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~ FUNDY
TIDINGS ~
April 2014 ~ Spring Issue | |
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HEADLINES:
B. Partners and other organizations: C. Fundy/GOM and other News: | |
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1. BoFEP Science Workshop in June - Register Now! The 10th BoFEP Fundy Science Workshop will be held in conjunction with the Coastal Zone Canada 2014 Conference Our Coasts: Legacies and Futures , June 15-19, 2014, World Trade and Convention Centre, Halifax , Nova Scotia. The theme of the BoFEP workshop will be “Sustaining the Bay of Fundy: Linking Science, Communication, Policy and Community Action.” The workshop will include sessions dealing with: intertidal and mudflat ecology; coastal communities-emerging issues; tidal energy; aquatic health; and special sessions on: sediment dynamics; does knowledge matter?; enduring legacies -talking circle.
Online registration for the 2014 Fundy Science Workshop is now open. Registration includes the all plenary and concurrent oral and poster sessions of both the Fundy Science Workshop and Coastal Zone Canada opening reception, breaks, exhibits, lunches and conference materials. Click HERE to register through the Coastal Zone Canada conference site and don’t forget to pre-register for field trips, excursions and social events!
2. Special Session on "Information" at CZC Conference The Environmental Information: Use and Influence research initiative (EIUI), affiliated with the BoFEP Informatics Working Group, will present a special session entitled “Does Information Matter? A Critical Question for the Future of Coastal Zone Management” at the 2014 Coastal Zone Canada conference to be held in Halifax on 15-19 June 2014. This session will offer interdisciplinary perspectives on the challenges of communicating scientific information to users, such as policy makers, decision makers, and resource managers, for integrated coastal and ocean management (ICOM). More details.
3. BoFEP's New Book on Bay of Fundy Nears Completion The Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership is in the final stages of preparation of a new book "Phenomenal Fundy" based on the highly successful Fundy Issues fact sheet series. The 30+ "issues" have been reorganized, revised and supplemented with additional material. Phenomenal Fundy will be released as a print-on-demand publication with an online publisher as well as in the form of an e-book. It is anticipated that the publication will be released in early summer, possibly in conjunction with the 10th Bay of Fundy Workshop.
4. BoFEP Report on Chemicals of Emerging Concern Shampoos, soaps, perfumes, cosmetics and cleaning supplies, along with a combination of medications can be found in every kitchen and bathroom cupboard in Canada. All these products have something in common: they’re putting a wide variety of relatively unstudied chemicals down our drains and, ultimately, into our oceans. Pharmaceuticals hitch a ride with every flush of the toilet, while other chemicals are making their way to the nearest harbour through your sink and shower drains. These are “Chemicals of Emerging Concern” CECs and the concern is well warranted, as Karen Kidd and Angella Mercer noted in a recent BoFEP report. In the report, "Chemicals of emerging concern in the Bay of Fundy watershed : What are the risks?" [BoFEP Technical Report No. 7; December 2012] the authors focused on 31 of the hundreds of CECs which have been found in household wastewater, including antibiotics, antidepressants, fragrances, preservatives, sunscreens, and insect repellents. The effects of these chemicals on fish and other wildlife depends on several factors: Is the chemical easily dissolved in water? Is it persistent in the environment? If the chemical does degrade, what are the products? Full report. (PDF 22 pages).
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B. Partners and other
organizations: 1. In Memoriam: Mary Majka BoFEP members will be greatly saddened to learn of the passing of a remarkable lady who contributed so much over such a long period to the health and wellbeing of the shorebird populations of the upper Bay. Mary Majka died on Feb. 12 in Moncton after suffering a stroke. She was 90. As a pioneering nature conservationist and unlikely local TV star, Mary Majka worked tirelessly for decades to preserve shorebird sanctuaries and to protect historic sites in New Brunswick. A driving force behind Canada’s first Western Hemisphere shorebird reserve, on the Bay of Fundy, she donated land and spurred others to do the same in her quest to help millions of migrating birds. You will long be remembered Mary for your priceless contribution to the Bay of Fundy ecosystem. Complete obituary.
2. In Memoriam: Dr. Michael (Mick) Burt It is with deepest sadness that we, at BoFEP, note the passing of Dr. Michael (Mick) D.B. Burt. In 1964, Mick took up a position at UNB, Fredericton, where he began his long career teaching Biology and investigating his life-long passion, the lives of parasitic organisms. Mick also made a significant contribution to the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership from its very beginning. He attended the first workshop to form an organization that would eventually become a network of researchers working on the ecology of the Bay of Fundy. He was co-chair of the BoFEP Stress and Cumulative Effects Working Group. In April of 2010, he co hosted a workshop on pollution in the Bay of Fundy and co edited the proceedings from that workshop. BoFEP cherishes Mick’s contributions over the years. We offer our sincerest sympathy to Mick’s family and friends. View obituary.
3. Call for Volunteers and Delegates for CZC Conference A Call for Volunteers has been issued by the conference organizers: those who give 15 hours of service will be allow free access to conference activities and venues. General registration for the conference is now open. Download the CZC 2014 Program-at-a-Glance in PDF format. The detailed preliminary program will be available shortly on the conference website.
4. Join the Marsh Creek Eco-Challenge on June 21 ACAP Saint John is once again organizing the Marsh Creel Eco-Challenge, an outdoor adventure race on June 21, 2014, where three or four-person teams run, hike, paddle and bike through an underutilised and under-appreciated urban watershed. The event is unprecedented in the Greater Saint John region, providing hands-on community awareness and engagement for the restoration of this magnificent natural asset. The Eco-Challenge enables participants to travel from highly developed urban streetscapes, to urban forested parks, to forested and rugged wilderness settings all within a three to six hour time frame. The event incorporates ‘knowledge checkpoints’ where unexpected and interesting ecologically-relevant facts about the Marsh Creek watershed are acquired by the teams who must demonstrate their new knowledge at subsequent checkpoints. More information. Team registration.
5. New Executive Director for CARP The Clean Annapolis River Project has a new executive director. Sarah Vascotto, has 15 years experience in environment and natural resource management and bachelor's and master's degrees in biology from the University of Prince Edward Island, She has worked for a range of academic, consulting, government and non-government agencies. CARP is a charitable, community-based, non-governmental organization which seeks to enhance the ecological health of the Annapolis River watershed through science, leadership and community engagement. More details.
6. CARP Winter 2014 Newsletter Online The Winter 2014 issue (PDF 6 pages) of the Clean Annapolis River Project’s (CARP) “Waterstrider” Newsletter includes: Q&A with CARP’s new Executive Director, the Rural H20 pilot project, Communities connecting about watershed issues, and Tying into Fish Conservation.
7. Report - Restoring Fish Passage in Annapolis Watershed The Clean Annapolis River Project (CARP) released a report “Broken Brooks 2013: Restoring Fish Passage in the Annapolis River Watershed”. Broken Brooks was initiated in 2007 to assess aquatic habitat connectivity within the watershed. Since its inception, a total of 1,432 sites have been visited and 381 detailed watercourse crossing assessments have been completed within the greater watershed. During the 2013 field season, watercourse crossing assessments were primarily focused within the Nictaux and Roundhill sub-watersheds. Throughout July and August, 78 sites were visited, 34 of which were culverts on fish-bearing streams requiring detailed assessments. Based on the data collected, 27 (79%) of the culverts assessed do not meet the current provincial guidelines, meaning they are either partial or full barriers. Restoration work was completed at 11sites. Remediation activities restored over 23 Km of upstream habitat for fish migration and spawning. Full Report. (PDF, 80 pages)
8. Petitcodiac Riverkeepers Restoration Success Story The Petitcodiac Riverkeepers is a community group dedicated to restoring the ecological health of the Petitcodiac and Memramcook River watersheds, including the Shepody Bay estuary, in southeastern New Brunswick. Their latest success story involves the restoration of Humphries Brook in Eastern Moncton. For many years, the group has led research and put pressure on the City of Moncton to remove an abandoned dam on Humphreys Brook. Recently, the project was successfully completed with the financial support of the Government of Canada, the Atlantic Salmon Conservation Foundation, the RBC Blue Water Project, the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment/Gulf of Maine Association, Tri-Province Enterprises, Encorp Atlantic and the City of Moncton. The Riverkeepers invite you to read about and view pictures of the progress of this remarkable community effort of which they are justly proud.
9. Right Whale News Available The February 2014 issue of Right Whale News (PDF, 500 KB), a quarterly independent e-newsletter dedicated to the conservation and recovery of the North Atlantic right whale. Produced by the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium, the newsletter features articles on whale sightings this season, the final ship-strike rule, a calendar of events, and other right whale news and notes. Subscribe to the Right Whale News.
10. Bay of Fundy Discovery Association The Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association is a community-oriented non-profit organization based in the Digby Neck and Islands region in South West Nova Scotia. The longer-term goal of the association is the establishment of a world class interpretation centre highlighting the natural attributes of the Bay of Fundy, somewhere in the vicinity of Digby Neck and the Islands. More immediate goals for 2014 include improving local trails, supporting the Gulf of Maine Institute (GOMI) Digby Neck/ Island Youth Team, Education of the public regarding the fabulous Fundy and protecting wildlife habitat. Individual membership is $10 per year and a membership form can be found on the back page of the newsletter. A quarterly newsletter "In With The Tides" features articles about the region and the activities of the association and affiliated groups. Current issue (Winter 2014) (PDF 1.14MB). Newsletter Archive.
11. Offshore Energy Conference in Halifax May 21-22. Offshore Energy Research Association (OERA) and the Nova Scotia Department of Energy are pleased to be hosting the 2014 Nova Scotia Energy R&D Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia on May 21 – 22, 2014. Of particular interest for the Bay of Fundy are the Tidal Energy Sessions which include:
More information and registration. Conference Program.
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Fundy/GOM and
other News:
1. Fundy Tidal Power Articles in Halifax Chronicle Herald The Halifax Chronicle Herald continues to document the ongoing saga of the rush to develop tidal power in the upper Bay of Fundy and elsewhere in the region. A few recent examples include:
2. More on Conservative Government's Ongoing War on Science Scientists across the country are expressing growing alarm that federal cutbacks to research programs monitoring areas that range from climate change and ocean habitats to public health will deprive Canadians of crucial information. In a damning report entitled "The Silence of the Labs" , the CBC's The Fifth Estate chronicles some of the more blatant examples of this openly anti-science crusade and the likely impacts on the Canadian environment, the health of its citizens and on the future of Canadian science and scientists. It also details the dismantling of legislation that protects the environment and the defunding of research facilities such as federal laboratories and science libraries. Complete program.
A recent editorial in the Proceedings of the Nova Scotia Institute of Science (Volume 47 Part 2, pp. 205-210; 2013) is also highly critical of the federal governments continuing efforts to undermine science in Canada. In the article, Dr. Peter Wells, a retired Environment Canada Toxicologist, and BoFEP Vice Chair states that "the country is being governed nationally by a federal government that, at best, views science solely as a way to boost the natural resource industry and the economy, and at worst is seen by many citizens to be actively opposed to basic science and the acquisition of scientific (evidence-based) knowledge, unless it has immediate economic benefits. The latter view is supported by the very long list of recent cutbacks to environmental and living resource science and science capacity within the federal public service, starting in 2006." Other pertinent articles on this critical issue include:
3. Video on Closure of St. Andrews Toxicology Programs Jay Remer interviews former Saint Andrews Biological Station researcher, Les Burridge, about the closure of the Marine Toxicology Department. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in addition to closing numerous research libraries across Canada, has now done away with yet another department. This interview examines some of the ramifications of these controversial decisions. This show was produced by CHCO TV, Saint Andrews, NB, Canada. View video. (29:36 mins)
4. Groups Challenge Federal Government on Genetically Modified Salmon The Ecology Action Centre, The Living Ocean Society and Ecojustice are taking the Federal Government to court for allowing the development and production of genetically modified salmon in Prince Edward Island by Aquabounty Canada Inc. The suite contends that the government violated its own environmental laws. To create this genetic chimera, genetic material from West Coast Chinook salmon and the eel-like ocean pout, was inserted into Atlantic salmon eggs. The challenge asserts that "the approval is unlawful because it failed to assess whether genetically modified salmon could become invasive, potentially putting ecosystems and species such as wild salmon at risk". EAC Press Release and other details.
5. Secrecy Around Efforts to Foist Genetically Modified Salmon on Canadian Consumers Aquabounty Technologies, a US company that has already received approval from Environment Canada to produce genetically modified salmon eggs, is now seeking approval from Health Canada to sell genetically modified salmon to Canadian consumers. Apparently much of the decision making is taking place behind closed doors with little if any public participation. Lucy Sharratt of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network said Tuesday that until the Boston-based company discussed its application in the statement last week, Health Canada had been unwilling to confirm the company was even seeking approval for the fish to be eaten by Canadians. “We see that the regulation of genetically modified products is happening in total secrecy where Canadians don’t even know that the process is underway…. we have our regulatory department’s hiding under confidential business information when there’s absolutely no justification. … It should be public information.” Full article.
6. How Toxic is Farmed Salmon? Dr. Alexandra Morton, a long-time marine researcher and tireless campaigner for the health of coastal ecosystems on the Canadian west coast has a new website "Farmed salmon: One of the most toxic proteins sold". In it she details the diverse toxins found in farmed salmon and outlines the threat they pose to human health.
7. Critics of Cooke Aquaculture and Others Take to YouTube Critics of Cooke Aquaculture's open-pen salmon farming operations in Nova Scotia are taking to YouTube to make their case. A video "Cooke Aquaculture Atlantic Salmon Farm: Raising the Dead" (2:37 mins.) filmed by Kathleen Milan and Ronald Neufeld of Granville Ferry posted on the website shows workers on a boat at a Cooke site at Port Wade, Annapolis County, hauling nets of dead fish out of the water and putting them in large plastic shipping containers. A few other revealing YouTube aquaculture videos include:
8. Pro-Aquaculture Scientist Funded by Industry to Study Sustainability of Open-Pen Salmon Farming? Jon Grant, a Professor at Dalhousie University, is dismissing concerns about the possible negative environmental impacts of aquaculture even before he commences a five -year study on the subject. He scornfully suggests that critics of aquaculture are relying on "rumour". He received a $1.6 million grant for the work and has been appointed the Cooke Industrial Research Chair in Sustainable Aquaculture.Tellingly, half the funding is provided by Cooke Aquaculture, the dominant player in open-pen salmon aquaculture in the Maritimes. The other half comes from the Federal Government (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Ministry of Industry), which has been aggressively promoting aquaculture in Canada. Full article.
9. Maine Moves to Ban Pesticides that Harm Lobsters A bill has been introduced to the Maine legislature to ban use of two chemicals known to impact lobsters. The bill that would ban the use of two pesticides commonly used to kill mosquitos. It specifically would not allow the use of methoprene or resmethrin in any body of water that drains into the Gulf of Maine or on land where runoff into the ocean is possible. Read more.
10. GoM Fisheries Theme paper Available The Commercial Fisheries theme paper, (PDF, 2.3 MB) a part of the State of the Gulf of Maine Report, is now available on the Gulf of Maine Council website. Commercial fisheries have a long history in the Gulf of Maine, having been established before European settlement in the region. Fisheries are both economically and socially important, providing employment and income to rural areas of the region. Fisheries in the region are dynamic, with the relative dominance of species changing over time in response to fishing pressure, environmental conditions, and unknown factors. This new paper discusses the long history of this industry in the Gulf of Maine, beginning with the cod and haddock fishery in pre-colonial times through 2009, when commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Maine landed 505 thousand metric tons of seafood valued at $114.5 million.
11. Haddock Stocks in SW Nova Rebounding The Halifax Chronicle Herald reports that "After a near-collapse of haddock stocks in the mid-1990s, the protection of the Georges Bank, less intensive fishing efforts and favourable environmental conditions have led to a rebound". Full article.
12. Paper on Basking Sharks in Fundy Researchers working under the auspices of the Grand Manan Whale and Seabird Research Station recently published a paper in the journal Plos One entitled "Seasonal Variation in the Spatial Distribution of Basking Sharks (Cetorhinus maximus) in the Lower Bay of Fundy, Canada." The authors, Zachary A. Siders , Andrew J. Westgate, David W. Johnston, Laurie D. Murison, and Heather N. Koopman, concluded that " our results reveal temporally dynamic habitat use of basking sharks within the BoF and GoM. The relative importance of predictor variables suggests that prey dynamics constrained the species distribution in the BoF. Also, suitable habitat shifted minimally from July-September providing opportunities to conserve the species during peak abundance in the region".. An overview of the research also appeared in the Halifax Chronicle Herald "World's Second Largest Shark Remains Large Mystery."
13. U.S. Seafood Boycott to Save Right Whales? An American wildlife group, the Natural Resources Defense Council has called for a boycott of Canadian seafood, including east coast lobsters and crabs as a way to save the North Atlantic Right Whale. However, World Wildlife Federation Canada states that such a boycott is misplaced and would be ineffective. Full article.
14. Worldwide MPA Map Highlights Canada's Pathetic Efforts The United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre has released the most recent Official Map of Worldwide Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) generated by using data from the World Database on Protected Areas. The latest official statistics indicate that only 2.8% of the global ocean is designated as an MPA. The map underscores Canada's truly pathetic efforts in this regard, on both the east and west coasts. Contrast this with the remarkable efforts made by Australia and New Zealand.
15. Documents on Musquash Estuary MPA Monitoring Available The following two documents pertaining to the monitoring program for the Musquash Estuary Marine Protected Area were published by DFO in December 2013.
16. Shale Gas Fracking Controversy Boils in NB, Simmers in NS The New Brunswick government has been pressing ahead with expansion of shale gas fracking, heedless of environmental concerns and despite growing opposition. A coalition of community and labour organizations, the New Brunswick Anti Shale Gas Alliance, is holding a series of community meetings across the province to alert the public to the environmental and other risks of fracking and to demand a 10 year moratorium on further shale gas development. The program called the Voice of the People Tour will take place between March and June 2014 in various communities throughout New Brunswick, many in the Bay of Fundy watershed. Tour Details and Schedule.
Meanwhile in Nova Scotia, shale gas development is on temporary hold pending the completion of the "Wheeler Review". Nevertheless, the opposition, spearheaded by NOFRAC: Nova Scotia Fracking Resource and Action Coalition, is concerned about the thoroughness and impartiality of this review process and are not letting down their guard. The following articles provide an overview:
The Council of Canadians has published an informative series of articles in its most recent issue of its magazine Canadian Perspectives. "Fracking Our Future?" (PDF 3.81MB) outlines the many risks of Shale gas fracking, One article provides an overview of the status of Fracking across Canada.
17. Growing Opposition to Energy East Pipeline The western oil industry is growing increasingly desperate to export its tar sands bitumen to overseas customers. It faces mounting public opposition to its proposed Northern Gateway pipeline to the Pacific coast, its Keystone XL Pipeline to the U.S. Gulf coast and its Energy East Pipeline to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy. Locally, the pipeline is a major threat to our coastal waters as well as to the communities and watersheds through which it passes. The following articles present comprehensive overviews of the dangers and environmental costs of these ill-conceived pipeline proposals.
18. Gas Storage in Salt Caverns Near Shubenacadie River Development of a very large underground natural gas storage facility in Colchester County salt deposits may have an adverse impact on the Shubenacadie River. Salt caverns can be used for storage of natural gas or other bulk hydrocarbons because of their size and stable, sealable structure. Cavities will be carved from salt domes by using freshwater solutions to dissolve the salt. This plan calls for the salt removed during the development phase to be expelled into the Shubenacadie River. The impacts on the Shubenacadie River ecosystem are unclear. Two articles detailing this project:
19. Aerial Video of the Upper Bay Coastal Region A 13 minute video taken from a low flying Hercules out of Greenwood, NS on Remembrance Day 2013 that flew low over SW Nova Scotia. The last 5 minutes features great views of the upper Bay of Fundy coast and landscape as well as communities such as Windsor and Kentville. View video.
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