https://www.gofundme.com/orcaoutreachfund
Thanks for the positive boost. Yes, we are working hard to help make a difference. We are now working very hard with DFO to develop management measures that will protect SRKW, while also finding responsible ways to ensure recreational and other fishing activities that small coastal communities rely upon for supporting local economies continue.
Many people have graciously donated to the fund, which we are using to help reach out to the public with facts about alternative measures that strike a balance between protecting whales, while finding innovative ways for marine based activities to take place in harmony. 399,355 people reached (and tracked), not counting the website reach. We are doing our best to help get the message out and promote the economic value recreational fishing brings to small coastal communities.
Our view is it is better to take positive steps forward to try our best to make a difference, than to sit back and wait for someone to do something.
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Orca Outreach Fund
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The fund is to be used to achieve outreach activities to help small coastal communities that rely upon the recreational fishery to achieve a balance between protecting Killer Whales while allowing responsible Recreational Fisheries. Our aim is to help engage communities to develop, in partnership, measurable protection strategies for orca, and to realize critical social and economic values for these coastal communities.
Specifically, the fund is to raise capital to help us deliver media outreach, develop social media campaigns, initiate and deliver community outreach via Chamber meetings and other venues such as AVICC etc.
Our first project is we are partnering with the BC Chamber of Commerce to hire the PACE Group to develop and deliver a media campaign, which will be timed to the Critical Habitat proposal announcement.
This fund will help us work with communities to develop science based strategies to achieve a balance between protecting whales, while ensuring the conditions exist to support a thriving recreational fishery that delivers social and economic benefits to them.
We are partnering together to work with coastal communities on a protection strategy to protect the Orca's and small coastal communities of Sooke, Port Renfrew, Bamfield, Port Alberni, Ucluelet and Tofino. As a part of our ongoing outreach, we are attending Chamber meetings. Our first is the Port Renfew Chamber meeting November 20th. We also reached out to the Campbell River Guide Association on December 11.
Here's our accomplishments to date:
1. Held Media Event, called Thriving Orcas, Thriving Communities in Victoria Dec 6th
2. Developed website to help share information
www.orcawhales.org
3. Developed Facebook Page
www.facebook.com/bcorcawhales/
4. Developed Instagram Page
www.instagram.com/p/Bqs4q2Dneva/
5. Initiated Community Outreach - speaking at Chamber Meetings and other community groups
We are using the go fund me campaign to help fund development of social media and to boost posts to extend our reach to the public. Thus far we have reached 398,355 people on social media and many more site visits to our website.
Community Supporters:
West Coast Fishing Guide Association
Sooke to Port Renfrew Tourism Association
Part of our approach will be to work cooperatively with DFO to explore science-based solutions as a part of a multi-party team offering our assistance in developing future management measures for critical habitat areas of special importance for killer whales.
As recreational fishers, we strongly believe in contributing our volunteer efforts and funding to support local enhancement projects to give something back to fish. Any un-used funds will be donated to salmon enhancement projects that will benefit enhancing Chinook stocks important to Southern Resident Killer Whales.
We believe this strategy will provide protection for whales, while allowing responsible vessel use of habitats we share with whales.
Recreational fishing (for salmon only) contributes $713 million USD every year to local communities in B.C.; $440 million USD to Canada's GDP; $246 million USD to Labour - helping families thrive; and 6,150 Full Time Equivalent jobs. All this while using only 10% of the Salmon, and 15% of the Halibut catch in BC.
Small coastal communities and their economies are heavily reliant upon the recreational fishery - those values are worth protecting.