Earlier in the summer, we got the best letter in the mailbox: it was from six-year-old Theo, who attends West Sechelt Elementary school on the Sunshine Coast. Orcas are his favourite animal and he knows they need help from organizations, like GSA, to advocate for safer waters for their survival. Theo is trying to raise … Continue reading
Read more »Category Archives: Biodiversity Protection
Birding along the Salish Sea
A local and urban estuary connects far-off parts of the world As a lifelong birder, the Fraser River Estuary is a very special place for me. The estuary supports millions of birds annually as a key stopping point along the Pacific Flyway, a migratory route that goes from Alaska to Patagonia, connecting most of the … Continue reading
Read more »World Rivers Day: Connecting currents, renewing life
The morning sun has risen. The sky is painted in orange hues. Birds dive down swiftly for their morning meal. The splashes indicate the ceremonious return of salmon to their birthplace. The blows in the distance mean the Orcas are wading through the waters, tightly bound within their matrilines. Below the waters, the eelgrass sway … Continue reading
Read more »Canada’s Ocean Noise Strategy: Silencing the Marine Mayhem (or not)
A three-year delay A three-year delay to release the Government’s proposed Ocean Noise Strategy (ONS) has finally come to an end. Originally intended to be proposed in 2021, the ONS draft was released on August 23, 2024. This Strategy has been built on previously existing initiatives such as the Species at Risk Act, Marine Mammal … Continue reading
Read more »Meet GSA’s new Biodiversity Campaigner
A warm welcome to Maithili Devadas who joins our team to continue GSA’s work on Biodiversity Protection in the Salish Sea. Maithili grew up with a strong sense of responsibility to conserve the beauty and resilience of our planet. From an early age, she felt a profound connection to wildlife, and witnessing the loss of … Continue reading
Read more »World Nature Conservation Day
On World Nature Conservation Day, we want to expand our thinking on the right to be housed. The housing crisis affecting humans is a severe and urgent issue. Many people—especially marginalized and racialized communities that have suffered historic and ongoing systemic injustices—face homelessness, inadequate shelter, and a lack of access to safe and affordable housing. … Continue reading
Read more »Celebrating Canada’s Newest and Largest Marine Protected Area Established Through Indigenous Partnerships
On June 19, 2024, Canada reached a significant milestone with the designation of its largest Marine Protected Area (MPA), Tang.ɢ̱wan – ḥačxʷiqak – Tsig̱is (TḥT) MPA. Located approximately 150 kilometers off the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, this new MPA covers 133,017 km², representing around 2.3% of Canada’s ocean territory. The establishment … Continue reading
Read more »The struggle continues to remove fish farms from BC waters
At GSA, we have been considering two significant and very recent developments (both transpiring in June 2024) regarding open net-pen fish farms: The hard-fought victory of fish farms remaining shut in the Discovery Islands, which was possible only with the leadership and stewardship of First Nations. The federal government extending its timeline by four additional … Continue reading
Read more »Reconciling Canada Day
Every year, Canada Day offers a compelling and instructive period of reflection. As a conservation organization that has committed to the pathway of environmental justice and the hard and necessary work this entails, we are grappling with what a holiday like today means. We are on the heels of National Indigenous Peoples day. I think … Continue reading
Read more »My journey into relationship with Cowichan Tribes
As someone who is displaced from their homelands, I personally have a lot to learn about how to live here in a good way from Indigenous Nations. I was lucky enough to be together in person recently with staff from Cowichan Tribes’ Lulumexun Department. I’m feeling the gravity of it all. I’m feeling humble. And … Continue reading
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