Dear Editor,
The recent incident at the Steveston fish docks was set off by a number of factors which have been largely ignored by the authorities responsible for enforcing the rules and regulations that apply to activities on the docks.
The presence of wildlife in the air (sea gulls in particular) and in the water (sea lions, seals, etc) are directly linked to the fishermen who use the docks as their marketplace. Fishermen routinely dump fish waste into the water next to their boats when they are cleaning their display trays.
It is not uncommon to see dead fish floating alongside fishing boats. All of this attracts the sea lions and seals that follow the fishing boats to the docks to share in a feeding frenzy.
The fish docks can be very busy places and visitors are very curious with all that is going on.
Once a sea lion or seal is spotted, it draws a lot of attention from the public, many of whom are seeing such animals for the first time in the wild. The chance to get up close and friendly by offering a food token is very tempting.
In the case of a sea lion, its head is like the tip of an iceberg. As was clearly demonstrated in the recent incident, the sea lion can move very quickly in spite of its size.
Signage as a warning and control is not enough as it is easily ignored and many foreign visitors may not understand the language used. The authorities responsible should have officers on duty who can enforce the rules and regulations, particularly when it comes to the behaviour of the fishermen using the docks.
Alan Johnson
Richmond
