The Scott Islands – placing value on a unique ecosystem

This is exactly the challenge facing those developing the new management plan for the Scott Island National Wildlife Area.
A remote island set in rough waters off the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Scott Islands are a difficult place to get to for anything that can’t fly, as in rats, weasels and other predators. This makes it a safe place for avian parents to breed and raise vulnerable young.  Approximately 2 million seabirds use the islands as nesting grounds.  In fact, more than half of the world’s Cassin’s Auklets breed on this group of islands.

Common Murres (c) Andrew S. Wright
But is the place strictly for the birds? Well, technically speaking, sort of. Three of the Scott Islands group – Triangle, Sartine, and Beresford – are actually Ecological Reserves, while two other islands – Lanz and Cox – are Class A Provincial Parks.  The sea around the islands, however, hasn’t yet been granted protection even though the nesting seabirds rely on their marine environment to feed themselves and their families. Plans are in the works for marine protection and WWF would like to see these made a priority, given the needs and ecological importance of the island’s seabirds.

To see some wonderful video of Scott Islands’ diverse seabird life, check out this SFU research survey.  For those that prefer a French version Sondage sur la réserve national de faune des îles Scott, en français .  Be forewarned: you only get to take the survey once and if you’re serious about conservation issues, you may very well find the question of how to go about putting a value on our environment sticks with you long after you’ve given your input. The concept of how we value ecosystem services is a topic that’s gradually becoming part of the resource management landscape and deserves a good deal more serious contemplation.