Sustainability

Our Green Approach

Our Pledge For Sustainable Excellence

We understand the impact our operations have on the environment, and so we continually strive to reduce that impact and manage our resorts in a sustainable way. Our commitment to sustainability includes an action plan to ensure that everything that we enjoy about Nootka Sound today will be enjoyed by future generations.

  • Green Team meetings are regularly held where resort and office staff identify every area where energy can be conserved and waste may be reduced.
  • We regularly monitor our environmental performance relative to our objectives.
  • Environmental stewardship training is included in our hiring process.
  • All employees are actively involved in environmental initiatives and invited to contribute ideas to or take ownership over projects.

Our pledge is to not only be the best in Nootka Sound, but the best for Nootka Sound.

Environmental Initiatives

Over the years, we have undertaken many operational best practices to ensure that we minimize our overall impact on the environment. These include:

  • State of the art tertiary waste and water treatment systems
  • Increasing use of solar power
  • Raw food waste management (composting)
  • Rigorous waste disposal and recycling protocols
  • Towel and sheet exchange program
  • Use of environmentally friendly cleaning products
  • Shifting to paperless technology
  • Elimination of all plastic straws
  • Elimination of all plastic water bottles
  • Installation of water efficient showerheads, taps and low flow toilets
  • Installation of water fountains at Moutcha Bay Resort
  • Proactive fuel spill protocols

Responsible Choices

We take pride in practicing and teaching ethical tourism activities. Our fishing guides work mindfully, promoting catch and release wherever possible as well as stringently adhering to DFO fishing regulations. Our Wildlife & Heritage Tours are minimally invasive and respectful of wild animals.

We also ensure that food served to guests is locally sourced by utilizing the farm-fresh foods produced by our sister company, Seaview Farms in Black Creek, and many other Vancouver Island food suppliers. To reduce our overall carbon footprint, every effort for coordinated deliveries are used to get products to all three resorts.

At Moutcha Bay Resort, we work with Davey Tree certified arborists on forest management to ensure a strong, sustainable on-site woodland. We also attained Green Marine certification at our resorts through a rigorous, voluntary certification process in 2021.

Ocean Friendly Business

Nootka Marine Adventures’ head office is proud to be a certified Ocean Friendly Business with the Vancouver Island Green Business Collective. Some of our initiatives include:

  • We divert as much waste as possible by recycling soft plastics, cartons, styrofoam and other items that are typically thrown out
  • All hot water pipes are insulated
  • All office equipment is ENERGY STAR certified
  • Reusable dishware is in place of disposable
  • All food waste is composted
  • Cleaning products are eco-friendly and locally sourced where possible
  • Paper products are made with at least 50% post-consumer recycled content
  • Video conferencing technology is used to minimize traveling for meetings
  • Employee benefits packages are in place
  • Employees are encouraged to commute to work by carpooling, walking, or bicycling
  • 100% of employees volunteer at least 1 day per year of community charitable activity on company time

Supporting Our Neighbours

We love to support our neighbours whenever we can. We are proud members of the Sport Fishing Institute, we participate in our local Sport Fishing Advisory Committee, we try to hire locals first whenever possible, each department purchases locally wherever possible, and we enthusiastically support our local Nootka Sound Watershed Society.

Together with other operators in our area, we actively support local salmon enhancement and habitat restoration through various fundraising efforts each year. Each year, we are proud to donate all of those event proceeds to the Nootka Sound Watershed Society and Pacific Salmon Foundation.

Contributing approximately $100,000 per year to the Nootka Sound Watershed Society alone, these funds directly support the health of the salmon population in the region – contributing to the successful addition of 1.8 million Chinook and 150,000 Coho into the marine ecosystem annually. These needed salmon stocks support the local fisheries and the overall health of the marine mammals and ecosystem.

We have also made it our mission to introduce youth the incredible natural environment by providing a base for youth and school groups to experience outdoor education and the natural wilderness of Nootka Sound.

Nootka Sound Watershed Society

The Nootka Sound Watershed Society is a group of local Nootka community members, First Nations representatives, local elected representatives, biologists, industry representatives, commercial fishermen, sport fishermen, educators and stewards with one common goal: to see a healthy revival of salmon stocks to the Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet watersheds.

They are governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and have over 200 members from all walks of life. The Board meets monthly to discuss conservation, enhancement, restoration, assessment, stewardship and economic development pertaining to Pacific Salmon in the Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet areas.

Please learn more and help us support the Nootka Sound Watershed Society by visiting nootkasound.info.