Strawberry Island Research Society
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING JUNE 3, 1999
Report by Adrian Mason
Attendees: Gerry Schreirer, Shawn Coffill, Deborah Lowe, Jen Jackson, Tarah Cunningham, Jennifer Allen, Nina Ball, Robinson Cook, Jur Bekker, George Walkem, Tracy Harvey, Rhea Pearson, Earl Thomas, Lilian Thomas, Michael Mullin, Heather Holmes, Bob Hansen, Peter Clarkson, Bill McIntyre, Kechura Palm, Rod Palm, Shirley Langer, Heather Hilliard, Ken Faris, Pipot Dupuis, John Ford, Adrian Mason
7:15 PM, Meeting called to order.
- Motion to adopt agenda by J. Bekker. Seconded by K. Palm.
- Minutes of 1998 minutes. Adopted by B. Hansen. Seconded by K.
Palm.
- Chair Report - Bill McIntyre
Initiated several new projects in area. Built on relationships with science advisors and community members. More regular issues of Scuttlebutt issued. Also improved acknowledgement of corporate members and volunteers. Membership now stands at about 100. Increased presence of education program. Two good planning workshops and new approaches towards decision-making. Strong ties established with Rainforest Interpretive Centre, Vancouver Aquarium and Whale Festival Society. Survived financially for another year. Motion to adopt Chair's report - S. Langer. Seconded - J. Allen.
- Year-end Financial Report - Bill McIntyre
Prepared by Evancic, Perreault and Robinson. Financially survived 1998-99. New initiative this year was a grant of $9300 to fund a student project. Canadian Parks Service financed the pelagic program. Membership/donations about the same this year. Motion to adopt Financial Report - J. Bekker. Seconded - S. Langer.
- Volunteer Program Report - R. Palm
Very strong part of SIRS; many projects are carried out solely by volunteers. Corey Peet won "Volunteer of The Year" award with 711 hours contributed to SIRS. Volunteers do everything from cleaning bones to helping with marine mammal rehabilitation to research. 1913 volunteer hours in 1998. Wendy Sanislow worked on whale entanglement. Organized first entanglement workshop. SIRS will become the first of provincial response teams to deal with entangled cetaceans. Program is put under umbrella of Auxiliary Coast Guard. Whale watch boats will help out with rescues. Tasked by DFO or Coast Guard.
" Build-a-Whale" workshop completed by Pipot Dupuis. Over 700 hours put into this project. Would like to have a volunteer coordinator. Motion to adopt Volunteer Program Report - B. Hansen. Seconded - J. Bekker.
- Operations and Research Report - Rob Palm
Grice Bay Project - continuing this study of whale use of Grice Bay. Periodically used by whales. Core samples taken for four years. Also doing water quality as part of the study as well. Part of the goal is to gather baseline data. Highest biomass in sediments in 1997 but no whales used the area.
Comparative Mudflat Study - comparing Grice Bay to other mudflats within Clayoquot Sound. Does not seem to be same biomass in any of the other flats. Killer Whales - Killer Whale identification photos ongoing. Coordinated effort of boats within Clayoquot Sound to let SIRS know if killer whales are in the area.Whales seems to use almost all of Clayoquot Sound. One new calf in 1998. Transients as well as northern and southern residents seen. New study started to examine the morphology of jaws of both residents and transients. Take 26 measurements of jaw and data entered into database. Also measuring skulls in museums, etc. around the world (wherever volunteers are travelling!)
Sea lions - Third year of monitoring at Sea Lion Rocks to determine that Steller's and California sea lions share the haul-out. Monthly counts also look for entanglement, tags, etc. California's use this rock prior to moving south during breeding season. Births and pups have also been noted on the rocks. Numbers seem to be consistent from year-to-year. Not a lot of use during winter months.
Cetacean Necropsies - Asked by DFO to do this work. Towed offshore killer whale in to Tofino from 17 miles offshore. Nothing found in the stomach or esophagus; teeth very degraded. No money from DFO for doing this work as of yet. 39 mortalities - 2 gray whales, 1 sperm whale, 3 harbour porpoise, 1 Pacific white-sided dolphin, 3 river otters, 13 assorted birds. Pacific white-sided dolphin cut by propellor. Two river otters caught in crab traps.
Pelagic Birding/Continental Shelf - Ongoing since 1993. Surveys every month.
Establishing good data of seasonal movements of seabirds along coast. Scientific paper being written jointly by Alan Burger and Rod Palm. 34 1⁄2 mile transect. End over abyssal plain. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of white-sided dolphins over abyssal plain. Two Northern right-whale dolphins; only live sighting on B.C. coast. Baird's beaked whale also photographed.
Thank you to Heather Holmes for securing funding through Pacific Rim National Park Reserve. Highest bird concentration in late summer. Most active time for bird populations of year is late summer.
Harbour Porpoise Rehabilitation - Rehabilitated harbour porpoise. Great volunteer effort. Monitored vital signs every hour with round-the-clock help of volunteers. Waited until vital signs stabilized and then released the animal after about 34 hours.
Motion to adopt Operations and Research Report - J.Allen. Seconded - S. Langer.
- Educational Project Committee Report - Pipot Dupuis
Created "Build-a-Whale" project from offshore killer whale skeleton. Number of volunteers helped to put together the whale "puzzle". Objective is to educate the public about the anatomy and natural history of killer whale. Four shows given to date. Two programs at Greenpoint Campground during the Whale Festival and two at Wickaninnish School. Would like to have other people able to deliver the program.
Motion to adopt Educational Project Committee Report - J. Bekker. Seconded -B. Hansen.
- Presentations and thanks to corporate sponsors.
New Business
- By-law amendments. No motions for by-law amendments.
- Research and Monitoring Projects Proposals - Rod Palm
Continue all projects from previous years.
Morphometric mandibular profiling.
Necropsies. (With budget attached.)
Water quality and biomass in Lemmen's Inlet in regards to oyster aquaculture.
Water quality, water flow and other information in regards to Lemmen's Inlet.
Grice Bay project - would like to expand the project. Interstitial animals (ghost shrimp, etc.) are generally not in the substrate where eelgrass is present. Would like to GPS extent of eelgrass beds in Grice Bay.
Partnership with Camosun College (Environmental Technology class) and Pacific Rim National Park. Students will enter data into GIS system. Ongoing study with classes doing work in Grice Bay each year.
Create a key of feed fish bones to make a key to help identify stomach contents of cetaceans.
11. Educational Project Proposals -
Pipot Dupuis Would like to take the Build-a-Whale project elsewhere. Needs to establish criteria for cost of project and ideas for the future use. Pipot has a lead on a 117 ft. steel hulled boat available to $72,000. Would like to encourage SIRS to consider purchasing it in celebration of the year 2000.
Brochure - Mike Mullin would like to finish and would appreciate volunteer help. Needs someone to help with formatting. Nina Ball volunteered to assist Mike.
12. Cleland Island Stewardship Program -
J. Bekker, Area Supervisor for B.C. Parks
Ecological Reserves usually have a system of volunteer wardens. Management of volunteer wardens is now at district level. B.C. Parks would like to see if SIRS is interested in retaining stewardship of the Island. Parks will provide training, insurance, etc. and possibly financial support (probably only in the form of boat gas). Parks would like to have a sense of the level of activity on the Island, an annual garbage clean up and an increase awareness of ecological reserves. Cleland Island is the most significant breeding colony south of Triangle Island.
Motion to accept proposal - S. Langer. Seconded - J. Allen. Forwarded to new board for approval.
13. 1999-2000 Proposed Budget
- see attached sheet
Suggested that line item be added for Build-a-Whale for fundraising, advertising, etc. Boat also needs to be replaced. Suggest also that a contingency fund be established for unexpected breakdowns, rehabilitations, etc. Membership should also be increased. Motion to accept the proposal in principle as a framework for the new budget. Forwarded - S. Langer. Seconded - M. Mullin Forwarded to new board for refinement and approval.
14. 1999/2000 Board of Directors
Portfolios have been developed for positions on the Board.
Names standing for Board: Bill McIntyre, Yur Bekker, Bill Vernon, Bob Nixon, Jennifer Allen and Wilfred Atleo.
Motion to accept all names as new Board - R. Cook. Seconded - S. Langer.
Motion carried.
Motion to adjourn by S. Langer. Seconded by R. Cook at 9:35 pm.
Rod & Kechura Palm
Strawberry Island,
Box 213,
Tofino, B.C.,
V0R-2Z0
Phone (250)725-2211
e-mail sisle@island.net
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