Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival
The SCCA catalyzes action for our ocean with another successful Ocean Festival on the Sunshine Coast
As I stand down on the pier in Sechelt, the sun shining brightly, warming my face, I hear a DJ playing music down by the volleyball courts. I’m drawn in by a large crowd that’s mingling under tents and the smell of a BBQ roasting away. I soon discover that this group is celebrating our ocean, and that today, June 8, is the United Nations World Oceans Day, a day designed to create a worldwide movement of humans dedicated to the sustainable management of our ocean.
This celebration event was the SCCA’s (Sunshine Coast Conservation Association) 5th annual Sunshine Coast Ocean Festival in celebration of World Oceans Day. This was the first year since covid they brought back their in-person celebration and gave the community the chance to meet with members of local ocean conservation groups such as Friends of Forage Fish, the Sunshine Coast Streamkeepers, Oceanwise, and the Herring Enhancement Society.
“Our NEMO Talks are like a TED talk but better”
During the week they hosted online “NEMO” talks on a wide range of ocean related topics such as seafloor garbage, clam gardens, and the invasive European Green Crab. These NEMO talks run over the lunch hour, and I was amazed to see community members asking curious questions about our ocean and the effects of climate change in our local region.
Photo Credit: Christopher Harley
“The Strait of Georgia…is warming up at twice the global average rate”
“The Strait of Georgia…is warming up at twice the global average rate”, says Fiona Beaty, a local marine ecologist, sparking some vivid discussions about why, and what can we do about it. This rapid warming puts local species, such as the Nucella lamellosa (pictured) at an even higher risk. These tiny creatures, although “not as sexy as a whale” as Fiona puts it, are a reminder to slow down our lives, and connect to the places we care about so dearly.
Conservation First, Restoration Second
This was the resounding message heard from both the speakers and Suzanne, who lamented the need for conserving our marine spaces now, before we lose any more species, particularly ones we didn’t even know existed. Statistics vary, but it appears to be agreed upon that less than 20% of our ocean has been explored by humans, a staggering number given that our ocean covers about 71% of our Earth’s surface. This message becomes all the more real when watching the film “Deep Rising”, directed by Matthew Rytz and produced and narrated by Jason Momoa.
Photo Credit: Schmidt Ocean Institute for Deep Rising (official film photo)
“A riveting tale of geopolitical, corporate and scientific intrigue, the film exposes the inner workings of the International Seabed Authority (ISA): a secretive United Nation instrument which oversees nearly half our planet’s surface on the ocean floor. The ISA is empowered to greenlight the massive extraction of metals from the seabed which are deemed essential by some to fulfill demand for the current electric battery technology.”
Watching the film at the Sunshine Coast Arts Council with members of our community, I was once again saddened by our society’s extractive and exploitive nature, which has to date, decimated our old-growth forests and destroyed communities in the process. In our post-film discussion, we talked about the need to take a step back and approach extraction with sustainability in mind, rather than destroy first and ask questions later. One of the critical points brought up was the inability for young people to even afford a gas-powered car, let alone an electric vehicle. Furthermore, why are we not investing this money in recycling and reusing the materials that have already been extracted, rather than continuing to exhaust finite new resources and sending species to extinction.
It’s no secret that consumerism has driven our society to continuously create new, single-use products to feed our economies ‘endless growth’ system. But this current system is unsustainable and destroying our planet in the process. Younger generations are getting increasingly louder in this critical conversation and it’s my hope that the tides change soon, and we create a new way of living for our society. One that protects our ocean and all the species within it.
It was incredibly inspiring to see both the younger and older generations coming together in these discussions during this week-long event and taking action for our ocean. Events like this, hosted by conservation organisations such as the SCCA, are so important for bringing ocean conservation issues to the community and catalyzing action for our ocean.
Want to get involved?
The SCCA are looking for members to join their working group for next year’s ocean festival, as well as speakers for the next series of NEMO talks. Contact the SCCA at communications@thescca.ca if you’re interested
Friends of Forage Fish are always looking for new volunteers to help with samplings on the Sunshine Coast. Contact diannesanford@gmail.com if you want to get involved
Help clean-up one of your local beaches or get involved in removing invasive species. There are many local non-profit organisations such as local streamkeeper groups or invasive species groups that organize these volunteer activities.
Get educated! Attend some online talks about local conservation activities or attend an in-person event in your area. You will learn something new and have something to talk about at your next social gathering!
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