Hundreds of dead fish and crayfish, a creek’s ecosystem seriously damaged, and no idea yet of how severe the damage is or how long it will take nature to recover.
Unfortunately, the incident that killed hundreds of fish and invertebrates in Langley’s Nicomekl River is far from an isolated incident.
We’ve seen damage to local creeks and rivers many times before. There are creeks in Metro Vancouver that reek of diesel fuel and have a constant oily sheen on their surfaces, thanks to decades-old leaking fuel tanks. Industrial sites leak oil, paint, or other chemicals. People looking to save a few bucks dump trash – even asbestos – by the side of the road.
It doesn’t matter to the creeks that the fraction of people committing these offences is small. The damage is done, the fish and other wildlife are dead.
The number of successful investigations and prosecutions into such incidents is pretty small, especially stacked up against interpersonal crimes like assault or robbery.
But isn’t damaging the environment a crime against the community as a whole?
Our rivers and lakes, our forests and fields, are our shared inheritance. The majority of us believe they need to be taken care of.
That means more resources for investigating environmental crimes. It means more resources for prosecuting those crimes. And it means stiffer penalties, especially financial.
Does a business owner who wants to cut corners when his competitors do things the right way deserve to be given only a slap on the wrist, then sent on his way?
– M.C.