SḰŦÁMEN QENÁȽ,ENEȻ SĆȺ - Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project

W̱SÁNEĆ peoples once lived in the winter village of ȾELXOLU (tsull-hall-oo) on what is now known as Sidney Island. The islets named by settlers as Sallas Rocks were known to the W̱SÁNEĆ as XEXMELOSEṈ (huh-mull-awe-sung) long before settler arrival. What Parks Canada calls Eagle Islet, the W̱SÁNEĆ say is known better to them as SḰEḰEŦÁMEN (skwuh-kwuh-thay-munn). When W̱SÁNEĆ people would paddle from their villages on the Saanich Peninsula and were crossing to their villages in the San Juan Islands, JSIṈTEN says the people would take a stopover at W̱YOMEĆEṈ (hw-yaw-much-ung) to take a break. W̱YOMEĆEṈ means place of caution. Perhaps this was a reminder to the W̱SÁNEĆ people to look after themselves in their travels. W̱IĆḴINEM (hw-eech-keen-umm) says his elders would harvest ferns on these islands, which were said to grow to heights taller than the height of an adult person.

When you look at historical maps, you’ll see evidence of meadows, particularly in the area of what is now an airstrip. These meadowlands were places for W̱SÁNEĆ families to grow ḰȽO,EL (kw-lhaw-ull) , or camas. Camas was a staple food in the W̱SÁNEĆ diet. Many animals, such as deer, also enjoy the meadowlands to forage for food, and this was a prime opportunity for W̱SÁNEĆ hunters to harvest deer to feed their families. The wetlands would have drawn other hunters in the form of birds of prey like the hawks and would be great habitat for amphibians.

The W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples’ experience of SḰŦÁMEN (Sidney Island) would have been much more abundant in biodiversity of plants, amphibians, birds, and insects. It wasn’t long ago that a person could lay in the fields among the hum of bees pollinating the meadow. Perhaps today you can still hear the frogs croaking during the WEXES (wuh-huss) moon (the second moon of the W̱SÁNEĆ new year). This moon tells us spring has arrived, and the flowers will be blooming, and that our canoe travels will be safer now that the fall and winter storms are over. These ṮEṮÁĆES (tluh-tlay-chuss) (islands) are relatives of the deep, placed in the sea by our creator XÁLS (hails) to protect the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples. XÁLS bestowed upon the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples the responsibility to care for these relatives as well. Living on the islands, harvesting seafoods, meat, plants, and medicines, tending to the meadows with controlled burns, selectively harvesting logs for cedar longhouses and cedar canoes, and stripping cedar bark for baskets and clothing were all integral to the well-being of the W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples and every area of the territory.  

Found only along the southern coast of British Columbia and parts of Washington and Oregon, the Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem is one of the most ecologically diverse and imperilled zones in Canada. Invasive fallow deer have severely impacted the ecosystem on Sidney Island. Decades of population reduction through hunting and culling has not resulted in long-term improvement, resulting in the Sidney Island Ecological Restoration Project being formed.

The project has been collaboratively built from the ground up, with project partners co-developing the project’s vision and goals and co-designing restoration actions. Project partners include Parks Canada, W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council, Tsawout First Nation, Pauquachin First Nation, the Sidney Island community, the Province of BC, and Islands Trust Conservancy. Additional participation and support have been provided by Cowichan Tribes and Penelakut Tribe.

In the early 20^th century, settlers brought fallow deer—a species not native to North America—from England to the Southern Gulf Islands for farming and sport hunting. The population grew rapidly, and ecological issues resulting from abundance and extensive browsing were soon apparent.

 

Fallow deer live in larger groups and eat a broader variety of food than native black-tailed deer. Since their introduction to Sidney Island, fallow deer have eaten much of the forest’s native understory, including important food and medicine plants that First Nations Peoples have harvested there for generations. Scarcely any tree seedlings survive longer than a few years before being eaten, resulting in a forest of mature trees, with few young trees to take their place. In the absence of native trees and shrubs, invasive species like English hawthorn, Scotch broom, and non-native grasses have spread.

A cull refers to removing many, but not all, individuals from a population. Eradication is the complete removal of a population. On Sidney Island, culling has taken place over the course of 17 hunting seasons since 1981. Despite removing almost 15,000 deer over four decades of hunting and culling, their population continually rebounds, providing only short-term population reduction.

The Sidney Island community spent over 40 years conducting annual hunts and periodic culls. Despite these efforts, the fallow deer population repeatedly rebounded, and the forest continues to show signs of poor health. After careful consideration, project partners concluded that permanently removing fallow deer from Sidney Island, in combination with restoring native vegetation, removing invasive plants, and managing the native black-tailed deer, is necessary to achieve long-term forest restoration.

 

During the collaborative planning process, other options were evaluated based on efficacy (ability to achieve the objective of complete population removal), safety, animal welfare, cost, and expediency (reducing disruption to residents and visitors). These options included:

Phase 1 of the eradication of fallow deer took place over 10 days between December 1-11, 2023. During this phase, three highly trained, certified marksmen used globally supported methods to humanely reduce the deer population on Sidney Island. A total of 84 deer were removed during this period through a combination of nighttime ground-based hunting and daytime aerial work. The aerial work included one marksman operating out of a single helicopter deployed for a total of 15 hours over 5 days.

Throughout Phase 1, Parks Canada staff worked closely with First Nations harvesters to recover meat, hides, and other usable materials, for distribution within local W̱SÁNEĆ communities. Harvesters recovered 79 of 84 deer dispatched, for an estimated total of over 800 kg (1,800 lbs) of meat.

The majority of the animals were dispatched with a single shot. A second shot was taken on the remaining few to be certain of an immediate and humane death. Marksmen worked with Parks Canada staff and First Nations harvesters to ensure that the maximum amount of meat and materials were recovered.

The safety of residents and project personnel was also a priority, and several months of in-depth safety planning occurred in advance of Phase 1. Parks Canada safety officers and a community liaison were present for the duration of Phase 1 to oversee the safe implementation of project activities and to provide updates to members of the Sidney Island residential community. Safety messaging included an internal community webpage, regular text and email updates, signage, and routinely monitored barricades to prevent unintentional access to active operational zones.

In addition to reducing the deer population, the marksmen also undertook ground and aerial reconnaissance to gather information to plan for Phase 2. This allowed marksmen to familiarize themselves with the terrain and environmental features of the project site, as well as deer behaviour and movement patterns.

The progress made in Phase 1 was a combination of efforts from all parties and relies on the investment and shared commitment of everyone involved to complete the work and achieve project goals.

Phase 2 of the operation is planned to take place between fall 2024 and spring 2025. During this phase, temporary fencing will be placed across Sidney Island, creating large, enclosed zones ranging in size from approximately 40 to 120 hectares. Each zone will be cleared by professional ground-based marksmen working with highly specialized scent-tracking dogs. These dogs do not physically engage the deer and are controlled by their handlers.

The humane treatment of animals is a priority for Parks Canada and project partners. Partners recognize that eradication of a wildlife population is reserved for situations where no other method is feasible, and only after careful consideration, as has been the case for this project.

 

Methods selected for this project are globally proven and align with internationally recognized principles for ethical wildlife control. Parks Canada is adhering to animal handling standards set out by the Canadian Council on Animal Care. In addition, project partners consulted with the BC SPCA throughout project planning and met with the SPCA’s Manager of Wild Animal Welfare to discuss the details of the operation, continuing to share operational details with them for additional review. Representatives from the BC SPCA will be on the island during Phase 1 and 2 to observe activities from an animal welfare perspective.

 

Parks Canada is a recognized leader in conservation and has a proven record of effective ecosystem management. For more information about the Principles of Ethical Wildlife Control that project partners used during project planning, click here

The BC SPCA is not a project partner but was consulted on the project's methodology, provided feedback on the project’s operational plan, and has been on site to attend several days of the operation as an observer and if necessary, provide further recommendations. Please visit the BC SPCA website for more information on their position on this issue.

Parks Canada is working with local First Nations to implement a meat recovery program for both phases of the operation. First Nations harvesters, with support from Parks Canada staff, are recovering meat, hides, and other materials, which will be distributed within local First Nations communities. An estimated total of over 800 kg (1,800 lbs) of meat was recovered during Phase 1.

Parks Canada staff worked collaboratively with Sidney Island community representatives to establish comprehensive safety measures and communications protocols. The Sidney Island community hired a community liaison who is involved in safety planning and is available to the community to answer safety-related questions. Parks Canada also has a project safety officer who is available to answer residents’ questions.

In the lead up to Phase 1, Parks Canada shared safety information broadly in a variety of formats to maximize reach including through online platforms, notices at community nodes. Information was also shared by the Sallas Strata through their project webpage. The community liaison, who was on-site for the duration of Phase 1, also connected directly with residents in person.

Parks Canada will continue to work and communicate with representatives of the community as we plan and prepare for Phase 2.

Based on global research and local genetic evidence, the risk of reinvasion of fallow deer on Sidney Island is considered low.

 

A genetic study completed in 2022 shows that introduced fallow deer populations on James Island, Sidney Island and Mayne Island have remained genetically isolated, which means that the animals have not been swimming between islands and breeding. Additionally, fallow deer have been established on Mayne Island since the 1990s but have not established a herd on Saturna Island despite the two islands nearly touching. This evidence suggests that fallow deer do not readily swim between islands to establish breeding populations.

 

As an added measure and in the event fallow deer are detected following the eradication, a biosecurity plan is being developed.

Native black-tailed deer can be a component of a healthy Coastal Douglas-fir ecosystem. They currently make up a very small percentage of the deer on Sidney Island, likely because they are outcompeted by fallow deer. After consulting with the BC SPCA, project partners concluded that there was no humane way to retain black-tailed deer on the island during the eradication; therefore, all deer will be removed. However, black-tailed deer are very abundant in this region and, unlike fallow deer, have a long history of swimming between islands. Partners anticipate that this native species will naturally return to Sidney Island in time. Parks Canada will monitor Sidney Island for signs of returning black-tailed deer , and in the future, may choose to work with partners to assist re-establishment.

To support the restoration of a healthy and diverse understory, Parks Canada is planting a variety of native plants in fenced exclosures on the island. So far, ten exclosures have been built across SḰŦÁMEN (Sidney Island) and planted with over 300 native and culturally important plants. Two more exclosures are currently being built. These exclosure sites will function as a seed source for the surrounding areas and will help native plants re-establish throughout the forest. They will also provide pockets of habitat for forest wildlife such as songbirds.

 

Additionally, Parks Canada is collaborating with partners under the federal 2 Billion Trees program to plant at least 3,000 trees and companion shrubs in the Southern Gulf Island region by 2028. On SḰŦÁMEN (Sidney Island), planting efforts will help revitalize rare or missing deciduous trees, as well as food-producing species. In the park reserve, many of these trees will be planted in areas where English hawthorn is removed, particularly in and around the campground.