Dreary end to the month

The month of November is ending on a dreary note, partly due to the weather…

but more so to events witnessed during the month.  This should have been a month celebrating the natural phenomenon of the eagles arriving at the estuary to feed on the returning salmon. The eagles and the salmon arrived right on schedule but so did the people, in numbers we haven’t seen before.  This wouldn’t be so bad if all persons were respectful of the birds, the fish and the habitat as a whole.  Unfortunately, over and over again we witnessed that not being the case.

How is it all right to allow your children to splash in the water and throw stones at the spawning salmon, or to let your dog splash in the water among the fish, or probably worst of all….wade along in the water with a video camera filming the salmon as they fled in front of you!   How is it all right to stand and shout at a bird to try and get it to fly so you can get a picture?, or to tromp across the habitat to get to the waters edge so you can get ‘closer’ to a feeding bird….thus interrupting the birds meal and causing it to fly off, let alone the damage being done to the shore where salmon eggs have most probably already been laid, and disturbing any wildlife sheltering in what should be undisturbed habitat.  It was reported to me recently that at one point 30 people were lined up along an area of shoreline where no one should have been.

Then there is the issues of canoes and kayaks that have been mentioned earlier in the month.  Thankfully, it was witnessed yesterday that after being contacted, one of the local canoeing groups, honored the 100 meter space that it is suggested be left between the water craft and the birds.

In response to all the issues raised and witnessed during this past month, meetings have all ready been called to see what can be done to make sure that in future years the pressure on the area is lessened.