Recreational Boating: Freshwater and Foreshore, all Seasons

Introduction

  • The following results, desired behaviours, indicators, and limits apply in addition to any relevant policies or regulations; for example, area-based closures and existing statutes.
  • Concerns are ranked according to the potential risk to wildlife and their habitats, where “potential” is defined as the probability that the activity will result in either the alteration or destruction of habitat, or the temporary or permanent abandonment of habitat, in the absence of guidelines or statutes.
  • “Boating” is considered any activity using a motorized or non-motorized vessel intended for travel on water in freshwater or near-foreshore habitats.
  • Guidelines are summarized by:
    • Results – What the guidelines are attempting to achieve.
    • Desired Behaviours – Actions by users that are most likely to achieve the specified results.
    • Indicators – What should be measured to determine if the specified results are being achieved.
    • Limits – Acceptable bounds related to the measured indicator.
  • Results and Desired Behaviours are identified for low-risk issues.
  • Results, Desired Behaviours, Indicators, and Limits are identified for high-risk issues.
  • NOTE: These guidelines have been produced as a means of ensuring that environmental values and tourism recreational activities can co-exist on the landscape. Tourism operators may find these guidelines useful and may choose to adopt them. However, if a licensee chooses to use a different strategy, and it is accepted by government, the licensee must undertake an effectiveness monitoring program. The Tenure Management Plan must reflect the commitment to the monitoring program, and opportunities to partner with government may be explored.
  • Safety remains the first priority under all circumstances.

1. Degradation of Soil, Air, and Water Quality

Concern: Air Pollution

Results

Desired Behaviours
  • Minimize air pollution.
  • Use low-emission engines (e.g., 4-stroke or efficient 2-stroke gasoline, alternative fuels) or electric motors.
  • Keep engines well tuned.
  • Avoid idling.

Concern: Water pollution

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits

  • Avoid water pollution.
  • Use low-emission engines (e.g., 4-stroke or efficient 2-stroke gasoline, alternative fuels) or electric motors.
  • Keep engines well tuned.
  • Observe all refuelling regulations.
  • Carry fuel-spill kits for refuelling at remote caches.
  • Refill fuel tanks on shore or in port.
  • Cache fuel at least 10 m from the high-water mark of water courses.
  • Obey all bilge-release regulations.
  • Use a bilge sock.
  • Do not release bilge in or near sensitive sites.
  • Pack out all garbage.
  • Use on-board facilities for solid human waste.
  • Use biodegradable cleaning products.
  • Water quality.
  • Visible garbage along shorelines.
  • Changes to aquatic communities resulting from water quality changes.
  • No changes over time in water quality indicators caused by boating activities.
  • No garbage along shorelines caused by boating activities.
  • No changes to aquatic communities caused by boating activities.

Concern: Bank erosion and siltation

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Protect living and non-living substrates.
  • Minimize bank erosion.
  • Follow all posted speed limits
  • Remain in areas with water deep enough to prevent disturbance to substrate material or aquatic vegetation; 1 m is recommended for propeller-driven craft, 0.5 m for jet-boats.
  • Approach shorelines slowly and choose hardened surfaces for put-out areas.
  • Reduce wake in areas where bank erosion is evident.
  • Observe any anchoring restrictions.
  • Anchor in sand or mud.
  • Avoid use of anchors with claws, hooks or sharp blades that can rip vegetation.
  • Motor in the direction of the anchor when hauling it in.
  • Water turbidity
  • Bank erosion.
  • No net change in water turbidity caused by boating activities.
  • No increase in bank erosion caused by boating activities.

2. Integrity of Vegetation Communities

Concern: Invasive species

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Minimize spread of invasive plant species.
  • Learn to identify invasive plants.
  • Inspect hull, propellers, trailers, clothing, equipment, vehicles, and pets for plant parts before and after boating.
  • Incinerate or bag and dispose of collected plant parts.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Presence/absence of invasive species in waterways.
  • No spread of invasive plants to new waterways caused by boating activities.

Concern: Physical damage to aquatic plant communities

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Protect aquatic vegetation and root systems.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Do not pick or pull vegetation.
  • Follow all posted speed limits.
  • Remain in areas with water deep enough to prevent disturbance to aquatic vegetation.
  • Approach shorelines slowly and choose put-out areas carefully to minimized disruption to near-shore vegetation.
  • Observe any anchoring restrictions.
  • Anchor in sand or mud.
  • Use the proper anchor for the substrate.
  • Motor in the direction of the anchor when hauling it in.
  • Damage to rooted vegetation.
  • No long-term damage to integrity of aquatic vegetation caused by boating activities.


Concern: Damage to sensitive sites (Are these in my operating area?)

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Protect habitats of endangered wildlife species and ecosystems.
  • Protect sensitive ecosystems (moist-soil ecosystems such as riparian area shorelines and wetlands).
  • Protect nesting sites.
  • Learn to identify endangered species and ecosystems within the operating area.
  • Operate in a manner that is consistent with government’s approved approach to recovery planning for species at risk.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Do not break shoreline vegetation.
  • Avoid known nesting sites (seasonal closures might be necessary).

3. Direct Disturbance of Wildlife


Concerns: Physiological and behavioural disruption, displacement from preferred habitats; direct mortality, habituation/sensitization

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Minimize physiological and behavioural disruption.
  • Minimize changes in habitat use resulting from activities.
  • Record wildlife encounters, actions taken, and responses of animals.
  • Obey all signs and area closures.
  • Obey all posted speed limits.
  • Do not harass wildlife.
  • Do not feed wildlife.
  • Do not handle wildlife.
  • Do not allow dogs to be at large and harass wildlife.
  • Pack out all garbage.
  • Focus activities in areas and at times of the year when wildlife are least likely to be disturbed (seasonal closures might be necessary).
  • Learn to identify species at risk, including their behaviour and habitats that are in areas where you operate.
  • Turn off engines and remain still, or retreat if possible when animals are encountered and react to your presence.
  • Stay at distances sufficient to prevent changes to the behaviour of animals (at least 100 m in open areas is the default for large mammals).
  • Avoid landing vessels where wildlife are encountered along shorelines.
  • Proportion of encounters resulting in an alarm response (movement by animals, usually to safer locations).
  • Population abundance and distribution trends of wildlife species. 
  • No increase in rate of alarm responses over time caused by boating activities.
  • No harassment caused by boating activities.
  • No abandonment of habitats caused by boating activities.

4. Integrity of Fisheries Resources

Concern: Damage to fish populations and habitat

Results

Desired Behaviours
  • Protect fish populations and habitat.

5. Special Management

Concern: Harlequin Ducks ( Are these in my operating area?)

Results

Desired Behaviours

Indicators

Limits
  • Avoid changes in bird behaviour or abandonment of sites.
  • Ensure that habitat areas remain useable to the animals.
  • Attempt to avoid narrow river and stream reaches where Harlequin Ducks have been observed or are known to nest (seasonal closures might be necessary during nesting and brood-rearing; mid-May to end of August).
  • Turn off motors, stop paddling, avoid moving and remain quiet while drifting-by Harlequins are encountered.
  • Maintain as much distance as possible between birds and boats.
  • Allow hens and broods to find hiding places before proceeding, if possible.
  • If Harlequins are encountered, go to the other side of the watercourse.
  • Reduce spacing between boats to avoid prolonged disturbance.
  • If you encounter a hen and brood, “eddy out” to give them time to find security cover.
  • Learn to recognize Harlequin Ducks and places where they may be feeding or resting.
  • Population abundance and distribution trends of Harlequin Ducks on stream reaches.
  • No population declines or abandonment of stream reaches caused by boating activities.