Save Halkett Bay

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Plan to sink ex-warship to bottom of Howe Sound takes a hit

Site proposed in a marine park off Gambier Island is unacceptable because wreck of HMCS Annapolis would ‘cover and destroy’ valuable fish habitat, Department of Fisheries and Oceans says

Mark Hume

Vancouver — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Published on Wednesday, Apr. 21, 2010 7:24PM EDT

The Department of Fisheries and Oceans appears to have sunk a controversial plan to send a decommissioned warship to the bottom of Howe Sound to create a diving attraction.

In a letter to the Artificial Reef Society ofBritish Columbia, the DFO said the proposed site, in Halkett Bay at Gambier Island, 20 kilometres north of Vancouver, is unacceptable because the wreck of the HMCS Annapolis would “cover and destroy” valuable fish habitat.

The DFO has referred the proposal to a screening under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, although the department said it is unlikely an acceptable site can be found anywhere in Howe Sound.

Members of the Save Halkett Bay Campaign, who’ve been fighting the plan, are thrilled with the letter, which the group obtained along with internal e-mails, after filing a request to the DFO for public documents.

“We were very happy to read that letter,” said Andrew Strang, a spokesman for the group. “I don’t know what better news you could get for a preliminary assessment when DFO is saying this project is going to cause environmental damage and recommends that it should be relocated.”

The Artificial Reef Society, which has already sent several former destroyers and an old Boeing 737 to the ocean floor around Vancouver Island, is seeking permission to sink the 113-metre, decommissioned Canadian navy submarine destroyer.

The group strips wrecks of materials that cause pollution, then sinks them in locations where they can serve as diving attractions while creating artificial reefs for fish.

But the plan for the Annapolis ran into trouble from the start when Gambier Island residents objected, saying Halkett Bay is a marine park with high fish values.

In a December letter to the Artificial Reef Society, Bruce Clark, a biologist with the DFO’s oceans, habitat and enhancement division, opposed the proposal.

“The marine environment of Howe Sound, including the vicinity of the proposed project site at Halkett Bay, is productive and sensitive fish habitat,” wrote Mr. Clark, noting that salmon, steelhead, trout, surf smelt, Dungeness crab and other species use the area.

Mr. Clark stated that most of Howe Sound is characterized by steep, bedrock slopes, while Halkett Bay is a relatively uncommon shallow area.

“Your project would cover and destroy approximately 1,470 square metres of shallow near shore, fine sediment seabed.”

Mr. Clark said creating an artificial reef “would not compensate for the loss” of the rich, natural habitat.

In an internal e-mail, Steve Gotch, team leader in the DFO’s habitat protection division, said that “there are no suitable sites within Howe Sound,” for the wreck.

In another note, Corino Salomi, DFO area manager, tells Mr. Gotch: “The habitat under the vessel will be completely eliminated so the level of impact is high. … Nevertheless DFO definitely has in the past, and definitely could, consider authorizing [it] … if justification was provided.”

But in a Feb. 12 memo to Mr. Gotch, Mr. Clark reiterated his concerns, stating: “The project would result in significant harmful alteration, disruption, and destruction of fish habitat – without suitable justification or appropriate compensation. The project has the potential to adversely affect species of concern, including rockfish species and SARA-listed humpback whale and Stellar sea lion.”

Officials with the Artificial Reef Society could not be reached for comment.

The group initially hoped to have the Annapolis on the seabed in 2009, then revised the plan, hoping to sink the ship this May.

Plan to sink old warship draws fire

Those who love Halkett Bay fear artificial reef will attract crowds of divers to pristine marine park

ANUPREET SANDHU BHAMRA

VANCOUVER — From Thursday's Globe and Mail, Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009 05:06AM EDT

Gary MacDonald still remembers the first time his father took him water skiing at Halkett Bay in Howe Sound. He instantly fell in love with the pristine bay and kept coming back to enjoy swimming, camping, kayaking and picnicking – with his children and then his grandchildren.

Now 42 years later, he is spearheading an effort to prevent a ship from being sunk to form an artificial reef that will be used as a diving attraction. More than three hundred people have signed his protest petition opposing the sinking of the ship and the commercialization that will likely follow.

“This is a fabulous, fabulous place,” said Mr. MacDonald of the provincial marine park on the southeastern shore of Gambier Island, 15 kilometres from Horseshoe Bay and 40 kilometres from marinas in Vancouver.

Last year, the Artificial Reef Society of British Columbia bought the decommissioned 371-foot warship formerly known as HMCS Annapolis DDH-265.

Earlier this month, it completed the selection of Halkett Bay as the location to sink the ship. The sunken vessel will create a new marine habitat in the bay and should attract dive tourism, which is precisely the reason it has drawn the ire of locals.

Mr. MacDonald said Halkett Bay will change from a place used by families to swim, paddle, row, sail, fish, boat, camp and anchor to a diving site run by commercial interests with hundreds of customers.

Howard Robins, president of the artificial reef society, said there is no infrastructure to support such a large number of divers in the area.

He acknowledged that the project is aimed at scuba divers, but said the society is an environmental group that is helping to create a new ecosystem in the bay. “We have come to recognize that certain areas can benefit by an artificial reef,” Mr. Robins said.

Not everyone agrees. “It's ocean dumping,” said Scott Wallace, sustainable fisheries analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation.

Mr. Wallace said it's impossible for a ship of the size of HMCS Annapolis to be cleaned in a way that leaves no toxins. And he's not sold on the idea that artificial reefs make good fish habitat.

“You are not benefiting the system. In fact, you might be modifying what might be there already,” he said.

For Mr. MacDonald, safety is another concern. Halkett Bay is a tiny place, he said, and is not suitable for a 371-foot warship. “The ship is going to sit in the middle of the bay. It might be a great thing somewhere else, but not here,” he said.

He is concerned that the top of the ship will be exposed at low tide, posing a risk to boaters and swimmers.

Mr. Robins disagrees. “We look for an area that is flat and featureless,” he said. Halkett Bay meets the physical and biological requirements to sink a ship, he said, noting that the artificial reef society is working within a framework set up by Environment Canada, Transport Canada and the Department of Fisheries.

Transport Canada is reviewing the society's application. Spokesman Rod Nelson said the department will do a navigational review of the area and make a decision after analyzing the risks and receiving feedback from the public.

Gambier Islanders oppose plan to sink ship in tranquil bay

Proponents say 'creating eco-tourism through artificial reefs is a nice thing to do'

By Denise Ryan, Vancouver Sun June 24, 2009

Property owners on Gambier Island are dismayed by an application from the Artificial Reef Society of B.C. to sink a 371-foot decommissioned naval warship in a marine park at the mouth of tiny Halkett Bay.

"The park was created to keep the sheltered and tranquil nature of the area and conserve it," said Gary MacDonald of the Save Halkett Bay campaign.

The Halkett Bay group is concerned that the ARSBC will "essentially privatize the bay" in order to create a busy underwater attraction for commercial diving operators.

MacDonald said the bay is the smallest on the south face of Gambier Island, which is just north of Bowen Island, and is host to wildlife such as clams, prawns, oysters, bald eagles, blue herons, minks and sea otters.

Earlier plans to sink the destroyer off the coast of Paisley Island, just west of Bowen, were scrapped after residents protested.

MacDonald said his group is concerned about increased marine traffic, the number of divers that would visit the wreck, and the positioning of the ship in insufficient water depth.

ARSBC president Howard Robins said the society has an ecological mandate and has successfully created seven similar projects in the last 20 years.

"Creating eco-tourism through artificial reefs is a nice thing to do," said Robins. "Artificial reefs provide the physical relief necessary for habitat creation. These man-made structures produce an enormous amount of biodiversity."

Robins said the group is in the process of applying for the necessary permits. "There are a lot of bodies involved in a process like this, including Transport Canada, close consultation with first nations, Environment Canada, the DFO," said Robins.

Halkett Bay has several advantages for this kind of project, said Robins -- "it's a sheltered bay, conducive to winter diving, and the ocean floor is like a moonscape," barren and flat.

Jim Schellenberg of Transport Canada's navigation arm said he was aware of the Save Halkett Bay campaign. "We are hearing them, we're taking their concerns seriously."

He said the Council of B.C. Yacht Clubs has said the proposed wreck would not interfere with recreational boaters.

"Halkett Bay has been impacted over the years by the logging industry and there is very little marine habitat in the area where they are disposing of the vessel and they are hoping this will bring biodiversity back to the bay," said Schellenberg.

Matt Gordon, spokesman for the B.C. Ministry of the Environment said Environment Canada makes the ultimate determination on the sinking of wrecks after a provincial review.

Gambier Island residents may get artificial reef
Property owners on Gambier Island are dismayed by an application from the Artificial Reef Society of B.C. to sink a 113-metre decommissioned warship in a marine park at the mouth of tiny Halkett Bay.
"The park was created to keep the sheltered and tranquil nature of the area and conserve it," said Gary MacDonald of the Save Halkett Bay campaign.
The Halkett Bay group is concerned that the ARSBC will "essentially privatize the bay" in order to create a busy underwater attraction for commercial diving operators. MacDonald said the bay is the smallest on the south face of Gambier Island, and is host to wildlife like clams, prawns, oysters, bald eagles, blue herons, minks and sea otters. Earlier plans to sink the destroyer off the coast of Paisley Island were scrapped after residents protested.
Gambier Island is about 20 kilometres northwest of Horseshoe Bay.
Canwest News Service June 24, 2009