Strait of Georgia Conservation Initiative - Essay Sample for Everyone

Strait of Georgia popularly known as Georgia Saint is located between the Island of Vancouver and the mainland coast of British Colombia in Canada. Salish language was spoken by the indigenous people around the region 9000 years ago approximately. The name of the Strait was initiated in B.C's native relations minister Mike De Jong by the first nationally representative called Chemainus and George Harri. De Jong perceived the change of name as an essential act because 'Salish Sea' honors first nation history contrary to 'Strait of Georgia' which initially was named by European settlers. The Europeans explored the region early in the 1700s and eventually settled around the place. Nevertheless, not all people agreed to Mike De Jong's idea, people such as Grand Chief Steward Phillip opposed the change arguing that the government could focus on improving the living standards of the First Nation communities living in the region rather than changing the name which was just a symbolic gesture. The change of name relates to geographical concepts such as protection of the region as well as laying a platform for cultural identity.

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Protection of the Region

The safeguard of coral and sponge reefs is a key constituent to some global commitments made by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the administration of Canada through the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries ("Fisheries and Oceans Canada," n.d.). The ancient glass sponge reefs of British Columbia are an internationally unique ecosystem that offers imperative habitat for numerous marine animals including rockfish, spot prawns, herring, sharks, and halibut. The Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound Conservation proposal is designed to put into practice measures to protect and preserve glass sponge reefs on the south coast of British Columbia by using a precautionary approach, ecosystem-based management, and integrated management, and by encouraging sustainable development.

Glass Sponge Reefs in the Strait of Georgia

Glass sponges are extraordinary filter-feeding marine animals that have skeletons of almost pure glass that live in deep water. Three species of glass sponges are reef-building; they have inflexible glass skeletons that stay in place after the sponges die ("Fisheries and Oceans Canada," n.d.). Fresh generations of glass sponges dwell on these skeletons and make mounds or reefs that may be nearly 19 m high and more than a kilometer wide. The Strait of Georgia has two species of reef-forming glass sponges - the vase sponge (Heterochone calyx) and the cloud sponge (Aphrocallistes vastus).

Glass sponge reefs offer habitat as well as a refuge for numerous fish and invertebrates, including young rockfish. They are vital for water quality since they filter a vast amount of water, >800 times the volume of their body each hour. The reefs have an imperative role in nitrogen and carbon processing as well as concentrate huge amounts of biological silicon that is critical for ocean productivity ("Fisheries and Oceans Canada," n.d.).

Glass sponges are delicate and slow-growing. When fishing gear or other objects hit the reef, pieces of the sponges easily break off. In addition, sediment stirred up near the reef can as well affect sponge filter-feeding along with growth. Since glass sponges grow gradually, glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia are predominantly susceptible to the direct and indirect impacts of activities like anchorage and bottom-contact fishing activities.

References

Fisheries and Oceans Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/oceans/ceccsr-cerceef/closures-fermetures-eng.html