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~ FUNDY
TIDINGS ~
March 2013~ Spring Issue | |
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HEADLINES:
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The final report on workshops held in St. John, NB and Digby, NS in May 2012 , entitled "Mitigating Impacts of Stormwater, Wastewater and Pharmaceuticals in the Environment" is now available on the BoFEP website. The ‘Stormwater and Wastewater Management’ workshops, hosted jointly by BoFEP and the Ecology Action Centre, were part of a larger BoFEP project titled ‘Utilizing a Comprehensive Approach for Addressing Toxic Chemical Concerns Affecting Sustainable Use of The Bay of Fundy’. The workshops were designed to help planners, municipal officials and other interested Stakeholders effectively manage stormwater while also raising awareness on the impacts of pharmaceuticals In the marine environment. This report presents research findings on the impacts of pharmaceuticals In the aquatic environment and available treatment and mitigation options, as well as a summary of the ‘Stormwater and Wastewater Management Workshops’.
On February 7 and 13th workshops were held in Bible Hill and Annapolis Royal, NS, respectively, on "Identifying & Assessing Impacts for Municipal Climate Change Action Plan (MCCAP) Development". The workshops, sponsored by BoFEP, were organized by Anne Warburton. Background material, agendas and presentations (PowerPoint) made at the workshops are available online at the Climate Change Nova Scotia website. The final report of the workshop will be available on the BoFEP website in April.
3. Session Ideas Invited for 2014 BoFEP Workshop Planning is already underway for the 10th Bay of Fundy Science Workshop to be held in Halifax in June 2014 in conjunction with the Coastal Zone Canada Conference. The theme of the workshop will be: “Sustaining the Bay of Fundy: Linking Science, Communication, Policy and Community Action”. Some of the session topics proposed thus far include:
Suggestions for other session topics, as well as offers to organize and chair a session, are always welcome and should be sent to workshop@bofep.org .
4. BoFEP Preparing Policy on Advocacy Over the past year there has been considerable discussion about the degree to which BoFEP should or should not engage in advocacy, political or otherwise. The Management Committee is currently preparing a draft Advocacy Policy which it hopes to submit to the Steering Committee for consideration in the next month or two. Hopefully this new policy will help BoFEP navigate the narrow path between constructive advocacy and impartial counsel.
The Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) is a widely dispersed "Virtual Institute" open to all interested citizens and groups who share its vision for protecting, conserving and sustainably using the Bay of Fundy ecosystem. As a non-profit, volunteer organization, we rely upon the generous in-kind and financial support of individuals and organizations to operate our core activities and programs. We offer a range of donor categories suitable for both individuals and organizations. Download 2013 donor form.
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B. Partners and other
organizations: 1. ESIP - Building Understanding of Ecosystem Indicators in GoM In 2006 the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment recognized the need of people living and working in the Gulf of Maine to have access to information about the health of the Gulf of Maine. As a direct result of this voiced need, the EcoSystem Indicator Partnership (known as ESIP) was created. ESIP is a working partnership of over 140 scientists, managers, and nongovernmental workers (such as authors and academics) that strives to provide information on status and trends in the Gulf of Maine. Given the large scale of this task, ESIP originally determined the importance of information in seven focus areas: aquatic habitats, aquaculture, climate change, coastal development, contaminants, eutrophication and fisheries.
So what has ESIP accomplished? ESIP began efforts by producing a general fact sheet that introduced ESIP’s purpose and methodology. Following several years of data analysis and activity, ESIP has also produced four specific fact sheets on aquatic habitats, aquaculture, climate change and eutrophication (www.gulfofmaine.org/esip). The fact sheets are individual summaries but also make links between the focus areas - such as potential effects of climate change on aquaculture and eutrophication on eelgrass beds. Further fact sheets coming out in 2013 focus on contaminants, coastal development and fisheries.
Along with these stand-alone fact sheets, ESIP has produced a state-of-the art web tool called the ESIP Indicator Reporting Tool. This tool contains datasets and layers that allow users to investigate the data used by the subcommittees. Currently the tool houses data from many different sources including coast watch groups and federal agencies. Users can build their own toolkit by producing multiple graphs and figures on locations or parameters of interest.
For more information on ESIP or these projects, please contact the ESIP Program Manager: Christine Tilburg at ctilburg@securespeed.us.
2. Latest Issue of GoM Times The February 2013 issue of the Gulf of Maine Times is now available online. Of particular interest to BoFEP members are articles on adapting to climate change in the Gulf of Maine, ocean acidification in the Gulf of Maine, a touching tribute to the late Shayne McQuaid of DFO's Habitat Management Division, and a new turbine to be tested in the Bay of Fundy.
3. Publication on Communicating Marine Information A paper entitled "Communicating environmental information to the stakeholders in coastal and marine policy-making: Case studies from Nova Scotia and the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy region" by Suzuette S. Soomai, Bertrum H. MacDonald and, Peter G. Wells, will appear in the July 2013 issue of Marine Policy (Vol. 40 pages 176-186). The publication was produced by the Environmental Information: Use and Influence Project (EIUI) at Dalhousie University, which is part of BoFEP's Informatics Working Group. This study examined the awareness of, use by, and influence on stakeholders in coastal and marine policy-making in Eastern Canada and the United States of environmental publications produced by government agencies. Abstract.
4. Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute AGM - March 21 The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute will hold its Annual General Meeting in the community room at MTRI in Kempt, NS on Thursday, March 21 at 7:00 p.m. There will be an election of new Board of Directors and a slide show of the year in review. All members of MTRI, past, present, or future, are invited to attend. For more information: phone (902) 682-2371, visit: www.merseytobeatic.ca or e-mail: info@merseytobeatic.ca. Everyone is welcome!
5. Species at Risk Workshop in May The Mersey Tobeatic Research Institute is hosting a workshop entitled "Species at Risk Recovery in Atlantic Canada: Best Practices, Collaborative Approaches, & Techniques that Work for Stewardship" on May 15 -16, 2013 in Wolfville, NS. Key topics include: Using new tools for stewardship; Connecting science and stewardship; How to effectively communicate science; How to work with volunteers and collaborate with groups. Registration cost is $50 and affordable accommodations are available. To join the mailing list and to receive announcements and registration material please contact SAR2013@merseytobeatic.ca .
6. Editorial Warns of Threats to Aquatic Science in Canada
An editorial, currently in press in the Marine Pollution Bulletin, warns
of threats to aquatic science and environmental legislation in Canada by
the ideologically-driven policies of the present conservative government.
Entitled "Canadian aquatic science and
environmental legislation under threat." the editorial by past
BoFEP Chair P.G. Wells notes that "Over
the past 6 years, Canada has been governed by a Conservative government
that has focussed on expanding Canada’s resource- and energy-based
economy, supported by large multinational corporations, and on eliminating
the national deficit after years of overspending. At the same time, the
government has suppressed the free flow of information, strictly
controlled government communication, and reduced support for the public
service and non-governmental organizations (NGOs)." He further
warns that "The cuts and impacts described
… are dealing a major blow to Canada’s once proud reputation and capacity
in the aquatic and marine sciences. But the wider situation is even more
dire. The government’s approach to environmental policy has been to
radically alter current resource and environmental legislation through the
use of omnibus budgetary bills". Wells also details the nature of
the major threats and also proposes a number of possible
"constructive actions" to reverse
or minimize the escalating damage.
Full editorial. 7. Theme paper on GoM Offshore Ecosystems and Habitats A theme paper entitled "Offshore Ecosystems and Habitats" that forms part of the State of the Gulf of Maine report is now available online. This paper provides an overview of the offshore ecosystems and habitats of the Gulf of Maine and highlights the important natural and human-caused forces and pressures that affect the offshore environment. The status and key trends related to these habitats and the actions and responses intended to prevent or mitigate impacts are described. Other theme papers in the series include:
8. Tantramar Initiative on Educating for Sustainable Communities The Tantramar Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development was established to “help people to act on their ideas and achieve their goals to make our community more sustainable.” It seeks "to gather the resources and imaginations of Tantramar’s communities to plan and take action on sustainability through education that promotes the region’s collective environmental, economic, and socio-cultural well-being". The initiative establishes sustainability objectives in the following areas
For more information about this far-reaching program: rcetantramar@gmail.com; (506) 364-4701 or 364-2440
9. Discovery Centre Winter Newsletter Available The winter 2013 issue of the Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association newsletter "In With The Tide" is now available. See the back page to join or support the Association. Back issues of the newsletter are also available. For more information about the Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association contact the Chair, Roger Outhouse
10. ACCESS Conference May 2013 The annual conference of The Atlantic Canada Coastal and Estuarine Science Society (ACCESS) will be held 9-12 May 2013 in Lawrencetown, NS. The conference will include a special symposium “Advances in mapping techniques for the coastal zone” as well as a special session “Invasive green crabs in coastal ecosystems”. Conference Poster. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 1 April 2013. Register online.
11. ACZISC Annual Report Available The 2010-2011 Annual Report for the Atlantic Coastal Zone Information Steering Committee (ACZISC) is now available online. The report also describes the ACZISC priorities and strategies for 2012-2017.
12. Gulf of Maine Awards - Call for Nominations (March 29 deadline) The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (Council) is now accepting nominations for the following 2013 Awards:
To Nominate a Candidate
Please contact Council Coordinator, Joan LeBlanc at jleblanc@gulfofmaine.org if you have any questions about the Gulf of Maine Council's 2013 Awards.
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Fundy/GOM and
other News:
1. Time-lapse video of Fundy Tide This time-lapse video of Fundy's spectacular tide was shot at Point Wolfe in Fundy National Park, NB. It compresses 6 hours of tidal flood into a single minute.
2. Debate Over Future of Mactaquac Dam The Atlantic Salmon Federation reports that there is an ongoing debate about a proposals from the World Wildlife Fund to attempt to restore a more Natural flow to the St. John River in order to restore its ecological health. Local landowners are concerned about loss of waterfront if the Mactaquac dam is removed or opened.
3. Concerns About Marketing of Infected Farmed Salmon There is growing concern about the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's decision to allow aquaculture firms to process and sell farmed salmon infected with Infectious Salmon Anemia (ISA). There is a call for such products to be banned or at least clearly labelled. Some food retailers have already indicated that they will not offer such diseased fish to their customers. The following offer various perspectives on this issue"
The CFIA states that: "Since ISA poses no risk to people, the CFIA allows fish from an affected facility to be processed under a CFIA-issued licence".
4. Concern Mounts Over Aquaculture, ISA and threat to Wild Salmon A growing national and international controversy has erupted over the approval by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to allow Cooke Aquaculture to grow out ISA-infected farmed salmon in a marine site near Liverpool Nova Scotia, beginning in June 2012. The infected salmon were then trucked to Blacks Harbour, NB and processed to enter the food supply chain for Canada and beyond. The Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) has drawn attention to the risk to wild populations of Atlantic salmon, herring, cod and other species from highly contagious ISA (Infectious Salmon Anemia), while other individuals, organizations and media have questioned the wisdom of using the farmed fish for human consumption. The CBC radio program As It Happens interviewed ASF's President Bill Taylor as well as veterinarian Dr. Larry Hammell on this ISA fiasco, and the podcast is available online. ASF has been a leader in supporting the move of salmon farming to land-based closed-containment aquaculture. CBC Information Morning interviewed Steven Summerfelt, a world leader in the technology, and a podcast is available. The background to the development of the ISA controversy has been fast and explosive. More information: Disease Fiasco Shows Need for Change.
5. Storm Damages Fundy Salmon Farm On February 22, 2013 CBC news reported that residents of coastal communities in Southwestern Nova Scotia are concerned about the consequences after storms damaged aquaculture pens in St. Marys Bay. There is particular concern about fish escaping. The operator Cooke Aquaculture claims that the cages "sustained some minor damage". The Provincial Fisheries Department says that operators are required to report escapes within 4 hours of discovery and that no reports had been received from Cooke. Related CBC Stories
6. Finfish Aquaculture Monitoring in NS A report prepared for the Atlantic Coalition for Aquaculture Reform (ACAR) entitled “Nova Scotia Environmental Monitoring Program for Finfish Aquaculture: An Update 2006-2011” updates a Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture report from about 2006. The report is based on environmental monitoring data obtained from the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and covers the period between 2006 and 2011. The analysis indicates that open pen finfish farms are having a negative impact on the environment. The report indicates that the "Bays and harbours in Nova Scotia are 'simply overwhelmed' by tons of waste released from fish farms, according to Nova Scotia Environmental Monitoring Program for Finfish Aquaculture - 2013". According to a news release from ACAR, seven years after the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture (NS DFA) issued their first and only report on environmental monitoring at aquaculture sites in the province, an updated report indicates that open pen finfish farms are having a negative impact on the environment. ACAR sent a letter to NS Premier Darrell Dexter outlining its concerns. Article about the report in February 14th edition of South Coast Today.
7. Problems in the Lobster Fishery A CBC “Land and Sea” television episode aired on February 3, 2013 titled “Lobster Collapse” deals with the current issues surrounding the Atlantic Canadian lobster industry. With a glut of lobsters, record low prices and growing competition - the lobster industry is at a crossroads.
8. Tidal Developer Delays Bay of Fundy Project The Halifax Chronicle Herald reports that the French company Alstom, which had planned to install a tidal power generator at the Bay of Fundy test site has delayed its project until at least 2015. A decision about deployment in Fundy awaits the acquisition and analysis of data from turbine trials presently being carried out in Scotland. Full story.
9. More Fundy Tidal Power Projects Sought Nova Scotia is seeking proposals for a fourth developer to join the tidal test program at the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) in the Minas Channel. Energy Minister Charlie Parker said FORCE is a leading centre for research that is helping develop a technology that can withstand the powerful tides in the world. Now another developer will have an opportunity to test its technology and contribute to a better understanding of how these devices interact with the marine environment. The successful proponent will join Alstom, Atlantis and Minas Basin Pulp and Power. Sub-sea cables will transmit power from the four test sites to the province’s electricity grid. Request for Proposals. The deadline for proposals is December 31st, 2013 (extended). More information.
10. Invasive Aquatic Species in NS A report entitled "Invasive Alien Species Legislative Review and Gap Analysis, Phase II: Aquatic Species" was recently released by the Invasive Species Alliance of Nova Scotia. The report provides a summary overview of federal and provincial (Nova Scotia) statutes and regulations which contain direct or indirect authorities to address the prevention, introduction, control and eradication of aquatic invasive species in Nova Scotia.
11. Corals and Sponges of Canada's East Coast A recently released DFO report “Delineating Coral and Sponge Concentrations in the Biogeographic Regions of the East Coast of Canada Using Spatial Analyses” details concentrations of sea pens, small and large gorgonian corals and sponges on the east coast of Canada have been identified through spatial analysis of research vessel survey by-catch data.
12. Videoclip of Fundy Coast Youtube features a short videoclip (3:31 mins) of the Fundy coastal scenery in the Five Islands area including a clam digger at work on the mudflats.
13. More on Fundy Sharks - Mako The Fundy Sharks blog that is maintained by the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station has a recent posting that provides some interesting information on the Shortfin Mako Shark which is occasionally sighted in the Bay of Fundy.
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For more news items about BoFEP, its partners and the Bay of Fundy periodically check the BoFEP "What's New" page at: http://www.bofep.org/whatnew.htm.
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