Grade 9 student Isabella Perroni is passionate about seals and petitioned council at the special council meeting on April 22 to pay for and put up signs to educate the public about what to do upon finding a seal pup on the beach.
"My name is Isabella Perroni, and I am a Grade 9 student at Island Pacific School," Perroni began her presentation. "Every year, the Grade 9s do a year-long project called Masterworks. It involves doing research, writing a paper, and giving an oral presentation. I have chosen the topic for my project to be about seals and a program run by the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre."
Perroni explained that the rescue centre is part of a Vancouver Aquarium program that rescues marine mammals that are found injured or abandoned. They are brought into the facility, treated and cared for and released back into the ocean after they recover.
"I have learned a lot about seals and the rescue centre doing research for my Masterworks presentation," Perroni said. "As part of my project, I wanted to raise awareness in the Bowen Island community of what to do in the event that anybody sees an abandoned seal pup on one of our beaches. I think that a good way to do this is by putting signs up on the approximately 12 major beaches on Bowen."
Perroni included a draft sign in her package for council. It reads: "Found an injured or abandoned sea animal? 1. Stay back from the animal 2. Keep pets and other people away from it 3. Call the Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at 604-258-SEAL (7325). If it is after hours, call the emergency line at 604-862-1647.
Alternatively you can call the Rescue emergency pager at 604-735-4777.
Don't approach wild marine mammals too closely. If they are stressed, they can be dangerous because they will try to protect themselves. Even small seal pups can bite and this can be a health hazard."
"In addition to asking to approve the placement of the signs, I would also like to ask that council provide the funding for these signs, which would be about $90 each plus taxes and installation," Perroni said. "The signs could be put up by municipal staff at the major beaches like Tunstall Bay, Crayola, Bowen Bay, Mt. Gardner, Hood Point, Pebbly, the Causeway, Crippen Park, September Morn, and Sandy beach."
Councillor Alison Morse said that informing the public about seal pups is a good idea. She recalls signage being installed a couple of years ago. "There is a standard sign provided by the Marine Mammal Rescue," she said. "As I understand it, the major concern is for people to know that when they find a seal pup, it may not be injured or abandoned but simply been left there while the mother hunts." Morse suggested contacting the municipality's bylaw officer.
BIM's chief administrative officer Kathy Lalonde offered to work with Perroni and connect her with municipal staff responsible for signage.
