conservation

September 18 2024

BC Needs a Biodiversity Law

Max Winkelman Blog biodiversity, canadian parks and wilderness society, conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc

Photo by Troy Moth as part of the Lichen project. Nuchatlaht territory.

BC Needs a Biodiversity Law

Sept. 18, 2024 – by Meg Bjordal, Research and Policy Coordinator

Protecting Biodiversity and Habitat for Species at Risk is the Key to our Shared Futures

BC needs a Biodiversity law, complete with protections for habitat for species-at-risk to ensure a future where wildlife and people can thrive.

British Columbia lists over 1,700 species at risk and counting, yet there is no effective provincial law to protect them or their habitat. Some of BC’s most iconic animals are on this list including southern mountain caribou, grizzly bears and southern resident killer whales. The biggest threat most endangered species face is from habitat loss and degradation.

For example, southern mountain caribou and spotted owls – two of the most threatened wildlife populations in BC, depend on old-growth forests for their homes. Old growth forests are an ecosystem that has long been identified of high conservation importance, but most of it (82%) remains unprotected and clearcutting is continuing.

Photo by Troy Moth as part of the Lichen project. Nuchatlaht territory.

Pathway to a Biodiversity Law

Out of rising concern for how old-growth forests are managed in the province, an independent review was conducted and released in 2020. The Old Growth Strategic Review put forward 14 recommendations on how to better manage forests based on wide consultation and expert opinions.

All recommendations from this report were adopted, though none have yet been fully implemented. Some of the recommendations outline conditions required for change, and include the need for legislation that establishes “conservation of ecosystem health and biodiversity of British Columbia’s forests as an overarching priority”.

Out of this recommendation came the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework. This framework sets the stage for a needed paradigm shift that prioritizes biodiversity and the health of ecosystems above resource extraction. With continued momentum this could lead to a biodiversity law, and even include protections for species at risk and their habitat.

Protecting Biodiversity Benefits Wildlife and People

Protecting habitat for species-at-risk not only provides a future for BC’s favourite wildlife, but also for the people who live and recreate in these important places. Healthy, functioning and connected ecosystems facilitate natural processes and animal movements. Meaning that critical planet support systems like nutrient cycling can occur, and that animals can move as needed to find food, shelter and mates. This also allows for mitigation of climate change effects and better ability to adapt. Protecting and restoring habitat, especially large and interconnected landscapes, makes it possible for biodiversity to thrive and ensures functioning ecosystems.

Photo by Troy Moth as part of the Lichen project with support from Ecotrust Canada and Cascadia Seaweed. Klahoose territory.

September 9 2024

Speak up for nature this election & join us at a Candidate Debates near you!

Max Winkelman Blog, News canadian parks and wilderness society, conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, events

Speak up for nature & join us at a Candidates Debate near you!

Sept. 9, 2024

Our Nature & Climate debates bring candidates in your riding together to discuss conservation, climate policy, and environmental issues. Hear what they have to say, ask candidates questions directly, and make your community’s concerns heard this election. This debate is co-hosted with local youth from our Young Leaders in Conservation Program (YLICP). Young people are especially encouraged to attend and participate. CPAWS-BC will be moderating the debates and asking candidates about their positions on various environmental issues, followed by an open audience Q&A.

Join us for food and refreshments when doors open, at no charge. Please come mingle and share your views with the candidates. Register now to save your seat!

Find a Candidates Debate near you!

August 1 2024

A big welcome to the newest Marine Protected Area (MPA) — Tang.ɢ̱wan – ḥačxwiqak – Tsig̱is — off the coast of BC!

Max Winkelman Blog, Ocean Campaigns conservation, ipca, marine protected area

Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0), Flickr

A big welcome to the newest Marine Protected Area (MPA) — Tang.ɢ̱wan – ḥačxwiqak – Tsig̱is — off the coast of BC!

August 1, 2024 – by Carlos Acuña, senior conservation campaigner

The abyssal plains of the deep sea floor are often viewed as vast, dark, empty spaces. But the deep sea far off the BC coast couldn’t be more different. Dotting the flat seascape are geologic wonders such as seamounts and hydrothermal vents teeming with abundant otherworldly marine life!

Located 150 km west of the coast of Vancouver Island, deep in the ocean, is a unique and spectacular underwater world. The Tang.ɢ̱wan – ḥačxwiqak – Tsig̱is MPA (TḥT for short) will protect a network of hydrothermal vents (think deep sea geysers or hot springs releasing superheated and mineral-enriched water) and seamounts (ancient volcanic mountains that can tower higher than Whistler Mountain). These biological hotspots provide habitat, shelter, food, spawning grounds, and nurseries for wildlife. It truly is a “Deepsea Oasis.”

Canada’s first MPA, Endeavour Hydrothermal Vents, which protected 5 vents and 97 km2 since 2003, is now part of this new MPA that spans over 133,000 km2.

Indigenous-led Conservation

The name for this new MPA is three words from the Haida, Quatsino, Nuu-chah-nulth and Pacheedaht Nations.

Tang.ɢ̱wan: a Haida word meaning deep ocean (pronounced “Tung – Gwun”)
ḥačxwiqak: a Nuu-chah-nulth and Pacheedaht word meaning deepest part of the ocean (pronounced “huch/khwi/kuk”)
Tsig̱is: a Quatsino word referring to a monster of the deep (pronounced “tsee-geese”)

It’s easier to pronounce than it seems! If you need some more help, listen to the pronunciation.

This incredible area will be co-managed by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, Council of the Haida Nation, Pacheedaht First Nation, Quatsino First Nation and the Government of Canada. In the spirit of reconciliation, it will be managed using both science and traditional knowledge and uphold First Nations rights to governance.

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A post shared by CPAWS-BC (@cpawsbc)

Weird and Wonderful Wildlife

The area is home to some of the weirdest and most wonderful creatures on the planet:

Dumbo octopuses are a group of deep sea octopuses that flap ear-like flippers on their heads to move around, much like Dumbo the elephant in the famous Disney movie.
Tubeworms are unlike almost any other creature on the planet. Instead of getting their energy from sunlight , they rely on bacteria that are able to produce energy from the mineral rich water expelled from hydrothermal vents.
Sea pigs are actually types of sea cucumbers, named for their pinkish colour. They use their tubelike feet to walk along the sea floor while they feed on organic matter that sinks down from shallower waters.
Last year, scientists discovered a seamount covered in a million skate eggs in the MPA. The ancient volcano is spouting warm fluid, providing little-known species of skates with an ideal nursery. Scientists believe the geothermal heat helps incubate the eggs and speeds up development.

The deep sea is a dark and mysterious place — under-mapped and under-explored. We have only begun to scratch the surface of what lives here. Who knows what other amazing creatures will be found in the future?

Dumbo octopus. Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0), Flickr

Tubeworms. Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0), Flickr

Sea pig. Ocean Networks Canada (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0), Flickr

Pacific white skate. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (CC BY-NC 4.0), iNaturalist

Upholding Strong Protection is a must

Canada’s new MPA protection standard will prohibit oil and gas exploration, development, and production, disposal at sea of waste, and most importantly for this area specifically, mineral exploration and exploitation and the use of bottom-trawl gear. With the growing need for rare minerals to power electric vehicles, deep sea environments are under threat from an industry that would tear apart wildlife-rich seamounts. This environment is also especially vulnerable to bottom trawling which uses heavy weighted nets dragged on the seafloor to indiscriminately capture any and all sea life, including rare protected species and habitat-forming corals and sponges.

Protection of these important and rare ecosystems would not be possible without the support of the public who signed petitions, wrote letters, and participated in consultations. Thank you also goes out to First Nations leadership and elected officials for helping secure legal protections. And finally, thanks are given to the scientists, communicators, and marine planning professionals from Federal and Indigenous governments, non-profit organizations, and universities such as those at the Northeast Pacific Deep-sea Exploration Project (NEPDEP). They explored and discovered these amazing places, conveyed their importance to the world, and worked tirelessly behind the scenes conducting the much needed technical work to make this new Marine Protected Area a reality.

This Is Only The Beginning

The MPA work doesn’t stop with designation. The Haida, Quatsino, Nuu-chah-nulth and Pacheedaht Nations and the Government of Canada must now work to form a management board. An advisory committee, with conservation groups like CPAWS-BC, will also be established. Together, they will create a management plan to make sure we know the MPA is protecting the ecosystem, which means monitoring, enforcement and management of human activities. We will be there to help ensure this special part of the ocean is strongly protected.

Read more about THT.

July 18 2024

CPAWS-BC celebrates $49M federal investment to advance nature-based climate solutions in BC

Max Winkelman News biodiversity, canadian parks and wilderness society, conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, tori ball

CPAWS-BC celebrates $49M federal investment to advance nature-based climate solutions in BC New funding will advance the goal of protecting 30% of lands by 2030 while bolstering community resilience to climate change

July 18, 2024

Unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples/Vancouver, BC – The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, British Columbia is celebrating a $49 million federal investment to address climate change through nature conservation in BC. This funding is focused on thousands of hectares of carbon-rich ecosystems such as grasslands, wetlands, mature forests and overlapping with habitat for species at risk such as grizzly bears and Marbled Murrelets.

“We are thrilled to see this massive investment into the protection of nature in BC,” says Tori Ball, Conservation Director for the Land & Freshwater Program with CPAWS-BC. “This funding has the potential to make a massive impact by protecting ecologically and culturally important ecosystems that hold and sequester carbon while benefitting clean water, air and wildlife.”

The funds were announced on July 18 by Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada and are part of the federal Nature Smart Climate Solutions Fund. The three successful BC recipients are:

$37 million will go to the BC Parks Foundation to protect 4,000 hectares of private land
$8 million will go to the Nature Trust of British Columbia to create 11 new protected areas
$4 million will go to Nuxálk Nation to protect private land in the Great Bear Rainforest

The announcement follows a heat wave which saw 37 heat records broken in BC, with multiple places clocking highs over 40C. Natural climate solutions such as protecting areas from land use changes, namely development or resource extraction, are a proven and lower-cost way to capture or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. These actions must also be paired with the reduction of fossil fuel emissions to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

“We know that protecting carbon-rich and intact ecosystems such as grasslands and mature forests is a proven way to protect species at risk while increasing the resiliency to wildfires, floods and drought which is increasingly important in a warming world,” continued Ball. “We also know that these solutions are most effective when put in place with the leadership of First Nations knowledge and direction on land use within their territories.”

This comes just a few weeks after the release of a new survey which found overwhelming support for nature protection amongst British Columbians with 85% supporting the provincial commitment to protect 30% by 2030.

“It is clear that people across BC want to see the government use available resources and tools to protect and connect landscapes that nurture people, wildlife and the essential services that ecosystems provide. This must be done in partnership with First Nations who are already putting forward bold plans to protect their traditional territories,” said Ball.

For interviews contact:
Max Winkelman
Communications Manager
max@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 x3

Additional resources:
REPORT: Protected Areas as a Nature-Based Climate Solution

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July 9 2024

Charting a new path for the Great Bear Sea: How Indigenous Nations, governments, and communities are breaking the mould

Max Winkelman Blog conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc

Photo credits: Emilee Gilpin / Coastal First Nations

Charting a new path for the Great Bear Sea How Indigenous Nations, governments, and communities are breaking the mould

July 9, 2024 – Debra Sinarta, Marine Research Coordinator, Ocean Program

Despite success stories and significant progress in marine conservation initiatives, their planning, implementation, and effective management are often hindered by a seemingly stale yet crucial element: finance.

We see the same problem in many different forms: conservation projects never get started because of a lack of necessary funds, or initiatives get underway but progress falls short when the money runs out.

To reach the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity’s goal of protecting 30% of the ocean by 2030 globally, the estimated annual management costs range between $103 billion and $178 billion, according to a report (Waldron et al., 2020). However, global investments in protected areas hover around $24 billion per year, highlighting a significant boost in funding is needed to meet this goal.

It’s a problem that’s on the verge of being solved in parts of BC.

Over the past year, we’ve started to see announcements that will secure the long-term health of nature. In November, we saw the Nature Agreement and the BC Conservation Fund. On June 25, 2024, a similar $335 million agreement was announced for the Great Bear Sea, which covers two-thirds of the coast of British Columbia!

The Great Bear Sea is an ecological and cultural treasure that supports vast open ocean, estuaries, kelp forests, coral and sponges, and deep fjords. Unfortunately, overfishing, habitat degradation, increased shipping, and climate change are threatening the health and resilience of the Great Bear Sea and the coastal peoples that depend on it.

Image courtesy of ourgreatbearsea.ca // Photo Credit: Kitasoo Xai’Xais Territory / Moonfish Media

We need a two-pronged approach to help address these problems: creating a Marine Protected Area Network that considers the ecosystem as a whole, and securing the necessary lasting funding to bring it to life.

The Great Bear Sea Project Finance for Permanence initiative can help to advance both. Here’s how:

Long-Term and Large-Scale Impact:

The Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) is an innovative and proven conservation finance model that combines public and private investments from a diverse array of partners—including governments, NGOs, private investors, and local communities— to support permanent conservation strategies and sustainable economic development.

Often, conservation efforts rely on one-time or limited donations or grants. Although these funds are crucial for supporting individual projects, depending on incremental funding can introduce instability, lack of continuity, and gaps in protection.

Rather than seeking short-term funding to support one site, this new model aims to secure the necessary long-term financing, governance agreements, and strong conservation and development goals needed for lasting success across large-scale conservation efforts.

Collaborative Management:

The PFP approach unites governments, NGOs, donors, and local communities to fulfill a common conservation vision. It coordinates resources and efforts across these key partners to ensure that strong, sustained governance is in place for designing and implementing conservation commitments.

Following the Great Bear Sea MPA Network endorsement one year ago, collective and timely work is needed to bring the network to life. The Great Bear Sea announcement is an essential backing to advance the collaborative implementation of the Network Action Plan. This stable funding will be crucial in building capacity across partners, ensuring the continued management and monitoring of the MPAs, and fostering Indigenous-led governance in the decision-making process.

It’s anticipated it will also support the creation of more than 3,000 new jobs and 200 new businesses over the next 20 years. This is critical to ensure that those living near these vulnerable habitats can thrive where they live and help ensure local support. These opportunities will span diverse sectors, including marine stewardship, renewable energy, sustainable fisheries, and eco-cultural tourism. This will not only bolster local communities but also contribute to a sustainable and prosperous future for the region.

Holistic and Shared Vision:

The Great Bear Sea Initiative and MPA Network are the result of nearly two decades of collaborative work led by 17 First Nations, who’ve been stewarding these lands and waters for thousands of years, in partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia. And the vision is clear: Indigenous-led governance and stewardship, supported by stable, self-determined finance, to ensure the well-being of people and ecosystems across the Great Bear Sea for future generations.

Map of the proposed Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network.

The Great Bear Sea PFP is transforming how we finance and manage conservation, ensuring ecological, social, political, and financial sustainability. This is an exciting milestone for the lasting protection of the Great Bear Sea and a historic step forward for Indigenous-led conservation. It’s the realization of decades of vision and collaboration across the region. As we look to the future, this initiative showcases the power of collaboration and innovative finance in securing a thriving Great Bear Sea for generations to come.

Learn more about the Great Bear Sea Initiative

VISIT OURGREATBEARSEA.CA

June 6 2024

New Interim Order fails to plug hole that dumps 32 billion litres of waste into B.C. ocean

Max Winkelman News canadian parks and wilderness society, conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, marine protected area

New Interim Order fails to plug hole that dumps 32 billions litres of waste into B.C. ocean

June 6, 2024

Unceded Coast Salish Territories (VANCOUVER, BC) – As coastal B.C. ecosystems and local communities brace for the annual cruise ship season, the Canadian Transport Ministry just released an “Interim Order” on cruise ship pollution that continues to permit the dumping of 32 billion litres of waste into the waters off the BC coast.

The holes in the interim measures were pointed out in a report released by Stand.earth and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia last month to guide the Transport Ministry towards protecting coastal waters and communities. It still stands.

“What is it going to take for the Transport Ministry to get serious about defending the coasts from pollution? This lazy cut-and-paste of last year’s Interim Order still permits 32 billion litres of sewage, and ships’ waste to be dumped annually – the equivalent of half the world flushing a toilet into the coastal waters off B.C.” said Anna Barford, shipping campaigner with Stand.earth. “The Transport Ministry had an opportunity to remedy this by extending the application of cruise ship discharge regulations to the entirety of Canada’s jurisdiction in the territorial sea, prohibiting the use of scrubbers under Canada’s jurisdiction, and putting into place regular, independent third-party monitoring while cruise ships are underway to ensure discharge requirements are met. They have ignored our recommendations to the detriment of marine life and coastal ecosystems and communities.”

Scrubbers are devices on ships to treat exhaust gasses. They take sulphur from fuel and dump it into the sea in the form of wastewater, essentially turning air pollution into water pollution. Greywater is wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers and appliances, like dishwashers and laundry machines. It is a significant source of microplastics.

“The Great Bear Sea is home to many threatened and vulnerable species as well as species that have great cultural and food importance. The dumping of this much wastewater is a massive threat to the animals and plants that live there, such as orcas and humpback whales, and also to the local communities that depend on a healthy and abundant ocean,” says Kate MacMillan, conservation director for the ocean program at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia Chapter.

Transport Canada’s original Interim Order from June 9, 2023 allowed vessels to continue to discharge sewage, greywater and scrubber wastewater along the B.C. coast and inlets. The entire Great Bear Sea, including the proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network, is not protected from the dumping of this scrubber wastewater. Transport Canada changed nothing this year.

“Additionally, this interim order seems to contradict Canada’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA) Protection Standard which looks to prohibit ocean dumping in MPAs. With an MPA Network being planned for the Great Bear Sea, the future health and resilience is being put at risk,” says MacMillan.

The report that Stand.earth and CPAWS-BC released last month found that approximately 35% of the proposed MPA Network is open to the discharge of untreated sewage and greywater through unregulated “toilet bowls”. Additionally, specific geographic exemptions potentially permit the discharge of sewage and greywater along the entirety of the Great Bear Sea’s complex coastlines.

The report made multiple recommendations such as legally requiring cruise ships to have holding tanks that are of adequate size and eliminating the exemption that permits cruise ships to discharge in areas where the shores are narrower than six nautical miles wide.

“The Transport Ministry has so far ignored us about this. They have even ignored reporters about this. They cannot, however, ignore the local communities demanding cleaner waters, or the science which is clear about the impacts of cruise ship dumping on the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales”

Link to the report.
Link to the report release.

Contact:
Kate MacMillan,
Conservation Director, Ocean Program
CPAWS-BC
604-685-7445 x 6
kate@cpawsbc.org

Anna Barford
Canada Shipping Campaigner
Stand.earth.
+1 604-757-7029
anna@stand.earth

May 27 2024

Community Spotlight: Meadowlark Nature Festival

Max Winkelman Blog canadian parks and wilderness society, conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc

Community Spotlight: Meadowlark Nature Festival

Over the May long weekend, our Land and Freshwater team travelled to the nxʷəlxʷəltantət (South Okanagan-Similkameen) to participate in the Meadowlark Nature Festival. CPAWS-BC has worked with partners in the region over the past two decades to expand protection for the increasingly endangered grasslands, with our work focusing particularly on the proposed South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve and more recently the nʔaysnúlaʔxʷ (Ashnola) sPA (sməlqmíx Protected Area).

Grasslands in BC have more species at risk than any other ecosystem in the province. They cover just 1% of the province, but are home to 30% of at-risk species in BC, such as the burrowing owl and bighorn sheep, making them one of the most important conservation priorities in BC.

It was amazing to visit protected areas, connect with supporters, talk about the urgent conservation needs of endangered grasslands, and see people participating in a fantastic art session with Ullus Collective Indigenous artists.

Where the Four Sacred Ecosystems Connect

A journey to protect the Ashnola River Corridor

On Saturday morning we travelled from our base in Penticton, 60 kilometres southwest to the nʔaysnúlaʔxʷ (Ashnola) sPA (sməlqmíx Protected Area) just outside of Keremeos.

Rob Edwards, Lauren Terbasket and Rheana Marchand from the Lower Similkameen Indian Band (LSIB) shared with us and Meadowlark festival participants, their journey to protect the Ashnola River Corridor (or watershed), home to one of the most endangered rivers in the province.

After living through the gradual but profound degradation of some of their lands and water from mining discharge, unsustainable forestry, hunting and other exploitative activities, the sməlqmíx people re-asserted their sovereignty and obligation to protect and conserve the waters and lands, through cultural revitalization and traditional knowledge, throughout the Similkameen watershed. In 2022, the Lower Similkameen declared the entirety of the Ashnola Watershed an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA).

In the summer of 2023, the largest forest fire in the valley since the 1800s, affected 40,000 hectares in the Ashnola sPA. The small team at the LSIB, having declared the IPCA only a year earlier, were already busy implementing conservation and management plans. Now they are also undertaking restoration work to manage the aftermath of the fires and replant millions of tree and shrub seedlings to stabilize and ensure safety around the steep slopes of popular recreation areas.

As we walked around the Ashnola campground and sməlqmíx Protected Area, we learned about the unique grassland shrubs like snowbrush and bitterroot and were able to smell the rain on the parched earth. We were filled with a deep sense of gratitude for their dedication and determination to keep pushing forward to protect and steward these breathtaking lands.

Coexisting with fire

Learning from a wildfire expert

On Saturday evening, back in Penticton at the Okanagan College, we joined Tour 35 – Learning to Coexist with Wildfire in BC led by eminent scholar and UBC Professor of Forest & Conservation Science Lori Daniels.

As the province grapples with the aftermath of the 2023 wildfires, such as the one that went through the Ashnola Valley as we had seen earlier that day, a shift to diversified, evidence-based, adaptive and proactive landscape management, based on science and community knowledge, is critically needed, according to Daniels.

Her presentation called for transformative changes to forest management and highlighted the importance of cultural connections to the land and reintroducing indigenous forest management practices. It echoed what we had heard earlier in the day. Daniels also noted that cultural and prescribed fire removes the build up of plant material and reduces the intensity of naturally occurring wildfires, while also promoting health and resiliency of the land.

Because we are beautiful – ałi kʷu swiwinumpta

Making art with grassland materials

On Sunday morning we gathered together in the gardens of Leir House for a session led by Victoria Jaenig of Ullus Collective Indigenous artists to learn the art of making dragonflies from traditional locally collected grasses and leaves (as well as some more contemporary materials).

This session provided another way for us to connect with the grasslands we had been learning about.

This event was also a great opportunity to engage in conversations with attendees about the work that CPAWS-BC and partners have been undertaking in the region and highlighted the important relationship between preserving cultural connections to the land and healthy ecosystems.

Ullus Collective has been creating a place to gather and cultivate the unique arts practices of sqilxw artists for over four decades and it was a privilege to be able to spend the morning together.

Our journey home on Highway 3, took us past a dusty white mountain peak, scarred by mining activity, not far from the Ashnola protected area. It underscored the importance of the ongoing work to protect the Ashnola watershed and the nearby proposed South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve.

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May 14 2024

REPORT: 32 billion litres of waste dumped in BC coastal waters per year

Max Winkelman News conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, marine protected area

REPORT: 32 billion litres of waste dumped in BC coastal waters per year

May 14, 2024

Unceded Coast Salish Territories (VANCOUVER, BC) – As coastal B.C. ecosystems and local communities brace for the annual cruise ship season, holes in the Canadian Transport Ministry’s “Interim Order” on cruise ship pollution permit the dumping of 32 billion litres of waste into B.C.’s Coastal waters, according to a report by Stand.earth and the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – BC Chapter (CPAWS-BC).

“Currently the holes in Transport Canada’s Interim Order permit 32 billion litres of sewage, ships’ waste to be dumped annually – the equivalent of half the world flushing a toilet into B.C.’s coastal waters” said Anna Barford, shipping campaigner with Stand.earth. “The Transport Ministry has an opportunity to remedy this in June, however, by extending the application of cruise ship discharge regulations to the entirety of Canada’s territorial sea, prohibiting the use of scrubbers in Canada’s territorial waters, and putting into place regular, independent third-party monitoring while cruise ships are underway to ensure discharge requirements are met.”

Scrubbers are devices on ships to treat exhaust gasses. They take sulphur from fuel and dump it into the sea in the form of sludge, essentially turning air pollution into water pollution. Greywater is wastewater from toilets, sinks, showers and appliances, like dishwashers and laundry machines. It is a significant source of microplastics.

“The Great Bear Sea is home to many threatened and vulnerable species. The dumping of this much wastewater is a massive threat to the animals and plants that live there, such as orcas and humpback whales, as well as for the local communities that depend on the ocean,” says Kate MacMillan, conservation director for the ocean program at the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – British Columbia Chapter.

Transport Canada issued an Interim order on June 9, 2023 which allow vessels to continue to discharge sewage, greywater and scrubber wastewater along the B.C. coast and inlets, while the entire Great Bear Sea, including the proposed Marine Protected Area (MPA) Network, is not protected from the dumping of scrubber wastewater.

Approximately 35% of the proposed MPA Network is open to the discharge of untreated sewage and greywater through unregulated “toilet bowls,” according to the report. Additionally, specific geographic exemptions potentially permit the discharge of sewage and greywater along the entirety of the Great Bear Sea’s complex coastlines.

The report makes multiple recommendations such as legally requiring cruise ships to have holding tanks that are of adequate size and eliminating the exemption that permits cruise ships to discharge in areas where the shores are narrower than six nautical miles wide.

“Canada has a responsibility and moral obligation to prioritize protecting its coastal biodiversity, respect the rights of coastal First Nations, and to conserve the bounty and beauty of Canadian coasts for future generations,” concluded Barford.

Link to the report.

Contact:
Anna Barford
Canada Shipping Campaigner
Stand.earth.
+1 604-757-7029
anna@stand.earth

Kate MacMillan,
Conservation Director, Ocean Program
CPAWS-BC
604-685-7445 x 6
kate@cpawsbc.org

Tell Canada to stop dumping!

Visit the STAND.earth petition to tell the Minister of Transport to stop ocean dumping and get serious about protecting our oceans.

Take action

May 2 2024

Indigenous Marine Protected Area in BC wins prestigious international award

Max Winkelman Blog conservation, cpaws, cpaws-bc, ipca, marine protected area

Indigenous Marine Protected Area in BC wins prestigious international award

May 2, 2024

Photo courtesy of Kitasoo Xai’xais/Moonfish Media

It’s a big win for Indigenous-led conservation on the world stage! Kitasoo Xai’xais Nation’s Gitdisdzu Lugyeks (Kitasu Bay) Marine Protected Area (MPA) has won Marine Conservation Institute’s prestigious Blue Parks Award — the first award in Canada and the first Indigenous-led blue park in the world.

Located near Klemtu on the central coast of BC, the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA is a haven for marine life. Strong tides bring nutrient rich water into the bay, providing a rich source of food for fish, seabirds and marine mammals. Seagrass meadows and kelp forests provide herring with spawning grounds and other young fish with protective nursery habitat.

Designated in 2022, the MPA doesn’t just support nature, it sustains people as well. Gitdisdzu Lugyeks is an integral part of the culture, livelihoods and traditions of the local community. It is known as a spiritual place whose waters and marine life are vital to the Nation’s economy, health and culture. If marine life can thrive here, it is hoped that richness can expand into nearby areas and benefit both the people and wildlife that depend on the coast.

“We know these waters better than anyone, Kitasu Bay has been part of our home for thousands of years through to the present day,” said Hereditary Chief Nies’los (Kelly Robinson) in 2022.

Living around and stewarding these waters for thousands of years, the Kitasoo Xai’xais Stewardship Authority are weaving traditional knowledge and modern science together to responsibly care for the biodiversity and resources of the MPA. With the Kitasoo Xai’xais Guardian Watchmen monitoring these waters, management will follow the guiding principles of the Nation: loomsk (respect), sagayt k’uulm goot (interconnectedness), sityaaw (reciprocity), and gugwilx’ya’ansk (intergenerational knowledge).

Recognizing this, Marine Conservation International awarded Gitdisdzu Lugyeks with a Blue Park award earlier this month. These awards are given in recognition of exceptional marine biodiversity conservation; having met the highest science-based standards for conservation effectiveness. The judging panel considers the productivity and importance of the MPA’s location as well as its regulations and management.

“Receiving this Blue Park Award not only recognizes what we’ve been doing as a Stewardship Authority, but it also sets the stage for other Indigenous Nations to use this as a blueprint for their own protected areas in their territories,” said Kitasoo Xai’xais elected Chief, Doug Neasloss. “The management plan for Gitdisdzu Lugyeks combines our traditional knowledge and responsibilities with western science in a way that protects ecosystems and human livelihoods, and we’re grateful that this award recognizes the strength in that combination.”

This award is further proof of the effectiveness of Indigenous-led conservation. In 2019, a UBC-led study found that the total numbers of birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles were all greatest on lands managed or co-managed by Indigenous communities, higher than parks and wildlife reserves.

Gitdisdzu Lugyeks will be part of the Great Bear Sea Marine Protected Area Network, an initiative led by 15 First Nations along the north and central coast. The network aims to connect new protected areas to already existing ones to help restore the region’s ocean to abundance for the benefit of children, grandchildren, and future generations.

This award is further proof that Indigenous-led conservation is the way forward. Learning from their vision and knowledge, a healthy coast can be achieved for the well-being of everyone in British Columbia.

Read more about the the Gitdisdzu Lugyeks MPA at:
The Narwhal
National Observer

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April 25 2024

CPAWS-BC supports park plan that advances reconciliation and visitor experience

Max Winkelman News bc parks, conservation, cpaws-bc, tori ball

CPAWS-BC supports park plan that advances reconciliation and visitor experience

April 25, 2024

Today, BC Parks, Líl̓wat and N’Quatqua announced a partnership to balance access to the Pipi7íyekw / Joffre Lakes Park for visitors and First Nations this summer. This agreement will support visitor experience, healthy ecosystems and preserve the cultural connections of Líl̓wat and N’Quatqua to this spiritual place.

“We know that supporting First Nations cultures is critical to maintaining and rebuilding ecological integrity. We are excited to see this agreement centre reconciliation and the values of Lil’wat Nation and N’Quatqua, aa well as outline a positive visitor management strategy to support people and the area’s ecosystems,” says Tori Ball, Conservation Director – Land and Fresh Water, Canadian Parks And Wilderness Society, British Columbia.

The agreement announced today comes after years of work by the province, Líl̓wat Nation and N’Quatqua, to improve visitor management in the region, which has seen a surge in outdoor recreation demand and visitor numbers. The abrupt closure of the area last fall resulted in public confusion and tensions for park visitors.

“We are happy to see this proactive planning between BC Parks, Líl̓wat Nation and N’Quatqua for Pipi7íyekw that supports First Nation connections to land and cultural practices and clear public communication to support appropriate public access to the area,” Ball continued. “This collaborative planning and decision-making is critical to reconciliation and the future of conservation and protected areas management.”

The joint park operational plan for 2024 includes three Pipi7íyekw Reconnection Celebration time periods:

April 30 to May 15, to support Indigenous-led cultural celebrations, including Stl’atl’imx Days – a celebration of the Declaration of the Lillooet Tribe on May 10, 1911.
June 14 to 23, to support summer solstice and Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebrations.
September 3 to October 6, to support Indigenous fall harvesting practices and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

These closures will enable Líl̓wat Nation and N’Quatqua to reconnect with the land and carry out traditional, sustenance, cultural and spiritual practices. In addition to the multi-day closures, there will be a limit on the number of daily visitors through the free day-use pass system to support public safety and the natural values of the park.

Overcrowding can negatively affect both the local ecosystem and visitor experience, for example, through people going off-trail. Managing the daily visits is an important tool to support the area’s plants and wildlife, as well as visitor safety.

“Healthy and thriving ecosystems are critical to a healthy future for all. Respectful relationships and sustainable outdoor recreation is important for building up a culture of nature enthusiasts who continue to enjoy and care for nature for generations to come,” says Ball.

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Media Contact:
Max Winkelman
Communications Manager
max@cpawsbc.org
604-685-7445 x3

More details:

500 free day-use passes, as well as camping opportunities at 26 tent pads will be available each day Pipi7íyekw / Joffre Lakes Park is open for recreational use.
- The free day-use passes will be available for reservation starting at 7:00 am, two days before a planned visit, and are available online at https://reserve.bcparks.ca/dayuse/.
- Camping can be booked up to four months in advance of arrival at https://camping.bcparks.ca/.
Link to the BC Government press release
Link to Joffre Lakes Park overview page