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Home , Anvil Island, Bowyer Island, Defence Islands, Strait of Georgia

OCEAN WATCH | Átl’ḵa7tsem / Txwnéwu7ts / 2020 STEWARDSHIP AND GOVERNANCE

Marine Protected Areas: expanding, but under protected

AUTHOR Aroha Miller, Manager, Ocean Watch, What is happening? Ocean Wise Research Institute

REVIEWERS Although no new marine parks have been added to the Atl’ḵa7tsem/Tx- David Bradley, Director, Bird Studies /Études d’Oiseaux wnéwu7ts/Howe Sound area since the 2016 expansion of Ch’á7elsm/Halkett Robert Butler, President, Pacific Wildlife Bay Marine Park, several areas designated to protect specific species or Foundation groups of species have been added. Jessica Schultz, Manager, Howe Sound Conservation and Research Team, Ocean Wise Research Institute

Glass sponge reefs. (Credit: Adam Taylor)

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What is the current status?

Glass sponge reefs

In 2016, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) closed Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound to 11. These areas around nine known glass sponge reefs in the included closures in the Nínich Ḵw’emkw’em/East Strait of Georgia and Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe ; Lhaxwm/; Lost Reef; Sound to all bottom contact fishing activities.1 Bottom Brunswick Point; Ch’a7elsm/Halkett Point; Lha- contact fishing activities are those likely to damage the ́kw’tich /; Dorman Point; and reefs, including fishing activities for prawn, shrimp, and Ḵel̓etstn/Kelvin Grove, combined into one area. crab and groundfish, as well as fishing activities that The refuges include a protection boundary extending use downrigger gear for recreational salmon trolling. to 150 metres from the reefs’ edges (Figure 1). Not During this process, DFO was informed of nine addi- only do these marine refuges protect the glass sponge tional reefs in Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound. reefs, they also protect numerous fish and inverte- In 2017, DFO requested voluntary avoidance of bottom brate species that use the reefs as habitat. contact fishing activities within the additional sites identified in Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound. The establishment of these marine refuges effectively bans all commercial, recreational and Food, Social and In March 2019, DFO formed eight marine refuge areas Ceremonial (FSC) bottom contact fishing activities, as to encompass the nine additional glass sponge reefs detailed above, and adds an additional 3.5 km2 to the placed under voluntary protection in 2017, bringing marine refuge areas2 in the Strait of Georgia bioregion the total number of protected glass sponge reefs in (total approximate size: 36.2 km2).3

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! S q u a er mish Garibaldi Riv MARINE R uam iv !Highlands mq e Ma PROTECTED AREAS r ! River Area IBA Community (BC023) Jc Ferry terminal Î Marina Squamish S Skwelwil'em ! t Î Public dock ÎBlue Heron aw Squamish am Estuary WMA Î Squamish us D Industry Ri ver watershed D Squamish TermMianrailne Municipal No take zone Shannon Park Creek M ill C Glass sponge reef marine refugia ree Squamish k Harbour

Provincial park (marine component) Woodfibre D Woodfibre Creek D Rockfish conservation area Watts Point ia Creek Britann Wildlife management area ! Î Britannia Terrestrial protected area Beach Furry Creek Important Bird Area Po tla tch C re Ellesmere ek Creek ! Ph yl lis East Defence C re Islands ! ek M cN Furry Creek a b Defence C Islands re Howe Sound ek & Defense ainy Ri R ve Islands r Porteau Cove Provincial Park McNab Creek Co a st a l R a n g e ! Domett Point Anvil RCA Anvil Island Island Thornbrough ¤£99 Channel Pam Rock Ekins Point RCA Î ! Ramillies Lost Montagu Douglas Bay Reef Woolridge Channel Channel Island RCA Christie Islet Brunswick Point Gambier Brigade Bay Pam Rocks Port MellonD ! Lions Bay Island Sea Ranch Lions Bay ! ! Woolridge Upper Centre and Kelvin Î Lions Bay Island Centre Bay Î Grove Bay RCA Î Halkett Bay RCA Provincial West Bay Park Halkett Bowyer RCA Point re e k Island ¤£99 ta C Twin Creeks West Bay Long ako D D !Î Bay Î Halkett Bowyer New Bay Island RCA Mariners Brighton Bowyer Rest RCA Î! ÎSunset Î Harbor ! Î! Williamsons Hood Point Landing S u n s h i n e Langdale Jc West C o a st ! Hutt Î Island Whytecliff Hopkins Î Park no take ÎJc Landing Shoal Snug Cove zone Î! Horseshoe Channel Mount ! Plumper Collingwood Gardner JcÎ Bay ¤£1 Cove Marine Keats Channel Î D D Provincial Î Island Dorman ÎWest DDD D Park Plumper Eastbourne BrPigoaidnet Bird Islet DD D D D ! Bowen Vancouver D Roberts Creek Cove Bay Grebe Islet RCA DD DD Î Î Barfleur Island Passage ! Keats English Bay, Burrard D ¤£101 Passage Island RCA DD Landing Bowen Inlet & Howe Sound IBA DDDD ! Bay D DDDD Passage (BC020) D Island Pasley ! Islands Turnstall Pasley Bay Queen Charlotte V Island RCA Channel 1-4 D 1:200,000 0 2.5 5 10 Strait of Georgia Metro Kilometers Vancouver

Figure 1. Marine Protected Areas and Important Bird Areas within Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound.4

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Important Bird Areas

Important Bird Areas (IBA) are sites that support level and one species at the national leveli that con- threatened species, birds restricted by range or habi- gregate in large numbers in the area – the western tat, or large groups of birds that gather in one area. grebe (Aechmophorus occidentalis); Barrow’s golden- IBAs do not afford any legal protection. However, the eye (Bucephala islandica); surf scoter (Melanitta per- sites are identified using internationally agreed upon, spicillata); and the local subspecies, the Pacific great standardized, quantifiable, and scientifically defens- blue heron (Ardea herodias fannini).5 This IBA supports ible criteria. Because of this rigour, IBAs provide ex- numerous other marine and coast- cellent opportunities for bird conservation. al bird species, including high numbers of marbled murrelets, (Brachyramphus marmoratus), recorded in In January 2019, an already existing IBA in Eng- Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound during winter lish Bay/Burrard Inlet was extended to include part surveys conducted in 2014–2015.6 Marbled murrelets of Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound (Figure are a blue-listed species (i.e., considered to be of spe- 1). This particular IBA was designated specifically to cial concern) with a SARAii status of threatened. protect three species deemed important at the global

What are the potential impacts of climate change on MPAs?

MPAs will not prevent climate change impacting the ther destruction or removal of coastal habitats, such species they are designed to protect. However, cre- as coral reefs, mangrove forests, or wetlands, thereby ating MPAs, where certain human activities, such as protecting the coastline and populations living there commercial fishing or resource extraction, are lim- from effects such as more extreme storms. Many of ited or prohibited, will reduce stressors on the species these habitats are also natural carbon sinks, helping using these areas, allowing a better chance for them to reduce carbon emissions and potentially reduce the to adapt to climate change. MPAs help to prevent fur- rate of warming.7

i) National level – If a species occurs in numbers significant at a global level then they are usually, but not always, important at a national level. Significant is 1% of a global or a national population. ii) Species at Risk Act. More about the Species at Risk Act can be found here: https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/ environmental-enforcement/acts-regulations/about-species-at-risk-act.html.

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What has been done since 2017?

The table below reports on progress made on recommended actions from the previous 2017 article, where identified. Many of these require ongoing action.

2017 ACTION ACTION TAKEN

GOVERNMENT ACTIONS AND POLICY

Meet commitment to protect five On August 1, 2019, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that percent of the coastal and marine Canada has surpassed its target of 10% protection of marine and coastal environment by 2017, and 10 areas. Currently, Canada has preserved just over 13% of its marine and percent by 2020. coastal areas (793, 906 km2).8 English Bay/Burrard Inlet Important Bird Area was extended into Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound in January 2019. Eight marine refuge areas were created around glass sponge reefs in Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound in March 2019. The total number of protected glass sponge reefs in Atl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound is now 11.

What can you do?

A detailed overview of recommended actions relating to climate change is included in The path to zero carbon municipalities (OWHS 2020). In some cases, no progress was identified on previous recommended actions; these remain listed below. Additional actions marked as NEW also follow.

Individual and Organization Actions:

• To report any prohibited activities within these areas, call DFO’s 24-hour Observe, Record, Report (ORR) Hotline toll free at 1-800-465-4336, or in at 604-607-4186. Include as much detail as possible, such as location, time, date and activity.

Government Actions and Policy:

• NEW Increase the area of Átl’ḵa7tsem/Txwnéwu7ts/Howe Sound covered under MPAs, with an immediate focus on glass sponge reefs, beach spawning habitat, water flow and Wildlife Management Areas.

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Methods

Information for glass sponge reef marine refuges was transects between June 2014 and May 2015. A litera- sourced from DFO web pages. For the IBA, informa- ture scan was conducted on Google, using key words: tion was sourced from the IBA website, as well as from “climate change” and “marine protected areas.” Butler et al.,6 who conducted bird count surveys along

Resources

This list is not intended to be exhaustive. Omission of a resource does not preclude it from having value.

What is an Important Bird Area? IBA. English Bay, Burrard Inlet & Howe Sound, https://www.ibacanada.com/iba_what.jsp?lang=en Vancouver, British Columbia https://www.ibacanada. com/site.jsp?siteID=BC020

References

1 Dunham A, Archer SK, Davies SC, Burke LA, Mossman J, Pegg JR, et 5 Bird Studies Canada. Important Bird Area (IBA) English Bay, Burrard al. Assessing condition and ecological role of deep-water biogenic Inlet & Howe Sound Vancouver, British Columbia [Internet]. 2019 habitats: Glass sponge reefs in the . Mar Environ Res [cited 2019 Aug 13]. Available from: https://www.ibacanada.ca/site. [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2020 Jan 9];141:88–99. Available from: https:// jsp?siteID=BC020 www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141113618303544 6 Butler RW, Couturier AR, Richmond S, Dickson E, Middleton H, 2 Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Fisheries Notice. FN0205-Glass Beaty P. Status and Distribution of Marine Birds and Mammals in Sponge Reefs – Pacific – Area 28 – Bottom Contact Fishery Southern Howe Sound, British Columbia. Pacific Wildlife Foundation Closures – Effective April 1, 2019 [Internet]. 2018 [cited 2019 Jul 19]. & Bird Studies Canada. Unpublished. BC, and Port Rowan Available from: https://www-ops2.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/fns-sap/index- Ontario; 2018. eng.cfm?pg=view_notice&DOC_ID=219517&ID=all 7 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Marine 3 Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Strait of Georgia and Howe protected areas and climate change [Internet]. Issues Brief. [cited Sound Glass Sponge Reef (17 fisheries area closures) [Internet]. 2019 2019 Jul 19]. Available from: https://www.iucn.org/resources/issues- [cited 2019 Jul 19]. Available from: http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/ briefs/marine-protected-areas-and-climate-change oeabcm-amcepz/refuges/georgia-georgie-eng.html 8 Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO). Canada’s marine protected and 4 Beaty F, van Riet W, Wareham B, Schultz J. Howe Sound/Atl’ka7tsem conserved areas [Internet]. 2019 [cited 2019 Sep 19]. Available from: Map [Internet]. Ocean Wise and David Suzuki Foundation; 2019. http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/conservation/areas-zones/index- Available from: http://howesoundconservation.ca eng.html

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