After reading the latest article regarding Guy Monty from the Brant Festival admonishing us residents to get on board and leave the beaches to the Brants for two and a half months, I had to wonder if sharing is part of his vocabulary.
I feel it is important to respect another individual’s hobby pursuit but not at the risk of disrespecting and exclusion of other individuals enjoyment of recreating on our beaches. His suggestion that we humans should curtail our activities on the beach by not playing sports, walking along the waterline, kite surfing and wakeboarding is exclusionary and infringing on our rights as well. I certainly enjoy and avoid disturbing the Brant but I also enjoy viewing the Sandpipers, ducks, cormorants, oyster catchers and gulls. It’s all about balance and allowing everyone the ability to pursue their interests without fear of being mistreated by narrow minded individuals.
To suggest that humans should even avoid the new Parksville Boardwalk at the risk of disturbing the Brants is alarming and does a great disservice to our many visitors and residents that have overwhelmingly confirmed that the Boardwalk greatly enhances their enjoyment of our incredible beaches.
The reality is that the Brant and many other sea life have flocked to this area at this time is in anticipation of the annual herring run, which in itself is a wonder of nature that many of us enjoy. To suggest that disturbance from humans would upset the numbers of Brants visiting our areas is a stretch, especially in light of the fact that in California and Alaska, which is part of their migratory route, the Brant are cherished by the waterfowl hunters. I submit that the blast from a shotgun is probably more disturbing than any intrusion by Oceanside visitors.
May I suggest that we all learn to share and be respectful of all wildlife without being prohibited from the beaches that we all flock to?
Doug O’Brien
Parksville
