The proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) network consists of core no-take areas prohibiting fishing, exploration and extraction of oil, gas, and minerals, open net cage aquaculture, bottom trawling, dumping, and dredging.
by Shannon Cowan
The skipper of the Kumbaya slows the engine as we pass the eastern side of Sonora Island. Congregated topside, four artists brandishing cameras and sketchbooks rush to capture the seascape, transferring to film and paper the warm light peering over nearby mountains. Here on BC's south-central coast, the proposed site of the province's first network of "no-take" marine protected areas (MPAs), the fish are still jumping, the water is still sparkling, and over on the shores of the northern gulf islands, brightly painted houses take in the hulking vista of the Coast Mountains.
The artists are part of The Essence of the Sea Art Show, one aspect of a special project attempting to secure ground breaking protection for marine areas between Cape Caution and Bute Inlet. Launched by the Living Oceans Society of Malcolm Island, the project aims to safeguard some of the most diverse habitats in the world while revitalizing fishing communities.
"My feelings about what's transpiring in the wilderness values of this coast have really brought me to a fine point," says Leanne Hodges, an artist and fisheries consultant from nearby Quathiaski Cove. "The time has come to use science to qualify our heartfelt relationships, particularly in the context of this particular project." She and the three other artists have come together to visit proposed MPA regions and translate their experiences into art. They are just four out of over 45 total participants.
The proposed Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) network consists of core no-take areas prohibiting fishing, exploration and extraction of oil, gas, and minerals, open net cage aquaculture, bottom trawling, dumping, and dredging. These no-take areas would be surrounded by a buffer zone where all activities except fishing would be prohibited.
"Most of the evidence [about marine protection] is presented in a very fact-based way that's hard to engage with," says Dianne Bersea of Cortes Island. "It's pretty hard to get excited about a graph. You can, and there's certain people that do, but most people respond to things that engage their heart."
Today the artists are exploring The Narrows, a series of channels and bays in the vicinity of Quadra and Sonora Islands. The Narrows boasts a variety of features, including strong tidal mixing and the presence of salmon streams and kelp beds. Living Oceans considers the region a vital link for resident and migrating species. Its geography also makes it particularly susceptible to pollution from nearby industry and boat traffic. The region is one of five "biological hot spots" identified by Living Oceans Society.
"One of the things that we noticed in our MPA work," says Jennifer Lash, Executive Director of Living Oceans, "is that you can design a network for the whole coast, but when it comes to implementing it, the area is too big. We decided it would be better for us to take a smaller spot for implementation."
Using advanced MPA design theory, Living Oceans Society cross-referenced over 60 data layers to assess regional features, their presence, rarity, representation, and distribution. Guiding principles included the proximity of no-take zones to one another (they should be close enough for larval and genetic transfer but far enough to avoid localized disasters), the representation of habitat types and physical processes, and the size of the region. According to Living Oceans, a network of no-take MPAs within the resulting conservation hot spots carries the potential to meet conservation targets while minimizing economic dislocation.
"Right now what's called a Marine Protected Area could be a BC Park, ecological reserve, wildlife management area, or national marine conservation area," says Lash. "But most of them don't have any real fisheries closures. They're what we call paper parks. They were set up for recreational purposes or because they have a nice beach. What we've always said is that losing habitat isn't as big an issue as losing fish. That's been a real issue for us in determining what an MPA is. It has to contain no-take areas."
In Living Oceans Society's view, these areas would protect all species, in contrast to the single species closures that DFO often implements.
Within the province's 104 marine parks and ecological reserves, only three MPAs protect both the habitat and the species who live there: Race Rocks (off Gabriola Island); Porteau Cove Provincial Park; and Whytecliff Municipal Park. These areas total little more than 313 hectares.
Yet even in these regions, the supporting evidence appears to be clear. In both Whytecliff and Porteau Cove, ling cod abundance is three times greater inside the reserves than outside. This increase, seen over four and ten years respectively, is sorely needed, if recent statistics are any indication. According to Department of Fisheries and Oceans stock status reports, 27 of the 56 harvested species in BC are rated as low, and another 20 are below average. Since the peak catch year in 1987, the amount of fish caught in BC has decreased by 20%. Three years ago, in 1999, the harvest of BC wild salmon was the lowest in more than 50 years. Though this declining catch rate is the result of reduced stocks and a tightening in harvest regulations, both conditions reflect an unprecedented lack of fish.
"Maintaining a healthy relationship with the sea is like managing joint bank accounts," says Lash. "A no-take MPA that protects both the habitat and a full range of species is like an insured Guaranteed Investment Certificate."
Scientists seem to agree. Early last year, over 150 internationally recognized scientists released a statement confirming that no-take MPAs have been scientifically proven to conserve marine biological diversity and promote sustainable fisheries. In addition to this confirmation, evidence from existing no-take MPAs looks favourable. One example includes a region near the Sumilon Islands in the Philippines, a 0.75 square km area that has been closed to fishing for ten years. Fish populations in this MPA have doubled, while nearby catches have increased by 54%.
Still, the obstacles facing no-take MPA implementation are daunting. Four levels of government currently have jurisdiction over various regions of the marine environment. Within the federal, provincial, municipal, and First Nations governments, different agencies control the water surface, the water body, the ocean bed, and the tidal strip adjacent to land.
Is this complicated system one of the reasons BC has so few MPAs? "That's just part of the problem," says Lash. "We tend to think about what we see. The ocean has been neglected for so long mainly because most of us don't get down there to see it."
In the meantime, Living Oceans Society will continue to work with the systems in place. "Basically, as a conservation group, we go out and find areas of ocean that need protection. We work through the process and negotiate with local people, fishers, and First Nations. Once they have agreed, it is irrelevant to me which legislation is used, as long as the goals are met."
Back on the deck of the Kumbaya, artists mull over sketch pads and consider the task ahead. The ocean rushes by, a reminder of kelp beds, harbour porpoises, schools of herring and salmon. As we pass another fish farm, I wonder whether the local communities will embrace the idea of a network of no-take marine parks, or toss it back into the sea. A bumper sticker from the Malcolm Island ferry trip comes to mind: Fish Farms Feed My Family [To the Corporations].
"We're taking an image and through the display of it, we're communicating something," says Rusty Joerin, a photographer from Errington. He considers the process of reaching people. "Every viewer will react differently. Given the opportunity to stand back and reflect, some people may come out feeling that significant changes are in order."
Hodges agrees. "The natural world seems to be the appropriate vehicle to speak volumes to the general public. When artists come to the table they have deep freedom of thought, whether it be on a spiritual level or trying to work with scientific facts. It's hitting the core of the relationship between humans and the environment. That is, if we don't have the environment, then we aren't going to survive as a species."
***
[From WS October/November 2002]