The Western Canada and NW US branch of the Ocean Cruising Club (OCC) would like to invite BCA members to join them on May 11, 2024 to celebrate their 70th anniversary at Royal Victoria Yacht Club.
The OCC is an international club for cruisers; members are identified by a blue and yellow burgee with a stylized flying fish. Whereas BCA does a remarkable job of preparing sailors to go blue water cruising the Ocean Cruising Club provides worldwide support, valuable information and additional camaraderie to those who are offshore. Because the two organizations complement each other in their similar cruising and environmental goals, many are members of both, including two of the day’s speakers.
May 11 will be a day of camaraderie and proactive discussions about our role in ocean health. In addition to dynamic speakers, the day will include cruisers’ stories, current cruising boats for viewing at the dock, a light lunch, plated salmon dinner and tea/coffee/cookies throughout. Total cost is $75 CAD per person (cash on arrival). Please RSVP, with any food allergy requirements, to Liza Copeland, Regional Rear Commodore Western Canada and NW US.
Contributing to Ocean Health
The day’s focus is Contributing to Ocean Health, discussing previous achievements, current projects and exploring interesting ways that local and international cruisers can proactively contribute to a healthy ocean and promote environmentally and socially responsible cruising. Presentation topics include:
- BC coastal marine strategies to improve the health and biodiversity of coastal marine environments, adapt to climate change and grow a sustainable economy.
- Combating world illegal fishing, where and who it is impacting, global governance and its surprising gaps, innovative solutions, and how cruisers can be better aware of and contribute positively to the issue.
- Sailors know all too well the challenges our oceans face from human activity – but what to do about it? Can we, as individuals, really make a difference? Learn about the smorgasbord of citizen science projects around the world that urgently need participation, and how you can personally collect and contribute to these rewarding projects as you cruise and inform, inspire and enable others to have their own positive impact on the ocean.
Presenters
Duncan Copeland and Larissa Clark
Duncan Copeland and Larissa Clark
A sailor for most of his life, Duncan has worked with both not-for-profit organizations and governments, supporting global campaigns with international NGOs and serving as a fisheries MCS (monitoring, control and surveillance) advisor to governments, particularly in Africa. In 2013 he co-founded TMT, a non-profit organization that provides national fisheries authorities and international organizations with fisheries intelligence, analysis, and capacity building, targeting a reduction of illegal fishing and broader improvements in ocean governance. In addition to serving as TMT’s Executive Director, Duncan is an Ocean Panel expert to the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, sits on the Advisory Board to the Sea Around Us project at the University of British Columbia, and was a keynote panelist at the 2022 UN Oceans Conference.
Larissa Clark has spent the past 18 years working on projects that further our knowledge, understanding and protection of our ocean. These projects range from tackling illegal fishing, to plastic pollution, impacts of changing climate and promoting marine life conservation through her PR agency, This Chapter, and travel company Another World Adventures. Larissa is also a trustee for Women in Ocean Science.
This summer Duncan and Larissa will set off on a global voyage with their two children aboard their Beneteau 50’ Freeranger. Taking all they’ve learned from their careers so far, combined with a passion for sailing and adventure travel, and a desire to have a positive impact along the way, they’ve created a not-for-project organization called Free Range Ocean to inspire action for our ocean through adventure, science and to use storytelling for meaningful communication. Their three cruising priorities include using Freeranger as a testbed and showcase for innovative and accessible research-based or green operational technologies; contributing to, and enabling, other sailors to take part in the smorgasbord of citizen science projects around the world that urgently need support from sailors and sea-going folk; and hosting local early-career researchers and storytellers in the countries they visit. The end goal? To inform, inspire and enable others to have their own positive impact on our ocean. As they say ‘If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito!’
David Angus
A graduate of SFU’s Resource and Environmental Management Program, David Angus is the acting Director of Marine Policy with the Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, working on the Coastal Marine Strategy. His previous work with Ministry included helping to finalize and implement the Marine Protected Area Network Action Plan for BC’s North Coast; continued implementation of the Marine Plan Partnership plans in the North Coast; and work with DFO on behalf of the province on the Southern BC Marine Spatial Planning Program. Although his Master Limited 60 tonne ticket has expired, he still enjoys getting out on the water with his family.
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