Georgia Strait Alliance

Apply for our Biodiversity Campaigner posting by June 21! This position will to lead marine-based conservation advocacy, build strong and diverse alliances with Indigenous and settler-led organizations and movements, influence policy, and support Indigenous-led conservation efforts. This role requires moving between the micro and the macro, and integrating various knowledge systems into the work. The Biodiversity Campaigner will build compelling stories around key aspects of the Salish Sea ecological system (such as the endangered Southern Resident orcas) and advance robust and creative strategies and action plans that will affect real change. This is a full-time position, executed through a 4-day work week totalling 34 hours, and can be remote or in-person from the Vancouver office location. Details and salary are included in the job posting at the link in bio! Know someone who might be right for this opportunity? Please share! https://lnkd.in/gHvXcfAk

"Working with volunteers was another highlight. Their passion and dedication are inspiring. Whether they were students like myself, marina workers, retirees, or residents who loved the water, each volunteer brought their unique perspective and energy to the team. Coordinating their efforts, ensuring they had the resources they needed, and seeing them engage with the public was incredibly rewarding. It reinforced the idea that community involvement is crucial in environmental conservation." Read more from our Dock Walker Megan in her blog: https://lnkd.in/gBXu3h34

"The researchers conclude that recovery is possible, but greater action must be taken right away to give the southern residents orcas (SRKW) a fighting chance." There is no possibility of recovery" for the SRKWs under existing conditions in their habitat. “The study lends urgency to calls by a coalition of environmental groups" - including GSA - "for the Canadian government to reverse its decision not to issue an emergency protection order for the whales, in the face of what may otherwise be inexorable decline.” Stay tuned for more ways you can take action with us and help! 

Enter the Explore the Salish Sea Prize raffle by July 25 for a chance at all 7 fabulous prize draws - check them out: Get your tickets here (starting at $20): https://lnkd.in/gAfHUkUa Every ticket purchased supports biodiversity protection, marine planning, boater education and communities in local waters. Good luck & thank you! (Chances are 1 in 3,050 (total tickets for sale) to win a prize. Actual odds depend on number of tickets sold. Must be 19+ to play. BC Gaming Event Licence # 152203. #ExploreTheSalishSeaRaffle)

Our 2024 raffle has launched!  🎉  Every ticket purchased supports biodiversity protection, marine planning, boater education and communities in local waters. Plus, the prizes packages are INCREDIBLE! Buy a ticket today and help us protect local waters for future generations through education, advocacy, legal action and collective mobilization. Last-year we raised $24k. This year, we hope you can help us reach our fundraising goal of $30k. Get your tickets here, options are $20 each, 3 for $50 and 7 for $100 (Our 3 and 7 ticket bundles sell out FAST!): https://lnkd.in/gAfHUkUa Thank you and good luck! Deep gratitude to these sponsors who share our vision and have donated a prize: Western Canoe Kayak, Simply Sailing, Salt Legacy, Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort and Conference Centre, BC Ferries, WildPlay Element Parks Nanaimo, Earnest Ice Cream, Patagonia Vancouver Hullo Ferries The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver Seaflora Skincare Gathering Place Salt Spring Coffee Vancouver Water Adventures The Wild Tribe Tacofino Chances are 1 in 3,050 (total tickets for sale) to win a prize. Actual odds depend on number of tickets sold. Must be 19+ to play. BC Gaming Event Licence #152203. #ExploreTheSalishSeaRaffle

We are SO excited to announce the prizes for this year’s raffle - launching today! The 7 prize packs include adventures around the Salish Sea from sailing trips, to beachfront getaways, to gear like paddle boards - and WAY more than we can tell you about in this post! The sooner you enter, the more prizes you will be eligible to win, so it’s best to get your ticket today. There are almost $6k worth of prizes. Visit our Raffle website for all the details: https://lnkd.in/gAfHUkUa Every ticket purchased supports our core programs: biodiversity protection, marine planning, boater education and community and climate action support in our local waters. So it’s win-win! And please tell your friends, because this year, we’ve set an ambitious fundraising goal of $30k. With your help, we know we can reach it. Tickets Options $20 each 3 for $50 7 for $100 (Our 3 and 7 ticket bundles sell out FAST!) Tell us in the comments which prize you are destined for and good luck! Big thanks to Western Canoe Kayak Simply Sailing, Salt Legacy, Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort and Conference Centre BC Ferries, WildPlay Element Parks Nanaimo, Earnest Ice Cream Patagonia, Vancouver Hullo Ferries The Westin Bayshore, Vancouver Seaflora Skincare Gathering Place Salt Spring Coffee Vancouver Water Adventures, and The Wild Tribe. Chances are 1 in 3,050 (total tickets for sale) to win a prize. Actual odds depend on number of tickets sold. Must be 19+ to play. BC Gaming Event Licence #152203. #ExploreTheSalishSeaRaffle

Did you hear the BIG NEWS?! Today is the day we are going to court to try to stop the construction of shipping terminal Roberts Bank Terminal 2! Represented by Ecojustice Canada and along with our allies at David Suzuki Fun, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, Wilderness Committee, we are arguing that the approval is unlawful as it violates the Species at Risk Act. The federal government argued that the irreversible adverse effects that this project will have on endangered Southern Resident orcas are somehow “justifiable” – and we completely disagree. If you support our efforts, follow us in this court case for updates and leave us an uplifting message in the comments, we are going to need them! Some of the largest salmon runs in the world migrate through Roberts Bank as juveniles and adults. The Salish Sea provides critical habitat for the remaining 73 endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) recently confirmed that the Fraser River estuary is a high-use area within that critical habitat. The March 2020 report, by an independent federal review panel, assessed that the new terminal would result in destruction of the legally protected Southern Resident Killer Whale’s critical habitat. The construction would lead to reduced Chinook salmon availability and increased underwater noise from shipping traffic. Notwithstanding these findings, and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change’s determination that the Project was likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects that cannot be fully mitigated, the federal government approved the project. The Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault himself said, “We are facing a biodiversity crisis that is exacerbated by a pollution crisis and a climate crisis. Ambition must be matched by implementation.” If the federal government is to address this biodiversity crisis and help save the iconic whales of the West Coast, and the Chinook salmon they depend on, the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project cannot continue. https://lnkd.in/gSPNTza3 #RBT2 #SRKW #OrcaCantWait #SouthernResidentOrcas

Don’t miss the boat! * Update: training is June 24* Our first Clean Marine BC dock walker training session is coming up this Wednesday June 19th at 6pm. This is a great opportunity for those with interest in boating, and a desire to help boaters minimize their impact on the waters we all love. The training will cover everything you need to know including the latest marine mammal regulations and measures related to Southern Resident orcas; ways to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species; sharing tips with boaters to prevent small marine spills, and more. If you can’t make that training but still want to dock walk, just let us know! We are thrilled that this year, you’ll be working with Megan Raitt, who is returning to GSA after being one of last year’s very enthusiastic and knowledgable Summer Community Organizers. As a lifelong activist, her passion for social justice and decolonization has motivated her to get involved in environmentalism and to publish research on post-colonial workers’ rights in Asia. Megan brings experience working with and organizing various youth-led environmental groups in the Lower Mainland, where she focuses on mobilizing, educating, and empowering the youth of her community. Megan is pursuing a dual degree in International Relations and Environment and Sustainability at UBC and is returning to GSA for a second summer. She lives on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Stó:lō, sq̓ə́yc̓əyaʔɬ (Katzie), Kwantlen and Semiahmoo people, born and raised on the West Coast, the biodiversity of the Georgia Strait directly reflects her own intersectional identity and the community and land that raised her. In her spare time, Megan enjoys painting and spending time in nature. Come say hi to Megan this Saturday June 22nd at the Jericho Branch of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club for the WAVES Regatta! #cleanboating #boating #volunteer

 🎉 Ecojustice Canada, on behalf of GSA & our allies went to court to support the former Minister of Fisheries and Oceans Canada / Pêches et Océans Canada Joyce Murray ‘s decision to refusing to re-issue licenses for open-net pen fish farms in the Discovery Islands (DI) of BC (a group of islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland). While the 15 farms in the DI are out, there are still MANY open-net fish farms in BC that need to transition to land-based operations for the health and safety of wild salmon, local communities, food security and more. All 85 fish farm licences are set to expire at the end of June — and holders of 66 licences are seeking renewal. It’s time for the DFO to get moving on the transition plan to get the other farms out of local waters. We are still waiting for an update. GSA has been involved in fighting fish farms for 25 years, taking the role of intervenor in court as far back as the 2009 Inquiry into the Decline of Sockeye Salmon in the Fraser River which concluded net-pen salmon farming in the DI creates a risk of serious harm to wild salmon. Getting the nets out equates to a healthier Salish Sea! At GSA, we are eager to see the federal government meaningfully support coastal and Indigenous communities as they navigate this transition away from open-net salmon farming in the area, and manage the uncertainty about this industry’s future in the rest of the waters off the B.C. coast. Read more from here: https://lnkd.in/gipZfTce or “Are B.C.’s open-net pen salmon farms closing — or not?” From The Narwhal: https://lnkd.in/gcTq5p-p Follow us or subscribe to our newsletter to learn more about how we can all keep the pressure up to save wild salmon.

Breaking news 📣 Along with five other conservation organizations, we are calling on the federal government to issue an emergency order to protect endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) from their imminent threat status. With new and increased oil tanker traffic associated with the Trans Mountain Expansion Project, coupled with other mega projects such as Roberts Bank Terminal 2, the remaining 74 orcas face imminent threats to their survival and recovery with no measures currently in place to mitigate the impacts of these industrial development projects.   Alongside David Suzuki Foundation, Living Oceans Society, Natural Resources Defense Council, Raincoast Conservation Foundation, and World Wildlife Fund Canada and represented by Ecojustice, we have sent a petition to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change earlier today to propose specific emergency measures (see slides) be put in place to protect the endangered orcas. As our Campaigns Manager russ elliott, said: “The Ministers can – and must – do more to protect these orcas that are so close to extinction, and yet are so intimately known to us. We know their names, their personalities, their families. Regulations must not stagnate while enormous new threats, like a dramatic increase in tanker traffic, pollute the orcas’ life source and push them further into oblivion. An emergency order would turn around the government’s current stance that ultimately supports a managed extinction plan for Southern Resident orcas and shift it towards a real plan for their survival.” Stay tuned… and see the last slide to see how you can help the orcas! Second photo by Miles Ritter. All marine mammal photos are taken from land or by special research permit. #SRKW #OrcaCantWait #SouthernResident #RBT2 Press release: https://lnkd.in/gmckS5kT