Forget cutting through red tape; the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society of B.C. is simply ignoring it.
The society's president, Roy Mulder, says he's tired of seeing government studies on what marine habitats should be protected collect dust. Of the embarrassingly few marine life sanctuaries in B.C., many of them have levels of protection but few fall under full "no take zones," says the North Vancouver resident.
Mulder has been diving for 22 years. He says he's seen how ineffective these levels of protections are. He's found fishing lures that are stuck in or have torn through corals and sponges and hauled out abandoned crab traps that turn into "killing machines." Mulder has also seen people catch rockfish and release them back into the water, not realizing that by bringing the fish to the sea's surface, the creatures' swim bladders expand, resulting in death.
Recently divers and scientists have noticed signs of life returning to Howe Sound. But without help and protection, the marine environment has little to no chance of full recovery, Mulder says.
"We can't wait for government," he adds.
And so the society has taken matters into its own hands. Its members took a pledge to voluntarily refrain from extracting marine organisms out of marine conservation areas and other marine reserves. Now it's challenging North Shore residents to follow suit.
"Fish aren't cute and cuddly," Mulder says. "If they had fur, they would be easier to protect."
There are three parts to the society's grassroots movement - education, stewardship and protection. This spring, the organization met with students on Bowen Island.
The pupils gathered on a beach while divers brought up species for viewing. The society has also created videos of marine life in Howe Sound to take to West and North Vancouver schools.
The stewardship part of the initiative involves residents becoming aware of locally protected marine areas and reporting and recording any violations in those zones.
And the final component is the "no take" pledge. Simply put the plan is to encourage the community to feel ownership of its marine habitat.
"I think it is the only way we will be successful at saving it," Mulder says.
Twelve years ago the society's members used to help conduct an annual fish count. The surveys stopped when the counts got so small; it wasn't worth the divers' time, Mulder says. He's excited for the day when the fish numbers are up again.
"I am passionate about this because of what I have seen in a very short period of time," Mulder says. "We can make a change."
For more information on the Marine Life Sanctuaries Society of B.C. and its programs visit www.mlssbc.com or check it out on Facebook.
