On March 13th, 2025, Chief Don Tom signed the Agreement for Characterizing the Sonic Environment of the Saanich Inlet (“the Agreement”) as part of the Quiet Vessel Initiative, moving Tsartlip one step closer to securing funds to protect marine life in the Saanich Inlet.
The Quiet Vessel Initiative is a Transport Canada project that funds efforts to protect the marine environment and marine mammals by addressing underwater vessel noise caused by shipping vessels and recreational boats. Vessel noise significantly harms marine life – including the small number of remaining KELȽOLEMEĆEN (killer whales), who rely on echolocation to find food – and the initiative is a critical response to this growing problem.
Tsartlip applied for funding under the Initiative to enhance Tsartlip’s capacity for underwater vessel noise monitoring and Canada agreed to provide funding. Chief and Council authorized Chief Don Tom to enter into a formal agreement for this funding through a Band Council Resolution signed on February 24th, 2025, and Chief Don Tom signed the Agreement in early March.
Tsartlip will use the funding to carry out a multi-year, community based program that will allow Tsartlip to: 1) monitor and better understand vessel noise and presence in and around the Saanich Inlet; 2) study the impact of that noise on Tsartlip’s rights and ability to practice traditional activities; 3) educate the community about vessel noise in the inlet; 4) prepare the community for marine emergencies; and 5) increase capacity for environmental monitoring among community members.
Some of the many activities that will take place as part of the program include community workshops about the acoustic ecology of the Inlet, the creation of a community member and Marine Guardian-led vessel noise monitoring program, the purchase of portable hydrophone and microphone systems to increase Tsartlip’s capacity to study vessel noise, and the development of a brand new mobile application to help document written, audio, and video data in one place.
Once data is gathered, Tsartlip will create an interactive online map for Tsartlip’s website that details the auditory environment in traditional waters. Additionally, Tsartlip will draw upon the traditional knowledge shared by the community and the data gathered to help Canada understand the acoustic ecology of the inlet.
Tsartlip is enthusiastic about the opportunity to expand data collection and knowledge regarding the impacts of vessel noise and looks forward to the ways this information will allow the Tsartlip community to better care for KELȽOLEMEĆEN and the entire marine environment.
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