All Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Now Protected From Bottom Contact Fishing
For more information, please contact:
Rippon Madtha
Communications Manager
rippon@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 (x23)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2022
All Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Now Protected From Bottom Contact Fishing
Five new fisheries closures have been implemented to protect newly confirmed living glass sponge reefs in Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound
Unceded Coast Salish Territory / Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia (CPAWS-BC) is pleased to see five new protections announced for glass sponge reefs in Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound. These new fishing closures prohibit bottom contact fishing such as trawling and prawn trapping from destroying these rare and ancient ecosystems. These protections extend 150 metres around the reefs. This buffer prevents sediment kicked up from trawls and traps from choking the sponges.
“With this new announcement, all of Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound’s glass sponge reefs are now protected by 15 fishing closures,” says Carlo Acuña, Ocean Campaigner for CPAWS-BC. In 2019, nine glass sponge reefs in Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound were protected from bottom contact fishing. These new fishing closures protect the additional living reefs confirmed by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) report with the aid of the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society in 2020.
The Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) played a key role in securing these protections. They agreed to prohibit Indigenous bottom contact Food, Social and Ceremonial fishing activities for the closures announced in 2019. Consultations are ongoing regarding Food, Social and Ceremonial bottom contact fishing in the five new closures.
These protections safeguard biodiversity, improve ocean health and support the local economy. “Glass sponge reefs are ocean superheroes,” adds Acuña. “They provide habitat for rockfish and shrimp, store carbon in the ocean floor to fight climate change, filter bacteria out of the water, and fertilize ocean water for plankton and marine plants.”
The work to protect Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound’s glass sponge reefs does not end with these fishing closures. Fishing closure designations do not ensure permanent protection like marine protected areas (MPAs) do, as they are more easily removed. The 300 prawn traps found in a glass sponge reef fishing closure near Sechelt last year also indicates the need for stronger enforcement.
These protections show Canada’s intent for strong ocean conservation. With the 5th International Marine Protected Area Congress being held in Vancouver this September, CPAWS-BC looks forward to even bolder announcements to reach the government’s target of protecting 30% of the country’s ocean by 2030.
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Resources:
Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative, Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2022). Overview of Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Glass Sponge Reef Conservation Initiative: https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/ceccsr-cerceef/closures-fermetures-eng.html
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2022). FN0039-Glass Sponge Reefs – Pacific Region – Area 28 – Bottom Contact Fishery Closures – Effective January 17, 2022 [Fishery Notice]. Retrieved from: https://notices.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index-eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=254231&ID=all
Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (2022, January 17). Government of Canada releases draft 2022-23 Prawn and Shrimp by Trap Integrated Fisheries Management Plan [Press release]. Retrieved from: https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2022/01/government-of-canada-releases-draft-2022-23-prawn-and-shrimp-by-trap-integrated-fisheries-management-plan.html
For more information, please contact:
Rippon Madtha
Communications Manager
rippon@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 (x23)
About CPAWS-BC:
The CPAWS British Columbia chapter (CPAWS-BC) works to protect wilderness in every corner of BC and deep into the ocean. We have been defending BC since 1978, and are dedicated to keeping BC’s natural environment thriving forever. Nature is BC’s best hope.
CPAWS-BC’s office is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.
Visit: cpawsbc.org | Follow: @CPAWSbc