Responsible Recreation

The ability to travel - to witness, experience and learn from places unfamiliar to us and the people who live there is something that humans have sought out since the dawn of time. Today, living in such a globally connected world means travel has a major impact on our environment. We must commit to regenerative and responsible recreation guidelines in order to protect these lands that we so often seek out.

Visiting the Southern Gulf Islands means being surrounded by the Salish Sea, the beautiful marine ecosystem dotted with islands in sweeping landscapes of blue, gray and green. There are endless choices to enjoy the coastal paradise - whether it's beachcombing, camping, kayaking, fishing. No matter how you choose to spend your time on the islands, it’s important to be conscious of how our tourism affects the environment. Southern Gulf Islands Tourism outlines some simple, effective guidelines in Six Ways to Steward the Salish Sea. We’ve included the bullet points for you below.

Be a Friend to Marine Animals: Observe quietly and at a respectful distance. If you’re boating, remember the Interim Sanctuary Zones, fishing-closures, and slowdown areas. For beachcombers and others, be careful when you’re stepping while looking around the tide pools in intertidal zones. There’s lots of 

Know the Conservation Zones: Make sure you’re aware of the Rockfish Conservation Areas on all five Southern Gulf Islands. It can be confusing when you’re out there on the water, so use the free MyCatch mobile app to make sure you’re not in the wrong spot.

Anchor With Care: Eelgrass beds around the Gulf Islands are taking a hit from the increased pressure of tourism. Eelgrass beds are the foundation of a healthy ecosystem, so when they’re not healthy, the salmon, herring and entire ecosystem are at risk. Learn how to identify eelgrass so you can avoid those areas when anchoring and adventuring.

Report Invasive Crabs: The European Green Crab is invasive and a threat to eelgrass beds. Learn how to identify them and report any sightings to the Canadian government.

Pack it out: You know the drill, pack-it-in, pack-it-out! But when it comes to diligently protecting our wonderful marine ecosystem, this guideline extends to taking the time to help clean the shorelines of plastic and other debris.

Find the pump stations: If you need to dump raw sewage or grey water, please go to Pender Island or Salt Spring Island and use the proper facilities. Improperly dumping is extremely damaging to sensitive areas, plus it’s illegal if you do it within three nautical miles of shore.