Consolidated Environmental Management Plan for Burrard Inlet ...

Ecosystem Health and Biodiversity
in Burrard Inlet
18
Consolidated Environmental Management Plan for Burrard Inlet / Existing Policy and Planning Initiatives in Burrard Inlet
Burrard Inlet and its drainage basins support a
wide diversity of fi sh, waterfowl, wildlife, and
other aquatic and non-aquatic fl ora and fauna.
The Inlet is home to more than 200 species of marine
organisms, including 70 different species of fi sh, and
its drainage basin is home to a large variety of wildlife.
Protecting Fish and Fish Habitat
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) is the primary
Agency responsible for protecting fi sh and fi sh habitat
in all of Canada. Section 35 of the Fisheries Act protects
fi sh by prohibiting the harmful alteration, disruption
or destruction of fi sh habitat, unless specifi cally
authorized by DFO. Fisheries and Oceans Canada works
with developers to ensure that development projects
are designed to maintain the quantity and quality of
fi sh habitat. The national Policy for the Management
of Fish Habitat specifi es that adverse impacts to fi sh
habitat be avoided or minimized and that unavoidable
losses in habitat be compensated for by the creation of
replacement habitat.
Fisheries and Oceans Canada’s long-term objective
is to achieve a net gain in fi sh habitat. The Fisheries
Act is one of the strongest pieces of national
legislation to protect the environment, and fi nes
for altering or alienating fi sh habitat can be up to
three hundred thousand dollars for a fi rst offence.
Fines and penalties collected under the Fisheries
Act are often used by the federal government
for fi sh habitat enhancement activities.
The Ministry of Environment protects fi sh and
fi sh habitat in Burrard Inlet through a variety
of initiatives including resource management,
environmental monitoring and compliance activities
supported by the Environmental Management
Act, Integrated Pest Management Act, Water
Act, Wildlife Act and Fish Protection Act.
The Fish Protection Act has four major objectives:
• To ensure suffi cient water for fi sh;
• To protect and restore fi sh habitat;
• To improve riparian enhancement and
protection, and
• To grant local governments stronger
powers in environmental planning.
The Fish Protection Act affords a range of tools to
achieve these objectives. For example, no new dams are
permitted on certain rivers and endangered or damaged
fi sh-bearing streams can be designated as “sensitive
streams” for special water fl ow protection and recovery
planning. Seven streams in the Lower Mainland have
been designated as “sensitive”, although to date no
sensitive streams have been identifi ed in Burrard Inlet.
Metro Vancouver’s Burrard Inlet Ambient Monitoring
program currently monitors every three years,
fi sh health parameters and fi sh tissue for a variety
of potential contaminants which are compared
to established provincial tissue guidelines.
Protecting Migratory Birds
Burrard Inlet provides important bird habitat and is
home to several regionally signifi cant bird species such
as the osprey and purple martin. As a key stop on the
Pacifi c Flyway, the Burrard Inlet ecosystem attracts
tens of thousands of wintering birds each year (for
instance, Barrows goldeneye over-winter in globally
signifi cant numbers in Burrard Inlet each year).
Environment Canada provides for the conservation
and protection of migratory birds through the Migratory
Birds Convention Act. This Act allows for the designation
and management of migratory bird sanctuaries and
for restrictions on hunting, killing or injuring migratory
birds and eggs. In carrying out responsibilities under the
Act, Environment Canada’s Canadian Wildlife Service
(CWS) conducts monitoring and works with other federal
departments, provincial agencies and stakeholders