Georgian Bay Forever

April 6, 2011
HUGE TURNOUT FOR GEORGIAN BAY’S VITAL SIGNS EVENT
 
The impact of the disappearing food chain on the Georgian Bay fishery and a shocking loss of wetlands. The truth about E. coli on Georgian Bay beaches. The need for a new Canada-U.S. agreement to better protect Georgian Bay and the Great Lakes. These were just some of the topics covered at Vital Signs, Georgian Bay Forever’s first speaker series where six respected experts shared their knowledge with 200 concerned citizens. People from all around the Bay – including the Bruce Peninsula, Owen Sound, the Wasaga area, Midland, the Townships of Georgian Bay, Carling and the Archipelago, Shawanaga First Nation and all the way to the North Channel of Lake Huron including visitors from the U.S. made the trip to Toronto on March 26 to attend Vital Signs.

David Parkes, President of Georgian Bay Forever, told the crowd that Vital Signs was the first in what would be a series of events put on by the Charity in an effort to promote scientifically sound solutions to the many problems facing the Bay. “I care about Georgian Bay,” he said. “So do you. That’s why we are all here today. But what can all of us do to protect and preserve this very special place? How do we live up to our obligation to keep the Bay special not just for the time we’re able to enjoy it, but for the generations that will follow?” “The answer to that question is the very reason Georgian Bay Forever exists. We want to make sure there is a charity that will be around not just for the present problems, but to tackle future challenges that we haven’t even imagined yet.”

In the keynote address, Lana Pollack, U.S. chair of the International Joint Commission, argued for the IJC having increased responsibility for the oversight of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. The IJC’s authority over the Great Lakes agreement was truncated when Canada and the United States last renegotiated the pact in 1978. Ms. Pollack told the crowd a stepped-up mandate is necessary to deal with the myriad threats facing the Great Lakes – some old problems that have reasserted themselves in the interim and some new problems that will require legislative flexibility.

Chief among the familiar problems that have come back with a vengeance is algal growth, the result of antiquated waste treatment plants, agricultural run-off and aging septic systems. The new and emerging problems include personal care products, pharmaceuticals, fire retardants, and of course climate change, all of which may pose a threat to human health.

“Something between rocket science and common sense is necessary to solve these problems,” she said.

Five other speakers were on the agenda at Vital Signs: Here’s a quick synopsis of their messages.
• Pat Chow-Fraser, McMaster University: Dr. Chow-Fraser spoke about her work with Georgian Bay forever over the past 8 years detailing the many deleterious impacts lower water levels have had on the fish populations in Georgian Bay. She has calculated that between 1987 and 2007, taking into account virtually all of the aquatic communities spanning Georgian Bay, the wetland loss in some areas has dropped by between 39 and 81 per cent. If water levels were to fall another metre – and climate change might do that – our wetlands would be reduced by half. Low water levels have stranded wetlands from larger bodies of water, making it impossible for fish to spawn. Unlike the other Great Lakes with their sandy bottoms where erosion will sometimes provide vital access, Georgian Bay’s granite floor is unforgiving. Low water levels have reshaped the wetlands, pushing them out from sheltered indented bays exposing spawning nurseries to dangerous wind and wave conditions and human activity. The result has been thinned out populations that favour some small fish over trophy fish like bass and muskie.

• Azin Moradhassel, Director of Environmental Policy, Canadian Shipowners Association: Ms. Moradhassel explained the complex regulatory regime that governs Great Lakes shipping as dictated by 13 jurisdictions, representing the provinces, the U.S. border states and the International Marine Organization, a U.N. body. She then moved on to discuss the various environmental initiatives undertaken by her association. Since 2006, ballast water has been governed by a co-ordinated mandatory regime, which she described as “one hundred per cent enforced and among the most stringent in the world.” It mandates that all oceanic vessels discharge their ballast water mid-ocean before entering the Great Lakes system. “As a result, for the first time since the 1970s, we have witnessed a four-year period since the discovery of the last invasive,” she said.

• Arunas Liskauskas, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources Upper Great Lakes Management Unit: Mr. Liskauskas gave a history of how exotic aquatic species in the Great Lakes have impacted the native fishery throughout the years. Most recently, zebra and quagga mussels have acted “like a vacuum cleaner” by sucking all the nutrients out of the water. That has resulted in a 93 per cent decline over the last seven years in diporeia, a tiny shrimp-like organism that is a staple of the food chain. “There is a perfect storm raging beneath the placid waters of Lake huron and Georgian Bay,” he said, “yet most of the public is unaware of the transformation occurring.”

• Allan Crowe, Environment Canada: Dr. Crowe spoke passionately about the beautiful beaches of southern Georgian Bay. Are Georgian Bay beaches safe? Dr. Crowe said research shows that varying E. coli levels mean they are “no better or worse” than most beaches. The biggest problem is when people decide to put lawns near a beach. Lawns attract geese and that means more E. coli. “If I was King of Georgian Bay,” said Dr. Crowe. “I would ban lawns.”

• Gail Krantzberg, McMaster University: Dr. Krantzberg talked about ongoing negotiations for a new Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States. “It’s a watershed moment for the Great Lakes,” said Dr. Krantzberg. While she said governments on both sides of the border should make the agreement a higher priority, local communities should also play a role. The agreement should be based on a “lake-by-lake” strategy where groups like Georgian Bay Forever could be involved, said Dr. Krantzberg.

Watch for more details about topics covered by each speaker at georgianbayforever.org and in our summer newsletter.