Location
Key Information
| 0.81 km2 | MARINE AREA |
| 0.93 km2 | TOTAL AREA i |
Regulations: Government of Canada
Boundary: Canadian Protected and Conserved Areas Database (Unmodified)
2.0
July 2023
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Purpose
The Esquimalt Lagoon Migratory Bird Sanctuary was established on December 12, 1931 and is located 10 km west of Victoria, British Columbia, at the southern end of Vancouver Island, just west of Esquimalt Harbour in Colwood. The shallow tidal waters of the lagoon support thousands of waterfowl from October through May, making this one of the top birding spots in the region.
Species of Concern: American coot, mallard, northern pintail, green-winged teal, American wigeon, hooded merganser, black oystercatcher, pacific great blue heron
Regulations Summary
Restrictions
The primary purpose of Migratory Bird Sanctuaries is the protection of migratory birds from killing, harm and harassment during a critical part of their life cycle, such as breeding, nesting, moulting, or staging and stopover during their migration. Unless a permit has been issued by the Minister of the Environment authorizing such activity, the Regulations prohibit the following activities in a Migratory Bird Sanctuary:
1. no person shall hunt migratory birds;
2. no person shall disturb, destroy or take the nests of migratory birds;
3. no person shall have in their possession a live migratory bird, or a carcass, skin, nest or egg of a migratory bird (a resident of a Migratory Bird Sanctuary may have in their possession migratory birds lawfully killed outside a Migratory Bird Sanctuary);
4.no person shall have in their possession in a Migratory Bird Sanctuary any firearm; or any hunting appliance except as otherwise provided in these Regulations (does not apply to residents of a Migratory Bird Sanctuary);
5. no person shall permit a dog or cat to run at large in a Migratory Bird Sanctuary;
6. no person shall carry on any activity that is harmful to migratory birds or the eggs, nests or habitat of migratory birds, except under the authority of a permit for those Migratory Bird Sanctuaries on provincial, territorial and federal lands.
Allowed
1. First Nations have a right to access and hunt within the sanctuary.