SV Achiever’s busiest year yet
An excerpt from our annual report, Tracking Raincoast into 2023.
When Achiever was purchased by us in 2003, our goal was to undertake several years of cetacean research that could inform the dialogue around oil transport and development on the BC coast. This year, the vessel’s busiest to date, Achiever went back to its roots, supporting Raincoast scientists doing in-house marine mammal research, facilitating government scientists surveying marine birds, and hosting youth trips.
Achiever spent 26 weeks collecting baseline data on local and migratory seabird populations with the Canadian Wildlife Service. We also joined Koeye camp, the Haíɫzaqv Nation’s education and cultural camp, to support their science week programming with activities and learning on marine mammal and bears.
Achiever hosted Raincoast’s first Indigenous Women at Sea expedition that saw ten women, including an all-female crew, undertake a five-day excursion in the Salish Sea. Achiever also hosted youth from Tsawassen, W̱SÁNEĆ, and Quw’utsun (Cowichan). These trips were great opportunities to foster cultural exchange, gain nautical skills, and make new connections.
Our Marine Operations Program will continue supporting the sea bird and Northern Resident killer whale research projects, as well as expanding our Indigneous youth engagement. We are also envisioning upgrades to Achiever so it is better equipped for research, including being quieter underwater in marine habitats.
You can help
Raincoast’s in-house scientists, collaborating graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and professors make us unique among conservation groups. We work with First Nations, academic institutions, government, and other NGOs to build support and inform decisions that protect aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and the wildlife that depend on them. We conduct ethically applied, process-oriented, and hypothesis-driven research that has immediate and relevant utility for conservation deliberations and the collective body of scientific knowledge.
We investigate to understand coastal species and processes. We inform by bringing science to decision-makers and communities. We inspire action to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats.
