Wilderness Tourism Association

A very informative blog article that describes how and why sustainable tourism helps to benefit wildlife and the natural environment. The WTA agrees that well managed sustainable tourism can benefit local communities, wildlife, and the environment. Well worth the read! This blog post was written by Sustainable Travel International. https://sustainabletravel.org/how-tourism-benefits-nature/

Salmon bearing streams have been restored in BC's Pacific Rim National Park. The Ditidaht First Nations and Parks Canada have helped to restore three traditional spawning streams that had been choked by logging debris. The Ditidaht First Nations had been monitoring the decline in salmon over the last few decades and had been developing an action plan to restore this traditional spawning habitat. This past October, sockeye and coho returned to the watershed and were found to have had successful spawning. It is incredible how fast nature can return to a healthy state if we allow it the appropriate resources and conditions. It's important that we continue to advocate and pursue proper protection, management, and practice for our wonderful yet delicate natural environment. https://www.cowichanvalleycitizen.com//salmon-bearing-st/

ATTENTION TOURISM OPERATORS. New Recovery Grant Criteria. These grants are for small and medium-sized businesses. The grants range from $10,000-$30,000, with an ADDITIONAL $5,000-$15,000 for tourism-related businesses. All of the information regarding who is eligible and how to apply can be found on the link below. We will also have a link posted under the resources page on our website. ... https://www2.gov.bc.ca//economic-r/business-recovery-grant

It's unfortunate to see how abandoned or sunken vessels still cause significant environmental harm after many decades. This is just another reminder why the Marine Debris Removal Initiative that was completed by the Small Ship Tourism Operators last summer was so very important. Cleaning up BC's central and northern coastline from hard plastics, ghost fishing gear, polystyrene, and other debris helps protect the fragile land and marine environment from current and future poll...utants. To see photographs and read about the Marine Debris Removal Initiative visit our website at https://wilderness-tourism.bc.ca/marine-debris-removal-ini/. The Wilderness Tourism Association has also been taking part in virtual meetings that discuss the planning and updates on the proposed Marine Protected Areas. Creating an MPA is a huge step to helping to conserve and protect our fragile marine environment. The WTA strongly supports the creation of new MPA's, however, concerns need to be heard from all imacted industries. Thought and care need to be put into every decision that is made. https://www.cbc.ca//shipwreck-discovered-in-bc-zuciarte-sh

Open net Salmon Farms in the Discovery Islands are to phased out by 2022. Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan has listened to the seven First Nations communities from the surrounding area, who overwhelmingly did not agree with the open net farms in the area. She has made the decision to not renew the salmon farms licenses. https://www.cbc.ca//salmon-farms-discovery-islands-closing