Proposal to anchor freighters off Gabriola

[Hot Rods]

The proposal to anchor massive 1000 foot freighters off the north east side of Gabriola, from Orlebar Point to Silva Bay has gone through the environmental review and now sits with DFO. If successful, this will turn one of the best and most consistent mid-Island recreational fishing spots into an Industrial parking lot for freighters waiting to load in Vancouver. They're sticking these things right along the traditional trolling route that anglers have used for decades. The anchor chain scour and inevitable pollution will destroy this valuable marine environment forever. Even the slightest spill or accident could severely damage Entrance Island reef or Thrasher reef that form the boundary for the bay. The little guys get screwed again because some high paid executives in Vancouver can't figure out how to properly schedule freighters coming to load their coal.

 

[agentaqua]

http://www.sportfishingbc.com/forum...osed-coal-ship-anchorages-off-gabriola.62004/

 

[southern cross]

Its not the anchor that holds those big vessels in place it is the length of very heavy chain that lays on the ocean floor & gets dragged in a circle as the ship swings in tide, wind etc. This causes havoc on any reefs & fish habitat To let them use Gabriola Reef as a ships car park will completely destroy the only structure fishing in Georgia Strait East of Nanaimo

 

[traveller]

Bringing in 1000 ft. freighters to a shallow bay in Gabriola Island is a disaster waiting to happen. This is a an area where the major salmon sportfishing takes place in Spring and Early summer, it has a bottom area that supports rockfish and sandlance, a major salmon forage fish, and has open exposure to North West Winds which are a summer regular occurrence. The anchor chain dragging is one of the major impacts on a delicate marine ecosystem in place there; to say nothing of the major impediment to recreational fishing a 1000 ft. freighter swinging in the wind places on small craft trying to fish in the area. This appears to be the result of the huge impact Port of Vancouver has on Government to ignore local and ecosystem impacts to enable Port business to carry on.

Traveller