Category Archives: Facility work

Cooperative management of marine protected areas, the First Nations view: Lessons learned from the Race Rocks Area of Interest.

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This pdf is from: Recommendations for Effective Marine  Planning Processes
Lessons Learned from Case Studies in Canada, the USA
and Australia:

see PDF: wwf_northwestatlantic_recommendationsforeffectivemarineplanning

 Living Oceans Society
and World Wildlife Fund Canada
January 2005

See page 16-117 for : Cooperative management of marine protected areas, the First Nations view: Lessons learned from the Race Rocks Area of Interest.

 

 

Links to MPA Archived and Current Resources

Aside

Archives of 1999 to 2002 and 2009-2011 Race Rocks MPA Advisory Board Documents
Sept 2009-2010 Race Rocks MPA Advisory Board resources.
  • Marine Protected areas in Canada- Implications for both conservation and fisheries management, C.S Jamieson and C.O.Levings 2001
    Abstract: Legislated marine “protected” areas are now widely distributed throughout tropical and temperate waters, but the nature of human activities actually restricted in any area varies. This ambiguity about what “protected” means hasresulted in contradictory claims as to both the benefits and costs of marine protected areas. Here, we give our perspective on the current status of marine resource protection in Canada in general and British Columbia in particular. We first describe and discuss the history of Canadian marine protected areas established to date. Many areas are claimed to be protected, with little understanding by either the general public or even most marine resource experts as to what human activities are actually regulated by legislative designations. Second, we present an overview of biological reasons and objectives for marine protected areas, followed by a review of both the conservation and fisheries management effects and implications resulting from effective renewable resource protection. Finally, we propose a unique qualitative scheme for classifying and describing marine protected areas of different types to determine relative measures of protection.
  • Marine Protected Areas: An Essential Element of the Fisheries Management Toolbox
    François Côté, Jessica Finney, Science and Technology Division 24 April 2006
    “Introduction :     The urgent need to improve protection and management of marine areas is becoming more and more apparent as the number and status of many important fish stocks continue to deteriorate. It has become evident that the vast majority of attempts to manage fisheries resources in a sustainable fashion have been unsuccessful, and resource managers are beginning to seek alternatives to traditional management strategies. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are viewed as important tools in reducing the risks associated with current fisheries management practices. MPAs are areas of ocean that are protected from various human activities.(1) Canada has taken initial steps to ensure that MPAs will complement existing measures to conserve and protect fisheries resources. In fact, the establishment of a national network of MPAs is one of the main components of the federal oceans management strategy outlined in Part II of the 1997 Oceans Act.(2) By all accounts, however, progress has been slow.This paper provides an overview of some of the background theory behind creating and managing effective MPAs, and looks at how these areas are being used as part of Canada’s oceans and fisheries management strategy. ” Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci. 58: 138–156 (2001)
  • Out of Sight, Out of Mind and Almost out of Time
    Towards an effective System of Marine Protected Areas in BC
    A brief to the Sierra Club of BC by Scott Wallace and David R. Boyd April 2000 (PDF)
  • Developing a Collaborative Process to Establish Marine Protected Areas , Marc Pakenham
    Fisheries and Oceans Canada In: Puget Sound Research ’01. Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team, Olympia, WA
    .XwaYeN (Race Rocks), as Canada’s first Ocean Act MPA, was recommended for designation based on a series of recommendations that were developed through a collaborative process. This process had a numberof distinctive features and quite remarkable results. Was the process based on authority or interests? How do you bring a disparate spectrum of interests together to establish consensus-based recommendations for conservation and protection? As a case study, the XwaYeN experience offered many lessons and has encouraged a wide range of interests to describe their own process and vision for further MPA designations.
ARCHIVAL PAGES: Some no longer available on Government websites.
  • Conservation of Marine Ecosystems ( CANADA) by the NRTEE) ,
    Below is a quote from Chapter 9 of a report on Securing Canada’s Natural Capital.
    “9.2 Key challenges

    One of the most significant barriers to advancing marine conservation in Canada is the extent to which responsibility for protecting marine habitat is fragmented and spread among various agencies and jurisdictions. Within the federal government alone there are more than 35 pieces of legislation and at least 25 agencies concerned with marine management. In addition, although the federal government has primary jurisdiction over the oceans and the continental shelf, authority for some portions of the coastal zone is shared by the federal government with provinces and territories. This has resulted in confusion, duplication of effort and protracted delays in making decisions that affect ocean users.    There is also a lack of coordination within the federal government. Although Fisheries and Oceans Canada has a mandate under the Oceans Act to coordinate the efforts of the three federal agencies that can establish MPAs—Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Parks Canada and Environment Canada—there is no comprehensive federal approach to MPAs. Fisheries and Oceans Canada has taken a “learning by doing” approach to Oceans Act MPAs, by identifying a series of pilot Oceans Act MPA sites on Canada’s coasts. Parks Canada has developed a systems plan based on 29 marine regions but has not identified specific sites for all of them, and Environment Canada has yet to identify the sites that would complete its marine system of national and marine wildlife areas. The lack of a coordinated national plan for MPAs has led to uncertainty among resource users that in some cases has translated into fear and diminished support for conservation initiatives.A third major challenge is our limited knowledge of the oceans compared with what is known about the land. For example, decision makers have extremely limited knowledge about the seabed and the habitat it provides for key species. In essence, we do not know enough about the underwater topography of important marine habitats to manage them effectively. Much of the bottom of Canada’s oceans is mapped at only a very rough scale and, even though ecosystem management requires an understanding of marine food webs, many of the links between marine species are not well understood. ” end of quote
BILL C-10: AN ACT RESPECTING THE NATIONAL MARINE CONSERVATION AREAS OF CANADA  Canada National Marine Conservation Areas Act The Bill received Royal Assent on June 13, 2002 — exactly 4 yrs and 2 days after it was first tabled in the House of Commons. It is now an Act of Parliament .
OCEANS Regulation and Legislation in Canada
Report: Marine Reserves Key to Preserving Ocean Ecosystems
(01/14/2003)
In his report prepared for the Pew Oceans Commission, Dr. Stephen Palumbi of Stanford University finds that fully protected marine reserves are an effective tool for restoring and maintaining coastal and marine habitats. Marine Reserves: A Tool for Ecosystem Management and Conservation describes how intensive loss of coastal habitat, pollution, commercial fishing, recreational fishing, and tourism can degrade marine ecosystems, and presents a crucial role for marine reserves in ocean management.

 

MPA news International News and Analysis of Marine Protected Areas

Red-tailed hawk arrives exhausted.

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“On 9 October 2003, Virgil Hawkes and Mike Demarchi, of LGL Limited, were conducting a monitoring session as part of our research on the effects of disturbance on marine birds and mammals at Race Rocks Ecological Reserve, British Columbia. At 15:20, something scared hundreds of Thayer\’s Gulls from an area just north of the light tower on Great Race Rock. We figured it was likely a Bald Eagle or Peregrine Falcon, based on the gulls\’ behaviour. We then spotted an adult Red-tailed Hawk flying in from the northeast. It landed on a rock right in front of a large male California sealion (photo). The hawk looked very tired and was breathing hard. Perhaps it had attempted to migrate across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, but had to turn back (all day, wind direction was unfavourable for such a crossing). We figured it would just rest up then head back to Vancouver Island. At 15:38 we were observing it once again when suddenly, the hawk collapsed and fell backwards into a crevice. A few seconds later a surge of water flushed the bird into view. It was facing breast-down in the water, lifeless. The surge then drew it back into the crevice and out of view. We were interested in retrieving the carcass for further inspection of its body condition (besides it being a beautiful specimen), but in keeping with the conditions of our research permit and because doing so would have caused many sealions to charge off into the water, we refrained. We were just left to contemplate the strange event and consider ourselves fortunate to have witnessed one of nature’s fascinating dramas.–Mike Demarchi– See photo here: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/marmam/sealion/redtail.jpg

Garry’

RRAB Meeting Dec 9, 2002

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RACE ROCKS ADVISORY BOARD MEETING # 9
Minutes of Race Rocks Advisory Board Meeting
December 11, 2002 13:00hrs
Oak Bay Beach Hotel (thanks to Kevin Walker)

• Jim Morris from BC Parks provided an outline of the agreements, permits and Management Plan that BC Parks has approved and implemented for the Race Rocks Ecological Reserve and MPA. Jim also outlined the streamlined BC Parks regional management structure. It was acknowledged that BC Parks have fulfilled their commitments to the MPA project and a good operating relationship exists. BC Parks has contributed modestly to infrastructure maintenance costs as their budget permits.

• Kelly Francis and Al Gould from DFO outlined the ongoing discussions that are being held between DFO and local First Nations to reach an appropriate understanding and management structure for establishment of the Race Rocks MPA. It was pointed out by various RRAB members that DFO had made the task unnecessarily difficult by not following the Board’s original recommendations in this area. Concern was expressed that an inflexible approach by DFO would be inconsistent with the innovative vision of the MPA Strategy and the community consensus with First Nations. Ongoing meetings between DFO and First Nations are planned.

• Angus Matthews from Pearson College expressed the College’s concern that the ongoing protection and operation of Race Rocks is not financially sustainable. The RRAB agreed that long term DFO funding for protection of the area was a key recommendation and DFO should implement it as soon as an agreement could be reached with First Nations that would allow designation to proceed.

• It was agreed that a strong community commitment to the Race Rocks MPA has been the hallmark of the effectiveness of the RRAB and this energy must be sustained. A committee, including Jennie Sparkes, Dwayne Freeman and Angus Matthews will draft a Terms of Reference document that will reflect the appropriate current role for the RRAB. This draft will be circulated and discussed at a future RRAB meeting.

• It was agreed that a committee including Garry Fletcher, Marc Pakenham, Peter Arnold and Natalie Ban would be formed to examine interim and alternate measures that the RRAB could recommend that would offer protection for Race Rocks until such time as the future of the MPA designation is determined. A report will be circulated to the RRAB in advance of the next RRAB meeting.

Meeting adjourned at 14:20

Blue Heron spent several hours fishing

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Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 8.9 ºC »» Min. 5.0 ºC »» Reset 7.7 ºC
MARINE LIFE: Still seeing numerous fish balls mostly in the tidelines outside the MPA boundries but the number of sea birds is down considerably from last week. There were 5 Harlequins in the little bay on the east side of Gr. Race also one Blue Heron spent several hours fishing in the eastern kelp bed then just before sunset flew off toward Bentinck Island. There are 5 California Sealions hauled out along the north shore of Gr. Race that have fresh looking wounds, mostly in the hind flipper area, my guess, evidence of encounters with the transient Orcas that have been in the area quite often lately. There are still about 600 Cormorants in the area, another indication that the food supply is still good.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Second Nature in with Angus, Scott over to work on the the cameras and computers. Station boat out to return Scott to campus and to Pedder Bay. There were 5 Ecotour boats, 1 pleasurecraft through today.posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:05 PM

Good Morning
WEATHER: Sky Part Cloudy »» Vis. 15 Miles »» Wind North East 21 Knots »» Sea 3 Foot Moderate
posted by Carol or Mike S at 7:25 AM

Herring Balls

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TEMPERATURE: Max. 11.1 ºC »» Min. 7.7 ºC »» Reset 9.1 ºC »» Rain 0.8 mm

MARINE LIFE: There are fewer birds today, saw only 3 fish balls in the immediate area but could see a lot of activity quite a distance to the east with the scope.Still about 2000 gulls and Cormorants in the MPA.
HUMAN INTERACTION: Angus over in the Hyaku with Scott and Ken working still on the Camera 2 system, also 5 Ecotour boats.
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:15 PM

DND blasting today

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-2002-10-24′, ’23:34:55′, ‘MARINE LIFE: -Reported by Garry Fletcher) I had the opportunity to be at Race Rocks twice today. On first arriving at 11:45 AM it was obvious that the DND had been conducting their explosions on Bentick island. We have gotten used to the sealions building up their numbers over the past few weeks. The main island to the East of the House , and the whole northeast front have been covered with animals throughout the daytime. The major concentration however has been on the middle island, which if you have been checking on camera 1 these days has been covered with a mass of bodies. By 11:45 today most of these areas were bare.. only a few brave individuals had crawled back up on the rocks we will see tomorrow how many have returned, but if it follows the patterns of other years, their numbers will start to taper off if the harassment continues. This year the DND has decided to check out our allegations of harassment of these marine mammals. A contract has been let to the consultants of LGL to survey the effect of disturbances, so they have had observers in the tower on the two occasions of blasting this fall. Today the result was obvious. The irony does not escape one that this is an ecological reserve, an MPA and even that does not protect marine mammals in Canada.. For a video of the effect of a blast on the behaviours of the birds and mammals at Race Rocks, go to one I recorded on October 7 – its in the marine mammals archive at: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/archives/viddndblast.htm‘,

‘Garry’, ’22:45:01 ,

LGL does contract for DND on Blasting

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Good Evening
TEMPERATURE: Max. 7.9 ºC »» Min. 5.0 ºC »» Reset 6.7 ºC »» Rain 0.8 mm
MARINE LIFE: The California Sea Lion with the injured hind flippers is still hauled out on the dock and keeps to it’s self. The poor animal is most likely in pain- looks quite thin, probably not able to manouever too well to catch it’s food.
HUMAN INTERACTION: 6 Ecotour boats, LGL observers boat. The Second Nature made two trips, one about noon With Garry and his class then again with Garry, Scott and Don to work on Camera # 2 system.

MARINE LIFE: (Reported by Garry Fletcher) I had the opportunity to be at Race Rocks twice today. On first arriving at 11:45 AM it was obvious that the DND had been conducting their explosions on Bentick island. We have gotten used to the sealions building up their numbers over the past few weeks. The main island to the East of the House , and the whole northeast front have been covered with animals throughout the daytime. The major concentration however has been on the middle island, which if you have been checking on camera 1 these days has been covered with a mass of bodies. By 11:45 today most of these areas were bare.. only a few brave individuals had crawled back up on the rocks we will see tomorrow how many have returned, but if it follows the patterns of other years, their numbers will start to taper off if the harassment continues. This year the DND has decided to check out our allegations of harassment of these endangered species — yes that is the category the Northern Sea Lions now occupy in Canada. A contract has been let to the consultants of LGL to survey the effect of disturbances, so they have had observers in the tower on the two occasions of blasting this fall. Today the result was obvious. The irony does not escape one that this is an ecological reserve, an MPA and even that does not protect endangered species in Canada.. For a video of the effect of a blast on the behaviours of the birds and mammals at Race Rocks, go to one I recorded on October 7 – its in the marine mammals archive at: http://www.racerocks.com/racerock/archives/viddndblast.htm
posted by Carol or Mike S at 6:12 PM