THE GEORGIA STRAIT- PRESERVING A NATIONAL TREASURE

We have one of the best birding places in Canada on our doorstep. The Strait of Georgia lies on the crossroads for millions of birds migrating between three continents and twenty countries. No other site in Canada supports the number of species or the density of birds in winter as the Strait of Georgia. Hundreds of thousands of ducks, and tens of thousands of shorebirds spend the winter here. The Strait of Georgia is part of a select group of prime sites for birds in the Americas such as Chesapeake Bay, the Florida everglades, the Mississippi Delta, the shores of Suriname and the Copper River Delta. However, the tremendous resource in the Strait of Georgia is under intense threat. The land around the Strait of Georgia is one of the hottest real estate markets in Canada. The number of people living around the Strait is expected to double over the next two decades. And with this increase in population comes pollution and habitat loss. In the past 10 years, about 30 hectares of rural land has been converted to housing for every 1000 people settled here. The expensive clean up of sewage treatment has barely kept pace with demand. Air quality in the Fraser Valley has deteriorated in summer. And with this increased population growth and its associated problems, wildlife is being squeezed out. Gone are the humpback whales and halibut. Lingcod and brant are seriously depleted. Herons have joined the endangered species list and seaducks that winter here are believed to be declining. The Strait of Georgia is a national treasure that requires careful planning if we intend to maintain its great features.

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