Átl'ka7tsem/Howe Sound covers 34,988 hectares of marine area. Year-round, recreation boats travel to, and from island destinations, ferries and water taxis complete regular runs, freighters, and barges deliver and pick up goods.
Addressing and preventing problems in the marine environment is a multi-jurisdictional issue that requires collaboration among many agencies to report, assess, and respond. On February 28th, our Society hosted representatives from the Canadian Coast Guard, Transport Canada, local and regional governments, non-government organizations, and citizen groups. The objective of the workshop was to learn and network.
Three working groups were formed to address mooring buoys, best practices for dock management, and funding for cleanups. If you are interested in know more and join the conversation, contact howesoundbri@gmail.com.
Follow the links here to view the workshop content:
Workshop outline, objectives and marine debris review - Ruth Simons, Project lead, Howe Sound Biosphere Region Initiative Society.
Update on current Federal legislation related to Wrecked, Abandoned, or Hazardous Vessels (WAHVA) by Jason VanderValk -VOC Officer, Vessels of Concern (VOC) Canadian Coast Guard Western Region, Incident Management. Download the Educational WAHVA brochure here. Download Impacts of WAHVA poster here. Download If I find a WAHVA poster here. Download How to be a Responsible Boat or Vessel Owner poster here.
Latest changes to Navigation Protection Act concerning Mooring buoys - regulations by Brent Magee, Navigation Protection Officer, Navigation Protection Program. Transport Canada. Materials reference can be found here.
Overview of issues related to mooring buoys in Mannion Bay, from Bonny Brokenshire, Interim Environment Manager, Bowen Island Municipality.
Update on BC Government's initiative on marine debris - read the recent report here.
Verify inventory available here on the Átl’ka7tsem/Howe Sound Marine Reference Guide. For updates, email howesoundguide@gmail.com. Any additional observations, please make the subject line "Marine debris and problem vessels in Howe Sound," attach a photo of the debris/vessel, a description of the data, and GPS coordinates (if available) in the email.
