[whanem]

I'm looking for some help prodding the City of Vancouver to remove the netting from under the middle section of the Burrard Bridge, thereby allowing re-establishment of the Pelagic Cormorant breeding colony that had been using the bridge since the year 2000. The nets were installed to intercept any possible falling debris from the roadwork that began in February of 2016 and was finished in October of 2017. As of this writing, the netting is still there. I'm hoping it can be removed before breeding season 2018 (which begins in February for many our Pelagic Cormorants).

I've posted more information, including contact details for officials that should be able to help, at this link:
https://geezersblind.wordpress.com/2018 ... vancouver/

Any and all assistance appreciated,
Wayne Morris

[revs]

City of Vancouver s*cks, i don't have much faith in them doing anything unless a bike lane is required

It was a few months ago that i found myself on Granville bridge with my wife for the first time in almost 15 years, was surprised by the cormorant activity under the bridge and in the air around north side of it.
Is it possible that the birds switched bridges?

[whanem]

The Structural Engineer whose name I had posted on my linked web page did not answer my inquiry on this, but at his request, another City engineer more closely involved with recent goings on affecting the Burrard Bridge replied this morning (Jan 5). See below the meat of that response:

[EXCERPT]
The City retained experts in this field (Golder Associates) to review the project, assess the existing habitat and develop an exclusion netting and monitoring plan. That plan was reviewed and modified to include the feedback we received from provincial wildlife experts.  The bird netting was installed in 2015 after the nesting season was over, and Golder conducted surveys on both the Granville Bridge and the Burrard Bridge in 2015, 2016 and 2017.  The monitoring results (copy of report attached) indicate that there was a relocation from Burrard to Granville and that the nesting numbers have increased significantly in 2017.  Golder also advises that there is space for additional nests on the Granville Bridge. 
 
Please note that our current Burrard Bridge contractor removed the bird exclusion netting above the Aquatic Centre parking lot late last year.

 The City will be replacing the Marine Fenders for the Burrard Bridge in 2018. The City also needs to repaint the structural steel portion of the Burrard Bridge (the section between the two main towers) in the next few years. The repainting work would require the removal of any nests that are located in the structural steel portion of the Burrard Bridge. The retention of the bird exclusion netting in the structural steel portion of the Burrard Bridge would ensure that nesting cormorants are not disturbed a second time. A decision on when the bird exclusion netting under the steel structure will be removed will be made once the timing of the steel structure repainting has been determined. 
[END EXCERPT]

In short, the City does not plan to give the Pelagic Cormorants that nesting habitat back any time soon. Whether they actually do, in the end, may well depend on public input.

Thanks to those who may have contacted any of the City officials I listed on this matter.

Wayne M