Parks and Protected Areas

Help Establish Canada’s First Marine Wildlife Area at Scott Islands Provincial Park

The Scott Islands, located off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, are home to over two million breeding birds:

55% of the world’s population of Cassin’s auklets
Scott Islands
Photo by Kerry Woo
7% of the world’s population of rhinoceros auklets
2% of the world’s population of tufted puffins
Several breeding pairs of peregrine falcons, a Species of Special Concern
One of the world’s largest and most productive Stellar sea lion rookeries

Cassin's auklet  
Cassin’s auklet chick ©M.J. Rauzon/VIREO  

Every day, these birds use the waters off the Scott Islands to forage for food. Some travel over 100 km from the islands in search of crustaceans and fish for themselves and their chicks.

But these waters remain unprotected and under constant threat from oil pollution, ship traffic and human disturbance. It has been 2 years since

A Marine Wildlife Area is type of marine protected area under the authority of Environment Canada that protects wildlife habitat, particularly for migratory birds. The waters off Scott Islands will be Canada’s first-ever Marine Wildlife Area.

Environment Canada held public information sessions on establishing a protected area here, yet today these marine waters remain unprotected.

Nature Canada urges all Canadians to tell the Governments of Canada and British Columbia that it is time to establish this country’s first marine wildlife area.