By 2010 400,000 more people are expected to be living in the Capitol Regional District (CRD) of Victoria. Because of this anticipated growth, development pressures will be placed on Victoria's green space and surrounding recreational areas. If accepted, a proposal to expand the park system within the CRD would help to maintain the vitality and natural beauty of the south Vancouver Island region.

VICTORIa's Sea-to-sea green blue belt

Wilderness Committee Educational Report Vol.18 - No.08 Fall 1999

Blue component just as important as Green in the Sea-to-Sea Belt

The Capital Region's coastal marine areas are home to a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrate populations including:

  • Over 400 species of fish.
  • The richest diversity of invertebrates in Canada.
  • A total of over 3,800 known species.
  • Stella and California sea lions, fur and harbour seals, grey and m inke whales, orcas and porpoises.
  • Half a million seabirds breed in this area, including Cassin's auklets, cormorants, gulls, rhinoceros auklets, and storm petrels.
  • A total of about two million shorebirds, diving and dabbling ducks, geese, grebes, loons, and seabirds use these coastal water as summering, staging and wintering areas.

    • The 'Blue' in the Sea-to-Sea includes spectacular marine areas such as: Sansum Narrows, Burgoyne Bay, Saanich Inlet, Todd Inlet, the Sooke Basin and parts of the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca. They are threatened by pollution from urban and industrial development, overfishing, and by the negative impact of fish farming. The CRD's marine environment is desperately in need of permanent protection.

    Our marine areas provide recreational and eco-tourism opportunities that bring economic benefits to communities. By protecting the spawning grounds of our dwindling wild Pacific salmon populations, we can help ensure that sport and commercial fisheries can provide a sustainable living for British Columbians in the future.

    Members of the Sea-to-Sea Green Blue Belt Alliance advocate designating certain areas such as Saanich Inlet as Marine Conservation Areas. A Marine Conservation Area designation would prohibit ocean dumping, dredging and the exploration for or the development of non-renewable resources. A Marine Conservation Area may protect marine biodiversity, representative ecosystems and special natural features in addition to conserving fishery resources and habitat. If protected, areas like Saanich Inlet could provide tremendous opportunities for recreation, tourism, scientific research and sharing traditional knowledge.

    Marine areas within the Sea-to-Sea Green Blue Belt should be protected as part of Canada's Pacific Heritage Legacy. In 1995, the provincial and federal governments made a joint commitment, "to preserve and enhance the ecological, cultural, recreational and economic values of British Columbia's coastal and marine environment," through a program called the Pacific Marine Heritage Legacy. Nearing the end of this five-year initiative, more work must be done to create a marine legacy that will well serve this and future generations.