WE SEA FUTURE
WE - people from all walks of life working together.
SEA - a healthy aquatic ecosystem with thriving businesses and communities.
FUTURE - social and economic activities in harmony with each other and nature, based on knowledge, innovation, technology, partnerships, culture and good governance.-
The Marine Atlas of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds
The Marine Atlas of Clayoquot and Barkley Sounds is now in print! The Atlas was compiled by West Coast Aquatic staff over two years of sourcing and gathering spatial data, organizing, collating and conducting quality control on the data, developing a spatial database, producing maps and finally verifying the maps through a review process.
The Marine Atlas will inform spatial plans for the area, as well as provide residents, businesses, and governments with integrated information for their decisions.
Click the image for more. -
Strong Partnerships-
West Coast Aquatic is founded on the principle of Hishukish Ts’awalk. All our work is done through our Tsawalk Partnership approach -- harnessing the power of One.
The Tsawalk Partnership
"The Nuu-chah-nulth phrase ‘Hishukish Ts’awalk’ (everything is one) embodies sacredness and respect. Nothing is isolated from other aspects of life surrounding it. This concept is the basis for the respect of nature that our people live with, and contributes to a value system that promotes the need to be thrifty, not to be wasteful, and to be conscious of your actual needs..."
- Roy Haiyupis
Click the image to see our partners. -
WCVI Draft Coastal Strategy
In 2001, Federal, Provincial, Nuu-chah-nulth and local governments gave WCA a mandate to produce an integrated strategy to improve the health and wealth of the west coast.
These are exciting times at West Coast Aquatic, as we continue our work to increase the health and wealth of the WCVI region. We are now getting close to finalizing a strategy that will establish the region as a global leader in ocean use and management.
Click the image to read our Draft Coastal Strategy. -
Healthier Species and Habitat-
While most of us feel a sense of calm as soon as we gaze upon the tranquil waters of Ucluelet Harbour, what we don’t see is the pollution lying beneath the surface.
Ucluelet Harbour Appreciation Day
On July 15, 2011, local organizations, businesses and individuals came together for Ucluelet Harbour Appreciation Day, a day organized to help restore the health of this vital marine area.
West Coast Aquatic rolled up our sleeves and put on our gumboots for this and many other successful pollution clean-up efforts.
Click the pollution to check out our Healthier Species and Habitat work. -
Healthier Species and Habitat-
Rebuilding depleted salmon stocks is crucial because they play a key role in the West Coast ecosystem.
Rebuilding Nahmint Salmon Stocks
The Nahmint Enhancement Team, which includes representatives from key groups and has support from diverse funders, has been working hard to bring Nahmint River salmon back to abundance.
Through habitat construction and broodstock programs, the Team is contributing to WCA’s Salmon Initiative – a pilot project for implementing Canada’s Wild Salmon Policy.
Click the stunning salmon to check out our collaborative projects! -
Knowledge and Technology-
West Coast Aquatic staff worked with Uchucklesaht First Nation to bring the UVIC Science Adventures program to their community's youth.
Uchucklesaht Youth Science Camp
The week long program was packed with small hands on projects for youth to explore science and their natural surroundings.
The camp resulted in greater awareness and interest in the world of natural science through exploration and discovery. It follows on other successful youth science camps WCA has helped establish in the region.
Click the image to check out our collaborative projects.
VIDEOS
Click here to watch our YouTube videos. Our Marine Planning video shows how we apply ecosystem based management to our coastal planning work. This video shows how we integrate variables such as fishing, marine research, communities, governments, first nations, ocean resources and usages, and many others into our ecosystem based management approach to coastal planning.
Other videos show our work on; ocean health, water pollution, sustainable seafood and much more.
LIVE WEBCAM
Check out our live webcam series, including our original surfcam in the Long Beach area. The webcam faces west overlooking some of the most stunning landscapes in the world. It offers a real time view of the weather for Long Beach area; watch a storm roll in off the Pacific Ocean, check the surf conditions for Long Beach, or see the pure beauty of a sunny day on the West Coast.
See for yourself why this area is considered one of the best places to live in the world. Our live webcam is a great resource for surfers, hikers, beachcombers, fisherman and anyone interested in seeing the beauty of Long Beach.
SEA CREATURES
Come learn the local First Nations translation of marine animals found living in the marine environment of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
See pictures, and hear the translation from English to the local First Nations language, of various marine animals including; grey whales, crab, halibut, salmon, octopus, porpoises, prawns and more. First Nations have been living in this region for thousands of years and have an intimate knowledge of the marine animals found within the marine environment
BLOGS
Our blog offers unique viewpoints on topics related to the health of the marine environment of West Coast Vancouver Island. Blog topics include; fishing, seafood harvesting, sharks, frogs, salmon, grey whales, nurdle picking, marine pollution, water pollution, invasive species, marine animals and other topics related to the condition of our marine environment.
Enjoy the wide range of stories about one of the best places to live and all the biodiversity found within the marine environment of West Coast Vancouver Island.
QUICK FACTS
Fact: The waters of Canada's west coast support more than 9600 salmon stocks.
Salmon Fry Survival- The latest data available indicate the following juvenile to adult survival rates for hatchery releases:
Chum – 1.3%;
Coho – 5.2%;
Chinook – 1.4%;
Steelhead – 4.0% Source: DFO- "Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty."
- John Ruskin,
(1819-1900).
Did you know? Humpback Whales, a threatened species, sing complex, eerie and beautiful ballads that last for between 10 and 20 minutes and can be heard more than 20 miles away. - “Behold the Turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out.”
-James Conant
Did you know? A leatherback turtle, an endangered species, can live up to 80 years and travel up to 12,000 kilometres per year.
That’s almost a MILLION kilometres in its lifetime, enough to go to the moon and back and to the moon again! - Come forth into the light of things, let nature be your teacher. -William Wordsworth
The oceans contain 99% of the living space on the planet and within it an estimated 50-80% of all life on Earth.
The Pacific Ocean, the world's largest water body, occupies a third of the Earth's surface, containing about 25 000 islands. - In 2010, British Columbia seafood was served in approximately 2 BILLION meals in 74 countries.
Native Littleneck Clams are found in quiet waters with sand, mud and gravel bottoms. Growing up to 7.6cm, these clams are harvested commercially by hand, using long-tined rakes. Also harvested by sport fishery. - "The ultimate test of man's conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard." -Gaylord Nelson, former governor of Wisconsin,
co-founder of Earth Day
Worldwide, over 800 MILLION people lack access to safe water supplies; more than 1 in 8 people. - Islands of Nootka Sound, the earliest occupation known for the outer coast was revealed by excavations at Yuquot; this site had been used for at least 4300 years.
Pacific Halibut are found on sandy bottoms below 90m. Females, twice as large as males, can exceed 2.4m and 240kg. Largest of the flounders, halibut is an important sport and commercial (long-line) fishery. - “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”
– Margaret Mead
Once extinct from Canada,due to overhunting, the sea otter has successfully been reintroduced to BC. Population growth and range expansion enabled the species to be downgraded from threatened to special concern in 2009. - Wondering about the image behind the text on our picture slider's? It is a drawing of kelp which forms the shape of a whale.
It depicts harmony between the largest animal on earth(the blue whale) and an important home for many sea creatures in the marine ecosystem.
Whales are known to live over 200 years and travel vast distances across the global oceans. - "Journey with me to a true commitment to our environment. Journey with me to the serenity of leaving to our children a planet in equilibrium. “
-Paul Tsongas
The Blue whale is the largest animal on Earth today, and the largest known to have ever existed. Hunted relentlessly for decades, the species remains endangered today. - World Oceans Day, June 8, is a time to remember the life-giving role of oceans. The Government of Canada proposed the concept of World Ocean Day in 1992, at the Earth Summit, and the day has been celebrated internationally ever since.
"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed."
-Mohandas Gandhi - SARA, the Species at Risk Act, declared the Pacific Killer Whale endangered as of 2003.
Recent studies have found the Vancouver Island resident killer whales, a family orientated species, are contaminated with high levels of toxic chemicals.
Over 70% of marine pollution is from land sources, which means we can easily prevent it from getting there! - Steller's (Northern) sea lions are large marine mammals, with approximately 12,000 in BC waters.
Sea lions feed on pollock and herring, as well as salmon, cod and rockfish.
Their blubber is thinner in recent times and they are smaller overall, due to a decrease in the fatty fish in the food chain in their feeding areas. - Half of the world’s oxygen is produced by phytoplankton in the ocean. The other half is produced by plants on land.
Mussels; Species include California, Giant and Blue. Found on rocks, pilings and exposed coasts. Harvested by hand. Never eaten raw, or during the spring herring spawn, they were traditionally roasted on alderwood coals or pit steamed.
