Recently a colony of cliff swallow nests on the viewing tower at Grant Narrows was destroyed by vandals or thieves. The destruction of any migratory bird nest, or killing of migratory birds, is illegal under the Migratory Bird Convention Act. The Environment and Climate Change Canada website has important information on the legal protection of migratory birds (including provincial jurisdictions), which species are covered, and ways to avoid harm to migratory birds.
As birders, we are often positioned to notice incidents like the one near Grant Narrows while regulators and enforcement may not. Instances of possible contraventions of the Act should be reported to ECCC Wildlife Enforcement. In BC, we have a local toll-free duty number where they will provide reporting assistance, triage reports, and refer reports to the appropriate regulatory agencies. ECCC’s reporting information for the BC region is:
BC Toll-free: 1-888-569-5656
You can also report illegal activities on the RAPP Line (“Report all Poachers & Polluters’):
BC Toll-free: 1.877.952.7277 (24hr hotline)
Read a recent media report of a court case arising from an incident in East Vancouver.