Category Archives: Admin

Joint Federal and Provincial Government News Release of Dhaliwal and Sawicki Endorse Race Rocks as Canada’s First Marine Protected Area.

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Fisheries and Oceans Canada - News Release

NR-PR-00-120E

September 14, 2000

DHALIWAL AND SAWICKI ENDORSE RACE ROCKS AS
CANADA’S FIRST MARINE PROTECTED AREA
VICTORIA, BC – Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and Member of Parliament for Vancouver-South Burnaby and Joan Sawicki, Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks announced today their endorsement of the Race Rocks Advisory Board’s recommendation that Race Rocks become Canada’s first Marine Protected Area (MPA) under the Ocean’s Act.

Race Rocks was declared a candidate Marine Protected Area in September, 1998. An MPA is an area of the ocean that is designated for special protection under the Oceans Act. The goals of an MPA are to protect and conserve the natural beauty and richness of Canada’s marine areas, retain ecological diversity, provide scientific research and educational opportunities and preserve the many recreational and cultural features of the oceans.

“I am very pleased and proud that Race Rocks has been put forward for designation as an MPA under the authority of the Oceans Act,” said Mr. Dhaliwal. “Today represents the culmination of an outstanding community-driven process which saw First Nations, BC Parks and Fisheries and Oceans Canada working collaboratively with the local community to achieve a common vision for this special place called XwaYeN.”

“Race Rocks is an international treasure,” said Minister Sawicki. “Today’s announcement will further promote and strengthen the stewardship of this extraordinary place. Together, the federal and provincial marine protected areas designations will help to protect the marine life that makes Race Rocks so unique.”

In 1980, the Province of British Columbia recognized the natural values of the Race Rocks area by designating it as an ecological reserve under their Ecological Reserves Act. This authority provides for protection and conservation over the terrestrial (nine islets) and the ocean bottom (to a depth of 20 fathoms). Designation of Race Rocks or XwaYeN (pronounced shwai’yen) as an MPA will further protect marine species and their habitat found within the boundaries of the existing ecological reserve. The marine ecosystem within this area is known for its exceptional diversity which is of importance to commercial and recreational fisheries in adjacent areas. It also protects critical habitat for threatened Northern abalone.

The MPA designation will also serve to protect the natural beauty of the area and provide scientific and educational opportunities for researchers and students. Lester B. Pearson College, the primary advocate for originally securing Race Rocks as an Ecological Reserve, operates the lightstation facility as a research and education centre in cooperation with BC Parks and Fisheries and Oceans/Canadian Coast Guard.

“The First Nations people have long recognized the importance of the ocean and particular significance of XwaYeN,” said Tom Sampson of the Coast Salish Sea Council. “The creation of this first Marine Protected Area under the Oceans Act is a positive step toward creating mutual understanding of our cultural values. It will have an impact on not only the living marine resources and their environment but on Canadians and, most importantly, their children.”

“Protection of the rich marine waters at XwaYeN (Race Rocks) is an important step towards establishing a system of marine protected areas in Canada,” said Sabine Jessen, Conservation Director for the BC Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society. “The community and government collaboration at XwaYeN is a model for future MPAs. The conservation community is committed to continuing our efforts to protect other ecologically important marine habitats on all of Canada’s coasts.”

“The whale watching and eco-tourism industry is proud to be an integral participant in the MPA process and is extremely pleased that this ecological marine environment will now receive additional protection,” said Dan Kukat, Vice President of the Whale Watch Operators Association (North West) and Sport Fish Advisory Board Member (Victoria Chapter). “The recreational and sport fishing community is pleased to provide continued support in the conservation of marine species.”

“The development of this comprehensive package for Race Rocks has been achieved through the complementary use of the powers of the Oceans Act and of the provincial Ecological Reserves Act, as well as the key role played by the community,” stated Ministers Dhaliwal and Sawicki. “This is an excellent demonstration of Canada’s new management approach towards oceans and their resources.”

Named for its strong tidal currents and rocky reefs, Race Rocks is a showcase for Pacific marine life, featuring whales, sea lions, seals, birds and a wide array of underwater plants and animals. Race Rocks is located 17 kilometres southwest of Victoria at the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and is the most southerly part of Canada’s Pacific coast. One of its nine islets is the site of Race Rocks Lightstation, the second oldest lighthouse in Western Canada.

For a virtual tour of Race Rocks anytime, visit http://ww.racerocks.ca

-30-
 

Backgrounders:

RACE ROCKS – A SUCCESS STORY FOR COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT

(originally at: http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/english/release/bckgrnd/2000/bg0032e.htm)

HERB DHALIWAL  ANNOUNCES THE DESIGNATION OF RACE ROCKS AS CANADA’S FIRST MARINE PROTECTED AREA–VICTORIA, BC

(originally at http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/english/release/Statement/2000/st0002e.htm)

September 14, 2000

 

For information:

Kelly Francis
Fisheries and Oceans Canada
(250) 616-9143		 Alex Dubrowski
Environment, Lands and Parks
(250) 387-9423		 Tom Sampson
Coast Salish First Nations
(250) 652-3889
Sabine Jessen, Conservation Director
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society-BC
(604) 685-7445 office
(604) 657-2813 cell		 Dan Kukat, Vice President
Whale Watch Operators
Sport Fish Advisory Board
(250) 386-6016		 Angus Mathews, Director
Administration & Operations
Lester B. Pearson College
(250) 391-2406

 NOTE: THIS WEB PAGE HAS BEEN COPIED TO OUR SITE TO PRESERVE IT FOR ARCHIVE PURPOSES. (.It appeared originally at:: http://www-comm.pac.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/english/release/p-releas/2000/nr00120e.htm)

racerocks.com home page
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webmaster:
Garry Fletcher
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Turbulence and Mixing Estimates Using a Towed Horizontal microstructure Profiler

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Paul Macoun: Turbulence and Mixing Estimates Using a Towed Horizontal microstructure Profiler

Turbulence and mixing estimates using a towed horizontal microstructure profiler.
Paul Macoun

The Ocean Turbulence Laboratory

University of Victoria

The Purpose

Mixing is the key element in the redistribution of salt, heat and energy in the ocean. Understanding the mechanisms and magnitude of turbulence and other mixing processes is crucial to the improvement of models that predict oceanic and atmospheric change. Our elusive goal is the parameterization of the vertical fluxes of salt and heat based upon the physics of oceanic mixing processes.

The horizontal profiler TOMI (Towed Ocean Microstructure Instrument) is used to make simultaneous measurements of temperature, conductivity, vertical velocity, and their fluctuations. The measurement of vertical velocity provides a means of estimating the rate of dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. The respective products of instantaneous velocity and temperature, and that of velocity and conductivity, provide a direct measure of the vertical fluxes of heat and salt.

Simultaneous vertical profiles of current and its shear from a ship mounted ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) provide a means to relate the measured fluxes to the Froude Number and the Buoyancy Reynolds Number over a wide range of these parameters. The efficiency of mixing, the ratio of buoyancy-to-kinetic energy production, reaches 0.5 in near coastal regions and is generally much larger than the value of 0.2 assumed to apply to the open ocean.

This analysis is to be the first task to undertake with respect to the data set collected at Race Rocks on August 17th, 2000. At present, the processing is at a preliminary stage.

The Instrument

TOMI is a towed oceanographic vehicle designed to measure turbulence in both shallow and deep water. TOMI can support a multitude of instruments, from sonar to underwater cameras. Its primary oceanographic and electronic sensors are as follows:

1) Four airfoil shear probes and two fast-response thermistors on the nose.

2) A seabird temperature and conductivity sensor adjacent to the nose probes.

3) A seabird temperature and conductivity sensor, and a flowmeter, on the upper mast.

4) A seabird temperature and conductivity sensor, and a flowmeter, on the lower mast.

5) A pressure sensor mounted mid-body, internally.

6) An inertial motion sensor package, internal.

The sample rates for these instruments vary from 64 samples per second up to 512 samples per second. The airfoil shear probe is a unique instrument that measures the cross-stream component of velocity. The force generated by cross-stream flow bends a tiny ceramic bi-morph beam, which generates a voltage that is amplified and recorded. The motion sensor contains accelerometers and gyros. Its presence is required because of low frequency body motion contamination that finds its way into the shear probe signals. By having a record of the vehicle’s behaviour, the probe signals can be decontaminated through processing.

(Photos to be added)

Return to P. Macoun- Oceanographic Research

RRAB Meeting June 22, 2000

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RACE ROCKS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING # 6
MINUTES

16h00 –18h00, JUNE 22 2000

DUNSMUIR LODGE, VICTORIA

Participants: Cheryl Borris – Friends of Ecological Reserves

Regrets: Doug Biffard – BC Parks

Observers:Sean MacConnachie – Fisheries and Oceans Canada

***************************************

INTRODUCTIONS

  • Roundtable introductions

DISCUSSION

  • Marc Pakenham introduced Chief Jack and his wife Cora. Chief Jack , thanked the Race Rocks Advisory Board (RRAB) for the invitation, and discussed his hope that one day he would see things returned to the way that they used to be. He talked about the importance of having First Nations working with governments together as a team. He emphasized the importance of the work the people sitting at the table were doing and the difference they were aking. Chief Jack presented Dick Carson with a Coast Salish T-shirt, as a symbol of working together.
  • Kelly Francis thanked everyone for coming and introduced Dick Carson Regional Director of Oceans –Fisheries and Oceans Canada; Ron Kadowaki, Area Director South Coast– Fisheries and Oceans Canada; and Peter Taylor Director of Marine Protected Areas – Environment Australia.
  • Dick Carson thanked the RRAB for their hard efforts to-ate and re-iterated the significance of the work that they had done on the Race Rocks proposal. He updated the RRAB on the progress made by Fisheries and Oceans Canada in moving the proposal forward internally and having regulations completed. He indicated that the Minister is aware of the progress and is looking forward to making an announcement. He highlighted the importance of the collaboration between RRAB members, the Province and the Government of Canada and noted that throughout his experience with Fsheries and Oceans on the coast he has never seen a group reach agreement on common goals in the way that the RRAB has.
  • Dick Carson mentioned the Pacific MPA Strategy and its timeline for completion and sign-off. He indicated that he hopes to include First Nations in the announcement with the provincial Minister of Environment, Lands and Parks and Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.
  • Ron Kadowaki thanked the RRAB for their hard work. He indicated that he was very encouraged and excited about the process and dedication shown by members of the RRAB. In his experience the department has worked in a reactive manner, but in this regard the department is working in a co-operative/pro-active manner. He described his role and responsibility in terms of area management and his hope to make things better in the future.
  • Kelly Francis distributed draft-proposal and explained the content and process on moving the project orward.
  • Gordon Hanson thanked Marc Pakenham on behalf of Tom Sampson for all his hard work and inclusion of First Nations in the process. He suggested that First Nations’ participation is predicated on treaty and First Nations rights and that it is very important that First Nations’ role in management is not lost. This process is viewed as a model for future MPAs including for governance and partnership. First Nations will want to know that the “three-legged stol” model of management will be used.
  • Dick Carson posed a formal request to use the traditional First Nations name for Race Rocks. His view is that these processes cannot move forward without working together. He re-iterated the apology that was made at the initial announcement and recognized the need to work with First Nations.
  • Howard Breen stated that it was tragic that we had not reached closure on this issue. He expressed serious conerns that if timeline is not kept, and election is called this process and the energy put into it will be lost. He also suggested that it would be difficult to maintain consensus amongst constituents if an announcement does not come soon. He indicated that he was disappointed that there was not announcement on Oceans Day and believes that there could be a ministerial announcement at the Minister’s discretion. He expressed his disappointment that the rest of Fisheries and Oceans Canada is not keeping th timetable set out by the Oceans Directorate and delivered by the RRAB.
  • Angus Matthews indicated that the new fiscal year for Pearson College starts in ten days, and the budget for Race Rocks is $0. He recognized that the actual management of a MPA lies within the community and the model of having First Nations in the process is absolutely key. Having the involvement of First Nations covered before an announcement is critical. He recognized that regulations are required but he common sense practices of the day-to-day uses of the MPA have to be taken in to consideration. He expressed his concern that within government the three-legged stool model will not be recognized within official process.
  • Howard Breen indicated that if the delay is to ensure that First Nations are included in the management structure, the Georgia Strait Alliance is supportive.
  • Dick Carson indicated that regardless of the date of announcement he needs to have the confidence that First Nations support the process and hopes for a shared announcement with Province, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and First Nations. In terms of timing management is very aware of pressures and is committed to moving this proposal forward as is the Minister. He suggested that the RRAB could submit something officially to hasten the process.
  • Gordon Hanson indicated that under section of 4.8 of the proposal, Management Intentions, Fist Nations have not been included. This process has received buy-in from First Nations because of recognition of importance of First Nations in management and governance. He asked to have that First Nations be included in this part of the proposal. Kelly Francis and Dick Carson indicated that it would.
  • Peter Taylor described his role in Australia as National MPA manager and described the work he’s been doing with Fisheries and Oceans Canada in writing this proposal. He uggested that on the international stage and the Race Rocks proposed MPA and resulting process in as an outstanding proposal. He described the need for this document to move the proposal forward through government channels and having First Nations included in this document increases this internationally importance of the project.
  • Howard Breen pointed out that marine conservation communities recognize that there are more than two parties (Province and Fisheries and Oceans Canada) in terms of governance and suggested that this proposal does not follow the consensus that was achieved by the RRAB.
  • Angus Matthews stated that it’s embarrassing that this draft document has been presented without First Nations included in the management intentions section. If recognition is given of the important role of First Nations, an announcement should be made as soon as possible.
  • Cheryl Borris indicated her concerns.
  • (The remaining minutes were not transmitted.)…
    Return to RRAB Index

Webcasting from Race Rocks for the Johan Ashuvud Project week in 2000.

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For two weeks in May and June of 2000, Lester Pearson College graduating students, Victor Rakou, David Mesiha and Satoshi Kimura, and in the last week, Juan Manuel Alva and Martin Kryl, joined the sea gulls and stayed at Race Rocks running daily programs on a live camera, and broadcasting directly to the web. Faculty member Garry Fletcher worked with them for the daily webcasts from the shore and from underwater. Sponsorship for this week came from the Johan Ashuvud memorial fund.

Pictures toFiollow

Building the LAN for Race Rocks ( racerocks.ca)

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Digging the Trenches for cable:

At Race Rocks: This composite image was made from a set of images taken from the balcony on the tower in mid-May of 2000. The route of the conduit installed in February is barely evident in the grass areas.

At Pearson College: Behind the observatory at Lester B. Pearson College, this trench carries the cable from the antennae donated by Telus  to the observatory.

Maps and compliance concerns of MPAs

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Posted on May 15, 2000 –

From:
https://mpanews.openchannels.org/news/mpa-news/mapping-and-mpas-practitioners-work-define-resources-boundaries

Maps and compliance concerns

Marc Pakenham, a community advisor for Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO), said the maps used to plan the Race Rocks Pilot MPA, off the nation’s west coast, have held different meanings for different people. “They’re a visualization of what’s being set aside, from one perspective, and what’s being taken away, from another perspective,” he said.

Negotiations on the boundary of the Race Rocks Pilot MPA — a no-take zone for commercial and most sport fishing — were not easy. Ironically, difficulties arose over the government’s attempt to define a relatively linear boundary line so as to ease compliance for fishermen; with a linear boundary, the government reasoned, fishermen would be able to tell more readily whether they were inside or outside the MPA. Fishermen, however, saw the linear boundary as an attempt to expand the MPA beyond the bounds of a 1980 declaration by the British Columbia provincial government that had already established Race Rocks as an “ecological reserve”. The 1980 boundary was much more amoeba-like in shape and based on inexact bathymetric data, roughly approximating a 20-fathom (36.6 meter) contour.

This proposal was not accepted by the fishermen

“The fishermen said they were willing to agree to a no-take zone following the 1980 boundary — because Race Rocks represented an important, biodiverse area — but that they wouldn’t agree to anything bigger,” said Pakenham. The government and other stakeholders agreed to this, despite the compliance challenges posed by a serpentine boundary. “The fact that the MPA is supported by the various stakeholders goes a long way toward ensuring better compliance,” said Pakenham.

Compliance is a major issue for Race Rocks due to its small size. Consisting of exposed rocks surrounded by strong currents and upwellings, the Race Rocks Pilot MPA is smaller than one square mile (2.6 sq. km) in area. If a fishing boat crosses the boundary by 100 meters, it is already well into the no-take zone. Pakenham said he counted on the recent de-scrambling of satellite signals from the US-operated global positioning system (GPS) to aid fishermen in knowing exactly when they are in the protected area. “Mapping is only as good as people’s understanding of where they are,” he said.

 

See this post on Proposals for: Future Modification of the boundaries of the Race Rocks MPA

 A dive with Dr. Scott Wallace for the Discovery Channel,

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Scott Wallace did research in 1997 and 1998 at Race Rocks with Pearson College divers. He studied the population dynamics of the Northern Abalone,Haliotis kamtchatkana
His research was done as part of a PhD thesis in Resource Management from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver :

Wallace, S. S. 1999. Fisheries Impacts on Marine Ecosystems and Biological Diversity: The role for marine protected areas in British Columbia. Ph.D. Dissertation. The University of British Columbia. Pp. 198.

 In May of 2000, he returned to Race Rocks for a dive with Garry and Hana and an interview with Stephanie Paine and Director Julia Nunes for the Discovery Channel. In this video he demonstrates the measurement technique he used in his research.

Wallace, Scott, S. 1999, Evaluating the Effects of Three Forms of Marine Reserve on Northern Abalone Populations in British Columbia, Canada.

Conservation Biology, Vol 13 No 4, August, 1999, pages 882-887.

ABSTRACT: :Marine reserves have been suggested as tools for assisting the management of fisheries by protecting vulnerable marine species from overexploitation. Although there is a theoretical basis for believing that marine reserves may serve as management tools, there are few marine reserves in the world in which to test their effectiveness. My research evaluated three forms of marine reserve on the south coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. I used northern abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana), a severely depleted shellfish in this region, as an indicator of the effectiveness of the reserves. Abalone populations in eight sites receiving different degrees of spatial protection were counted and measured in situ during the spring of 1996 and 1997. In all sites with enforced harvest closures, populations of abalone were greater, and one site with nearly 40 years of protection had on average much larger (older) abalone. Reproductive output, as a function of abundance and size, was also greater in the enforced reserve areas. Larval dispersal from reserves, and hence the benefit to exploited areas, was not formally surveyed. Nevertheless, the results of my study, combined with knowledge of present abalone populations, life history, and regional hydrodynamics, suggest that establishment of reserves is justified in the absence of perfect knowledge of larval dispersal.

This video was taken by Garry Fletcher of Scott as he was involved in measuring abalone at Race Rocks:

Articles published by Scott Wallace: 

Wallace, Scott, S. 1999, Evaluating the Effects of Three Forms of Marine Reserve on Northern Abalone Populations in British Columbia, Canada. Conservation Biology, Vol 13 No 4, August, 1999, pages 882-887.

 

Out of Sight, Out of Mind, and Almost out of Time:

Out of sight, almost out of time–mpa

RRAB March 22, 2000 Agenda

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Race Rocks Advisory Board Meeting- AGENDA
B.C. Parks , 800 Johnson St., Victoria, B.C.
Wednesday, March 22 2000 ; 10h00 — 16h00
Purpose: Fifth meeting of the Race Rocks Advisory Board.

Participants:
Cheryl Borris – Friends of Ecological Reserves
Erin Bradley — Dive Community
Howard Breen – Georgia Strait Alliance
Garry Fletcher – Lester B. Pearson College
Kelly Francis – Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Gordon Hanson – Coast Salish Sea Council
Lieutenant Commander Bill Laing – Department of National Defence (DND)
Dan Kukat — Sport Fish Advisory Board
Angus Matthews -Lester B. Pearson College
Sean Moore – Marina Operators
Jim Morris – BC Parks
Marc Pakenham – Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Tom Sampson – Coast Salish Sea Council
Keith Symington – Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
Brian Smiley — Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Dr. Anita Voss – science
Kevin Walker?- Northwest Whale Watchers Association

Observers:
Sean MacConnachie – Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Paul Preston – Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Jenny Sparkes – Parks Canada
Wendy Szanislow – Parks Canada

Agenda

  1. Purpose of Meeting — Kelly Francis
  2. Recommendations for interim management of Race Rocks MPA — facilitated by Judith Cullington
  3. Governance — Marc Pakenham
  4. Developing a Race Rocks Marine Protected Area budget
  5. Updates from meetings/consultations — Marc Pakenham / Jim Morris
  6. Other business

Return to RRAB Index