!).
 

Avoid approaching closer than 100 metres/yards to any marine mammals or birds.
 

Limit your viewing time to a recommended maximum of 30 minutes to minimize the cumulative impact of many vessels and give consideration to other viewers.
 

Large male killer whale in Johnston Strait (Photo by R. Spencer)

*On our whale watching trip, the skipper was very attentive to our proximity to the whales, and the duration of our time in the strait. When it was safe, he manoeuvred our boat away from the whales, making sure to not approach them from behind, driving parallel to them, and allowing other boats to take our place.
 

Following these guidelines is an excellent start to your whale or wildlife watching experience. However, if you decide to book a tour with a commercial operation, I would recommend still doing some background research! For instance, TripAdvisor reviews of BC whale watching tours provides a useful starting point.
 

Interested in learning a bit more about killer whales, and what you can do to help protect them? Check out these useful links:
 

1) Read our Killer Whale Species At Risk Profile to learn more about resident, transient and offshore populations.
 

2) Be ToxicSmart! Reduce the use of toxic chemicals in your home. Make your home ToxicSmart and your garden pesticide free to help reduce toxins in the marine food chain.
 

 
Enjoy your last bit of summer sunshine! 

~Megan~

Species at Risk on the Atlas

Photo by: Bruce Obee

We are pleased to introduce an addition to the Georgia Strait Communities Atlas, a new chapter of our virtual atlas which explores Species at Risk in the Salish Sea.  Over the coming year, we will be releasing a series of interactive Google Earth maps that will be featured on our Communities Atlas website.  These maps will provide information about species at risk (such as resident killer whales, nooksack dace, sockeye salmon and rockfish) and why they are considered to be threatened or endangered. In particular the maps will focus on providing information to support the strategies for the recovery of these species as mandated under Canada's Species at Risk Act.


With the generous support of the Schad Foundation, we present the first map in this series which tells the tale of why our southern resident killer whales are a Species at Risk.  These whales, found in southern BC and Washington, are considered to be at risk because of their small population size (currently 85 individuals), a loss of prey availability and their exposure to pollution and disturbances from human activity.  To illustrate this issue, this map provides interactive information layers that show how southern resident killer whale critical habitat and food sources intersect and overlap with human activity in these areas.  Check out the Species at Risk: Southern Resident Killer Whale map here. This map, and the maps that follow, will help us to clearly see that we do in fact coexist with these ‘Species at Risk’ and that their protection and the reduction of the threats that endanger them is our responsibility and should be a priority for all of us.

Help us Map Species Risk in the Georgia Strait

Would you like to share a story, photo or video of our amazing southern resident killer whales?  Help others learn about and witness the majestic beauty of these amazing animals by helping us build a Local Knowledge component to the Species at Risk Maps.  Sign up on the website to submit your contribution, and check the Georgia Strait Communities Atlas for the release of new Species at Risk maps and updates!
 

Tankers, Thanks and Banks

Adapted from original publication on smallchangefund Blog

Oil tankers shipping out of Vancouver Harbour were really not paid much attention to by the general public a couple of years ago, and maybe even just a year ago. The increase seen over the last decade did not get much publicity and the fact that tankers of some form or another have been using our waterways since the turn of the last century seemed to make it less threatening. Thanks to a perfect storm of different but colliding events, all that is rapidly changing. Certainly all the publicity about dirty tar sands oil has been part of it and Enbridge’s beleaguered Northern Gateway Pipeline project, the climate change debate, Keystone XL pipeline kerfuffle in the US and the Kalamazoo pipeline spill in Michigan. 

However even before Kinder Morgan’s announcement earlier this year of intentions to build a second pipeline to Vancouver from the tar sands, Georgia Strait Alliance (GSA) and a few others were starting to be concerned about the steady but seemingly silent, increase in tanker traffic through Burrard Inlet and the ecologically sensitive Salish Sea. After some extensive research we published the first version of our citizen's guide to tankers, oil spills and the risks to our region late last year and we have updated it recently to reflect the current situation.

Why would GSA be concerned about a few tankers traveling our waters when there are so many other issues facing this fantastic body of water we work to protect? Well, when I give presentations I explain that what is happening to Georgia Strait is like the death by a thousand cuts. Each travesty of pollution or inappropriate development that befalls it is cumulative and at some stage, if enough is done, Georgia Strait would eventually become like so many other devastated bodies of water. That being said, the damage that is currently being done, can (at least partially) be undone or stopped, and over the years we have lead many projects which have helped restore parts of Georgia Strait or served to protect it.  We believe our work and that of others will save Georgia Strait as a place of much natural beauty and biological diversity.

That, however, would all change if we have a major oil spill here and anything that increases the likelihood of that happening is of real concern to us.  If we have a catastrophic spill here we simply do not have the capability or resources to stop the irreparable damage to the ecology, economy and social fabric of this region. It would be a disaster in the real meaning of the word. Also of considerable concern to us is the fact that our communities have not been given any real opportunity to say if they are willing to take the risks of tar sands crude being shipped through our waters. That is something we are working toward on a number of different levels from our petition  and information on our website and in print to our liaison and email listserve hosting with other groups working on this issue and contribution to reports to meeting with Industry representatives.  

To do that we need funding, and this is the point we’d really like to thank our current funders including Patagonia, MEC and smallchangefund for all their support and promotion and all the wonderful donors who are contributing to our work. Thanks for going to your banks to help make our community voice on crude oil tankers a strong one. If you have not had a chance to contribute yet please do so on our website or by calling our office at 250-753-3459.

Many thanks!

From bathtubs to super tankers: A busy weekend of street fairs in the Mid-Island

Nanaimo Bathtub Days Street Fair
Photo credit: Deanna McGillivray

As we were booking our summer outreach events in June, Deanna and I realized that we would have to start practicing teleportation if we wanted to attend all of the action taking place around the Strait on July 21st. As GSA’s main quarters are located in Nanaimo, we registered early on to be part of the Bathtub Days Street Fair. The bathtub competition, where locals race their motorized tubs from Nanaimo harbour to Departure Bay, is a real tradition in Nanaimo with the first event dating back in the 1960s. For somebody from Southern Quebec, where summer festivals mostly revolve around agriculture and music, this event is quite exotic to say the least. Preceding the bathtub race which took place on Sunday morning, the weekend was filled with community entertainment. Deanna was part of the lively market on Commercial Street Friday and Saturday where she promoted GSA’s programs while listening to tunes played by local artists just a few steps from our office door. Deanna had many discussions on species at risk, more particularly on the status of the Southern Resident Killer Whales. With the sun beaming, tourists and locals alike are out and about on the Strait to get a closer look at the whales and other sea creatures.

Another high profile island event that was not to be missed was the Courtenay Market Day held on Saturday July 21st. With over 100 vendors occupying 5th Street, the venue was swarmed with people from as early as 9AM to close to 7PM. It was one of the busiest summer events I have attended thus far. With mounting pressure on political parties to take position on the proposed twinning of the Trans Mountain pipeline, Kinder Morgan’s project is increasingly in the spotlight. As weeks pass, Deanna and I have noticed that event goers are more and more aware of the issue, and drawn to our table to voice their opposition and fears surrounding the oil tanker increase in the Strait. On Saturday, more than one hundred people who attended the Market Day in downtown Courtenay signed the petition. I had laid down CPAWS’s map of the proposed national marine conservation area in Southern Strait of Georgia next to the petition and Oil Tanker FAQs to emphasize what is at stake.

Thank you to Robyn from DNBIA for organising the lively Bathtub Street Fair and to Kim Stubblefield for putting together an amazing Courtenay Market Day. We also want to thank the vendors and event goers who supported GSA’s work by buying raffle tickets.

This weekend Deanna and I will be at the Errington Farmers Market on Saturday July 28 and back in the lower mainland for International Bog Day on Sunday July 29. For more information on those venues and on the other events we will be attending in August, check out the events page of our website.

À plus!

              -Isabelle

A Weekend of Paddling and Patriotism: MEC Paddlefest in Victoria and Canada Day, Nanaimo style

Isabelle and I spent Saturday manning the GSA Booth at MEC’s Paddlefest Celebration at Willow’s Beach in Victoria. Although the clouds looked ominous and threatening all day, the paddling conditions were perfect as the water was as smooth as glass. The event featured many interesting paddling demonstrations and clinics, including a fascinating presentation on gourmet camp cooking. We had fun watching everyone out on the water, and enjoyed interesting conversations with some very passionate people.

Nanaimo's local kids help us save B.C.'s wild salmon runs
one masterpiece at a time!

Canada Day at Maffeo-Sutton Park in Nanaimo was a resounding success! Not to brag, but Nanaimoites know how to throw a party! There was great music (Kumbana Marimba was awesome!), a HUGE and delicious Canada birthday cake, and lots of family friendly activities. The crowd at the park was a sea of patriotic red, and  eco-conscious green. Isabelle and I debuted the newly created “Navigate the Strait” Game, and really enjoyed interacting with all the kids and teaching them about ocean conservation. They gave us some valuable insight about how to improve the activities, and one lucky participant even won a GSA t-shirt! In addition, it was heartening to find that so many people are concerned about the wellbeing of the Strait’s charismatic critters, the further development of the harmful salmon aquaculture industry and the threats an oil tanker increase poses to our beautiful coast. The Toxic Smart brochures proved to be particularly popular with attendees as well. Despite the absence of a prolonged appearance by the elusive Mr. Sun, it was an incredibly enjoyable and satisfying day!

We hope to see you at the Bowen Farmer’s Market in Nanaimo, on Wednesday July 4^th, Paddlefest Vancouver at Jericho Sailing Centre on Saturday, July 7^th, and the grand opening of the South Cowichan Farmer's Market on Sunday, July 8^th.

Cheerio until next time!
                          -Deanna
 

Breezy BC Shellfish Fest, and a care-free Car-Free Day




Isabelle and Deanna enjoying the novelty of lying
 in the street at Car-Free.

 

Isabelle and I attended BC ‘s largest Shellfish Fest in the lovely town of Comox last Saturday. My, but it was a blustery day! We got a workout chasing after brochures and foiling our crafty tent’s repeated escape attempts. However, the wind rather added to the seaside ambiance of the festival, and in no way hampered the enthusiasm of attending shellfish lovers. We enjoyed the delicious smells wafting from the food vendors’ booths and from the cups of contest-winning chowder everyone was carrying around. What a great way to celebrate and appreciate what our coastal waters have to offer, and to bring awareness to how much is at stake! We also really appreciated talking with and learning from the Comox Sierra Club, and the group from Coal Watch about the proposed Raven Coal Mine, and environmental activism. Keep up the great work everyone!

Our dedicated and enthusiastic selves then jumped in the car, zoomed down island, and caught the last ferry to Vancouver (the trip across the Strait was spent performing emergency surgery on our very special Octopus friend).  After a few hours sleep, we were off to Car-Free Vancouver on Main St. Despite some VERY ominous looking clouds at the start of the day, we had a fairly nice afternoon (especially by Juneuary standards!). I don’t know about the other Car-Free venues, but the Main St. crowd was vibrant, diverse and absolutely FULL of energy! It was interesting to discover which issues in the Strait were of most concern to Lower Mainlanders. Not surprisingly, Oil Tankers topped the bill, but ecosystem health, farmed salmon, and toxin reduction were high on the list as well. The day marked the official launch of our Octopus (who is yet to be officially named), and our most successful display to date. Thanks to everyone who came out to chat, participate and buy raffle tickets!

We hope to see you at MEC Bike fest in Vancouver and Cedar Farmer’s Market this weekend. Tourlou/Toodle-oo, until next time!  

                                          -Deanna

The responsibility of power

There are a lot of reasons why I choose to bike to work. Primarily, I find it a fast and easy way for me to get around and get my exercise at the same time. But more importantly it gives me time to think, to plan for the day to come and process the day that was. It has served me well over the years but never more than this morning.

As I biked in on this sunny day, my mind tried to figure out what the Canadian electorate was trying to say last night. What to make of a night that elected the first ever Green MP, the first ever NDP Official Opposition – yet still elected a majority Conservative government? I know I’m not the only one trying to make sense of this, beyond what seems to me to be a very good argument for electoral reform.

While all this was going through my mind, so was the following phrase: with great power comes great responsibility. I’m not sure who first said this, but I think it’s something our new majority government should keep in mind.

Majority governments do bring stability to a country but they come at great risk if that same government uses its power to ignore the will of the majority who did not vote for them. Real leadership goes beyond partisanship and is about a vision for all Canadians.

As an advocate for sustainability and ocean health, I can say without a doubt that we have not seen leadership on environmental issues from the current federal government over the past 5 years. No comprehensive climate change action plan, no green energy plan or national transit plan, an erosion of environmental assessment regulation and continued failure to protect species at risk in this country, despite multiple federal court rulings chastising them.

What can we expect now?

The only answer is, time will tell. I am a pragmatist by nature, so I will spend the next four years focused on finding the best ways, and perhaps even some creative ways, to promote the sustainability of the Georgia Strait region. We must have the resolve to forge on because nothing is more important – for our communities and our economy – than clean air and clean water.

Some really good people – of all parties – were elected last night, and we must find ways to engage and work with them so they see the benefits of creating a green economy – and can help make it a reality. Naïve? Perhaps, but is there really another choice? The weaknesses of our political system cannot define our values, only our actions do – and last night many did vote for clean air and water. And in the end, in times of uncertainty when the choice is between despair or hope - I must choose hope. For my dreams of the future, I have no choice.

Tipping a hat to 2009, and launching our 20th year

Before the month of January creeps away, I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. I hope it's one filled with a lot of laughter, good health and plenty of time enjoying our beautiful Georgia Strait.

Now, before we turn the page too quickly on 2009, I'm going to take a moment to acknowledge the year that was. As with so many other charitable not-for-profits, we felt the squeeze of the economic downturn, however, thanks to the hard work of our staff, board, volunteers, and our incredibly generous donors - we were able to move ahead and achieve much that is making the Strait a healthier place to live, for all of us.

Our successes include:

• A commitment from the Victoria region to treat its sewage, including using technology to recover resources from waste. In December, the Capital Regional District government submitted their plan to the province which is expected to be approved early this year.

• An order from the Federal government that provides protection for the critical habitat of the southern resident killer whale. Though the work to protect this incredible creature is not over, this was a big step forward.

• A ruling from the Federal Court against the Department of Fisheries and Oceans for failing to identify the habitat of the Nooksack dace, an endangered fish restricted to only four streams in B.C.'s Lower Mainland. The means that other recovery plans for marine species in the region should be reviewed and any information on critical habitat included.

Browse our website for more on other exciting work done by GSA in 2009.

With the calendar now changed, we are setting our sites on an exciting and eventful 2010. For many, saying "2010" quickly brings to mind a little event happening in Vancouver/Whistler in February. But for all of us at Georgia Strait Alliance, there is something far more significant happening - our 20th anniversary! It's hard to believe so much time has passed since a group of caring and dedicated people in the Nanaimo area decided that since no one else was speaking for the Strait, they would.

We've achieved a great deal in 20 years and we plan to celebrate those achievements throughout the year and the region. Visit our event page in the coming months to see how we're going to be celebrating!

In addition to honouring the significant work of GSA over the years, we have other goals for 2010. They include:

• Improving wild salmon health through the closure of 5 active open net-cage salmon farms in Okisollo Channel, known as the Wild Salmon Narrows, and the transition of open net-cage farms to closed containment technology.

• Ensuring cleaner waters through a commitment from Metro Vancouver to upgrade its primary sewage treatment plants by no later than 2020.
  
  
• Supporting marinas and boating facilities in developing best practices by increasing the number of marinas and boating facilities participating in our unique eco-rating program Clean Marine BC.

And that's just a taste of what we have planned in our efforts to protect and conserve the Strait of Georgia.

Thanks for all your support in 2009 and we look forward to working - and celebrating - with you in the year ahead.