ABSTRACT
The Oceans Act states that “conservation, based on an ecosystem approach is of fundamental importance to maintaining biological diversity and productivity in the marine environment”. Baynes Sound is located within the biologically significant region of the Strait of Georgia. Its physical features which include being a thermally stratified inland sea with soft substrate and biological fronts meet the unique physical criteria for an Areas of Ecological and Biological Significance. Since 2004, the local residents of Baynes Sound have held an annual beach cleanup; from 2004 to 2010 approximately 2-3 tonnes of shellfish debris was collected. Forage fish are small fish that are prey for thousands of species of birds, marine mammals and larger fish. Pacific herring, anchovy, Pacific sand lance, surf smelt, sardine, capelin and eulachon provide examples and occur in school sizes defined in metric tonnes.
