Feds silent on planes in bird sanctuary

Little preventing aircraft from landing in Esquimalt Lagoon

It wouldn’t have taken an experienced bird watcher to see there were wings of an all together new variety in Esquimalt Lagoon lately.

The second float plane he has seen in 12 years landed in the lagoon July 19, confirmed Dieter Gerhard, owner of Birds of a Feather Bed and Breakfast. The pilot, who owned the plane, was not a guest of the B&B.

“The plane has nothing to do with the B&B,” he said. “It’s not my place to say he can land there or not land there.”

When contacted by the pilot, Gerhard said he was cognizant of the birds in the lagoon. Had it been during breeding season he would not have agreed to let the man use his dock, he said.

“If you satisfy yourself that you can land on the lagoon legally and you are mindful of the birds, I don’t have a problem,” he recalled saying to the pilot. “This fellow was very respectful and mindful of the birds.”

While by no means frequent, the plane’s presence has those who strive to protect the unique waterway concerned.

Esquimalt Lagoon Stewardship Initiative members are working to clarify what regulations exist under Transportation Canada for planes in a migratory bird sanctuary, said ELSI co-ordinator Natalie Bandringa.

If there are no restrictions, the question then becomes if there should be, she said.

“Right now there is a lot of people talking to a lot of people trying to clarify what can be allowed and what ought to be allowed,” Bandringa said.

Canadian Wildlife Services, under Environment Canada, has no policies regarding float planes in migratory bird sanctuaries. The same goes for Transportation Canada.

“Transportation Canada does not have any restrictions landing in the lagoon,” said Rod Nelson, Transportation Canada spokesperson.

Fed by nine creeks, salt and fresh water mix in the lagoon, buffered behind Coburg Peninsula. The blend of water creates habitat for eelgrass beds, shellfish, kelp and some salmon spawning into the creeks.

A designated migratory bird sanctuary, northwestern crows, glaucous-winged gulls, red-breasted mergansers, mallards, northern pintails, stellar’s jays, Canada geese, mute swans, robins, double-crested cormorants and great blue herons are just some of the birds that call Esquimalt Lagoon home.

Just what might happen to those birds if float planes continue to land in the lagoon is the main concern, Bandringa said.

There is also some concern for the safety of people using small boats in the lagoon, usually kayaks and canoes. How they are to be notified of an incoming plane landing there is unclear, especially since it is not a regular occurrence.

With large-scale developments planned around the lagoon, seeing float planes may become more common. As for Gerhard’s dock, allowing it to be used by commercial operations would not be considered, he said.

The dock was never intended for planes, however, if pilots of privately owned planes expressed an interest in the future to dock there outside of breeding season, he would consider it, he said.

reporter@goldstreamgazette.com