Duncan - Congratulations and heartfelt thanks to Cowichan Tribes leaders who said "no" to docks along the shore of the Stoney Hill properties! (Citizen, Dec. 24, page 5).
Our Island shorelines have already been so hugely disturbed that an abundant harvest has been reduced to a tiny fraction of what it once was. To preserve what remains and to restore damaged areas should be a priority for all jurisdictions.Every man-made structure along the water's edge interrupts the natural action of waves and weather that maintains essential habitats for a diversity of life.Shellfish, forage fish (the "food fish" that can spawn abundantly along undisturbed beaches) and a web of other creatures provide food for all the larger animals, including ourselves.Let us recognize these basic facts of life - and this opportunity - in all our zoning regulation and community plans.Bob NationDuncan