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 »Posts Tagged: Species at Risk
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 »BC Headed in the Right Direction with New Coastal Marine Strategy!
Have you heard the good news? On July 11th, 2024, the Government of BC released its province-wide Coastal Marine Strategy (CMS) four years after committing to developing one. As one of the only coastal regions in North America without a comprehensive strategy to protect coastal and marine areas, this is a moment that GSA has … Continue reading
Read more »Environmental assessment finds Roberts Bank project will impact endangered orcas
The panel responsible for the environmental assessment of the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2 (RBT2) project publicly released their recommendations earlier today, which conclude that the development will result in a “significant adverse effect” on endangered Southern Resident orcas and several other at-risk marine species. The report also concludes that the proposed development has the … Continue reading
Read more »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 4th 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: … Continue reading
Read more »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 … Continue reading
Read more »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 … Continue reading
Read more »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 … Continue reading
Read more »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 … Continue reading
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