In order to protect newly-found glass sponge reefs in the area, Fisheries and Oceans Canada is asking the public to avoid bottom fishing in certain areas in Howe Sound.
Glass sponge reefs, which can look sometimes like a modern artist’s take on pottery, are believed to provide habitat for many fish in the sound.
These creatures are found only on the west coast of Canada and the United States. The reefs are fragile things — their skeletons are made of silica, which is the primary ingredient in making glass.
As a result, they are vulnerable to damage from bottom-contact fishing, which includes crab trapping, fish trapping, prawn trapping, shrimp trawling, scallop trawling and groundfish hooking, trawling or trapping.
Back in 2015, fisheries were closed in order to protect nine glass sponge reefs in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound.
Fisheries and Oceans was informed about 13 additional reefs in the area but chose to study them further before making decisions on closures.
In October, the agency said that while a final report on the reefs hasn’t been published, initial findings suggest that these reefs might be important enough to protect.
“[Fisheries and Oceans] has concluded that these 13 reefs are biologically significant enough to warrant a precautionary management approach and are asking the public to voluntarily avoid fishing with bottom contact fishing gear until further research and consultation with First Nations and stakeholders can occur,” reads a letter to the SLRD from Aleria Ladwig, an ecosystems approach officer with Fisheries and Oceans.
Defence Islands, Ellsemere Creek, Anvil Island, Lions Bay, Gambier Island and Bowen Island all have newly identified sponge reefs.
In addition to already-closed areas around Howe Sound’s Defense Islands and Queen Charlotte Channel, Fisheries and Oceans is asking people to avoid bottom-contact fishing in those areas.
Prior to the new findings, reefs were discovered in several locations in Howe Sound: near the Defence Islands, between Christie Islet and Pam Rocks just south of Anvil Island, in Halkett Bay and just south of Snug Cove and southwest of Passage Island.
