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The Shoreline Panel

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Shore Classification systems help to support coastal planning and management efforts.

For example, most of British Columbia’s shores have been classified to determine their sensitivity to oil spills while some, notably estuaries, have been classified and colour coded with respect to their fish habitat values.

These classification systems also contain management prescriptions that outline where and under what circumstances development activities may be acceptable.

Federal and provincial management agencies have developed fairly detailed shorezone classification systems. These systems have been simplified to five shore types. Knowledge of these five shore types will help in making environmentally sound decisions on the use of B.C.’s coast and help make your visit or walks around Vancouver Island more informed.

All of these classifications are represented within this panel for public use.