Renewing the Oceans Protection Plan

Have and enforce a speed limit in Desolation Sound and adjacent areas for all vessels, including commercial ones.

Hi there, I am a sailor that is on B.C. waters approximately 75% of the calendar year. I spent 5 to 9 months in the Desolation sound and adjacent areas per year. Many times a year I witness excessive speeds in very close proximity to grey whales, Orca whales but especially the 8 to 12 humpback whales with their calves that have begun to enhance our "inside waters". In addition to excessive speeds by jet skies and up to 120 foot vessels in very close proximity, many 30 to 50 foot boats follow the whales around especially in the whale passage area, between Cortes Island and Read island , approaching within several feet causing stress behaviors such as breaching and tail flapping. It's outright whale harassment, one foggy day we watched a 20 foot vessel chase and repeatedly approach the same whale for 3 to 4 hours often touching its back with the bow of the boat. It's time to do something, there needs to be a speed limit of 6 knots maximum in the entire area, for all vessels including commercial vessels. All of the time, not just when whales are visible. And in addition enforcement! There needs to be consequences for this egregious behavior.

Scrubber systems discharge large volumes of pollution causing harm to endangered species and the food web. Regulate much more strictly

Please ban fish poison

Using deleterious substances to control invasive fish is both cruel and incredibly dangerous. Even if using potassium permanganate to deactivate the insecticide rotonone after putting insecticides into water to kill round gobys and other “invasive” fish, the damage has already been done. There are no safe or humane uses of vertebrate pesticides. Pesticides are not an appropriate method of euthanasia, and they will still be in the bodies of their victims. Additionally, additives and adjuvants to make the pesticides tasteless, odourless, and stronger, will make the pesticides more dangerous. With or without additives, all pesticides go right up the foodchain. Many birds, fish, mammals eat round gobys, asian carp, and other invasive fish. The piscicide and insecticide Rotenone can stay in the environment for up to six months, and causes seizures, vomiting, breathing problems, muscle tremors, and all sorts of other horrible symptoms, according to the awful toxicity studies on dogs, rats, and bunnies. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/rotenone# Fish do feel pain just as acutely as other animals. www.fishfeel.org The point of using piscicides is to kill off fish undesirable to anglers and commercial fisheries. The goal of “invasive” species control is to improve the fishing industry, not animal welfare. Even if an animal is invasive or a pest, their welfare is still important. Killing every single fish (and subsequently, fish predator) in the vicinity in an attept to control one or two invasive species is ludicrous. The collateral damage caused by these piscicides is not worth it. Please ban all vertebrate pesticides across Canada.

Prioritize local trade and minimize ocean travel if it cannot be conducted without damaging the health of our waters.

Fish research must be humane

Far too often, fish research involves invasive methods like capturing fish, and often even involves killing fish. Canada is moving away from research methods that harm other animals, it is about time we use Environmental DNA, photography, sound recordings, and other cruelty free ways to study fish. Canada is phasing out toxicity testing on animals. Please switch to animal free methods of testing effluent and other substances. For wild fish and birds, please stop lethal sampling and switch to humane non lethal bio monitoring like is done in humans. https://www.change.org/p/stop-testing-sewer-water-on-laboratory-fish

Include wildlife centres in rescue and education

Please watch out for wildlife. Please work with Wildlife rehabilitation centres to rescue animals in oil spills. www.hopeforwildlife.net Please watch out for marine animals. Ships can be noisy and confuse whales and other marine mammals. An electric ship with a quiet engine is better. Please add microphones to the ship to hear marine mammals and to get an idea how loud the ship is. Please also use an app like iNaturalist to identify whales in the area. Please work with Hope for Wildlife and the Marine Animal Response/Rescue Society to rescue any animals who are harmed or in danger. I hope the National Wildlife Emergency Response Framework is focused on saving animals. https://tc.canada.ca/en/initiatives/oceans-protection-plan/report-canadians-investing-our-coasts-through-oceans-protection-plan https://letstalktransportation.ca/opp-renew Walrus have been persecuted in countries like Norway (Freya was shot as a nuisance animal after she was spotted sitting on yachts). The UK has taken a more humane approach, by providing walrus who show up with their own “yachts” (rubber platforms). All hunting of walrus in the Atlantic should be banned, and please work with organizations like Hope For Wildlife and Marine Animal Response Society to protect and care for any walruses who show up in the Atlantic ocean.

Implement contract offshore fire, salvage, and recovery service for BC West Coast

In October 2021, there was a cargo ship fire off the coast of Vancouver Island. American contractors were dispatched to fight the fire and undertake salvage operations because western Canada lacks the capacity. Canada should adopt requirements for commercial vessels to have contracts with offshore fire services for Canadian waters. This is already done in the USA (and most other maritime trading countries) as a for profit, non agency business. Atlantic Canada has 2 such contractors thanks to offshore oil and gas exploration. The west coast has 2 vessels operated by the Coast Guard, but that is a lot of area to cover (27000km of coast line). It would require seed money to get implemented. Capacity charges from contracts with shippers and potentially adding port fees would allow 24/7 stand by service. I would propose 2 bases each with 1 AHTS vessel with FiFi3 with oil recovery systems, 1 rapid response fire boats, and 1 offshore equipped helicopter with hoists. One base on Vancouver Island, and the other at Queen Charlotte or Prince Rupert ports.

Use only cruelty free ways to study pollution

Please avoid animal methods of testing for sewer effluent and other contamination. Canada is phasing out highly expensive, cruel, and inaccurate animal toxicity tests. Please also stop using lethal sampling methods for fish, frogs, etc, and switch to humane bio monitoring of wildlife, using the same methods used for humans and pets. https://www.change.org/p/stop-testing-sewer-water-on-laboratory-fish

Protect wildlife

Please engage with wildlife rescues like Hope for Wildlife.