Why this action is needed
The recently approved Roberts Bank Terminal 2 megaproject will have far-reaching impacts on the entire fraser river ecosystem by destroying critically important habitat to millions of marine critters and humans alike around the Salish Sea. This $3.5 billion project will add an additional 2.4 million 20-foot shipping containers and required infrastructure to the waters of the Salish Sea. The devastation this will cause is truly frightening for humans and non-humans alike—potential oil spills, underwater noise, contaminant pollution, chronic health risks, disrupted migration patterns, economic uncertainty for fisheries and other industries; the list goes on.
The project, equivalent to 330 football fields in size, overlaps with critical habitat for the Southern Resident killer whales and millions of birds that use this as a stopover site along the Pacific Flyway — including our tiny friends, the Western Sandpipers.
This is incredibly important as every year, these birds embark upon an astounding migration spanning several thousands of kilometers each way. Before they commence the final leg of their journey to their breeding grounds in Alaska, hundreds of thousands of these birds stop over at Roberts Bank looking for their favorite food – ‘biofilm’. The slimy unassuming mudflats in this area are covered with algae, bacteria, and organic matter that are a lifeline to these birds, contributing up to 60% of their diet. Think of the biofilm as an energy packed smoothie that helps you run a marathon. Amazingly, this forms the base of the food chain of the Salish Sea, ultimately supporting salmon and all the way up to the Southern Residents, directly or indirectly.
Following the environmental assessment, Roberts Bank Terminal 2 megaproject was approved with a staggering 370 conditions in place to ameliorate the threats it poses to the entire ecosystem. Situated in between the feeding grounds and the shore, this colossal project is bound to have detrimental impacts on this critical habitat. We must have our eyes on condition 10.4 which requires evidence that these mudflats are not destroyed beyond a certain threshold. Imagine you have practiced for this marathon for months, and suddenly at your final check-point your last energy drink vanishes, and there’s 1000 kilometers to go.
The consequences of losing these mudflats will be reflected beyond our tiny friends, the Western Sandpipers. It is like losing the base of a building, without which no structure can stand tall and strong. With no biofilm to feed on, ripple effects will be seen through the food chain, ultimately also affecting the Southern Resident killer whales.
Biofilm and orcas?
It is hard to make that connection, but once you see it, it is hard to unsee. Let’s try to simplify this. It can be difficult to see how everything in an ecosystem is linked, but let’s look at the Salish Sea through the lense of biofilm!
Consisting of algae, bacteria, and organic matter, biofilm serves as food for invertebrates and plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling by making nitrogen and phosphorus that helps the growth of other phytoplankton and seagrass. Juvenile fish like herring then feed on these invertebrates and also use biofilm as habitat for protection as they grow. Once they grow, these smaller fish serve as prey to larger fish like salmon, which also use seagrass for protection as they grow, and a myriad of birds. Thus, an imbalance in this biofilm-based ecosystem would ultimately cause disruption in energy transfer across key cascade levels. A drop in smaller fish like herring would cause changes in salmon populations which are the main prey for Southern Resident killer whales. The nitrifying bacteria also present in the biofilm helps in maintenance of water quality and nutrient cycling in the waters. In many ways, protecting biofilm is protecting the overall health of the Salish Sea.
These impacts do not just remain within the waters, but drastically affect local economies that depend on the estuary. More polluted waters, lesser abundance for sustainable fishing , increased vulnerabilities to chronic auditory, respiratory and water-borne health risks, threats to Indigenous food sovereignty and food security, and ultimately an imbalance in a system that is less resilient towards natural disaster, and more vulnerable to the consequences of climate change.
Now more than ever, we need to hold the Port accountable to the binding conditions set by the Government. Roberts Bank is a unique ecological feeding ground along the Pacific Flyway and one of the most biologically productive ecosystems in the world. Protecting this habitat means more than just protecting these incredible birds. It is about taking care of the entire Salish Sea ecosystem by ensuring that all human and non-human communities living in and around the region do not face disproportionate impacts from the project’s construction and future use. Let us make our voices heard and let our leaders know that this is important to us. Send your letter now!
Image credit: Isabelle Groc