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~ FUNDY
TIDINGS ~
August 2014 ~ Summer Issue | |
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HEADLINES:
B. Partners and other organizations: C. Fundy/GOM and other News: | |
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1. BoFEP 2014 Science Workshop a Success The 10th BoFEP Fundy Science Workshop was held in Halifax in conjunction with Coastal Zone Canada 2014 from June 1519. CZC 2014 was attended by over 400 delegates and many distinguished speakers. The BoFEP opening reception and Workshop sessions were all well attended. Marianne Janowicz, BoFEP Chair, welcomed CZC 2014 delegates to the Workshop and offered remarks on the role of BoFEP and the ecological importance of the Bay of Fundy. The BoFEP sessions included paper and poster presentations on information management, intertidal ecology, sediment dynamics, aquatic ecosystem health, and emerging issues for coastal peoples with a focus on the Bay of Fundy region. CZC sessions covered these issues, among others, with a broader focus on other regions of Canada as well as international perspectives. Keynote talks concluded that the impacts of climate change are clear and likely irreversible. The oceans are warming, rising and becoming more acidic. It is urgent that society continue to reduce and mitigate further impacts. Former prime minister Paul Martin, a member of the Global Ocean Commission, gave an impassioned closing speech at the conference, calling on Canadians to come together to protect the oceans, to support science and science partnerships, and to rebuild the role for Canada as an ocean leader. Conference outcomes included strong calls for coordinated approaches to oceans and coastal management, leveraging partnerships in research and management, increasing public engagement with oceans issues, and most importantly taking action to reduce threats. Proceedings from the BoFEP Workshop will be available later this fall.
2. BoFEP to Study Trends in Fundy's Plankton BoFEP has announced a new initiative that will examine decades of ecological data and traditional knowledge in the St. Croix region. "The project, "An ecological time-series study for St Croix Estuary, 1937-2014" will focus on changes in the plankton populations in response to climate change, and the impact these ecological shifts have on coastal communities. This study will build on recent research that suggests that plankton communities, which play a fundamental role in marine food webs and carbon storage, are significantly changing in response to warming water and changing climate patterns. This project will use decades of unanalyzed plankton samples collected by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO). It will identify changes in diversity, concentration, distribution, and phenology over time, and in response to accelerating climate change, hydrographic shifts and chemical variables. Plankton samples represent a detailed snapshot of ecosystem function, allowing an objective look back in time and a tool for projecting into the future. Throughout the study, information will be shared and collected through talking circles where First Nations knowledge, local community knowledge and science can converge. Developing a dialogue within Passamaquoddy First Nation and Fundy coastal communities will enhance scientific data and provide social, traditional and historical context to this study. Results from the project will be assembled into an accessible, digital archive in 2015 that will be useful for both community members and environmental managers. Learn more.
3. Article Urges More Efforts to Protect Ocean In July an article appeared in the Globe and Mail Opinion Pages entitled: "Public Must Get on Board as Oceans Fall Apart". Written by Susanna Fuller of the Ecology Action Centre and Peter Wells of the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership, the article outlined some of the conclusions of several ocean related meetings and conferences that have occurred in our region recently. It emphasized that "the most important take-home messages of the various meetings: we all depend upon the sea in so many ways. In Nova Scotia, a significant part of our economy is based on having a healthy marine environment, with fisheries, aquaculture and tourism contributing to our economic well-being and food security".
4. Library Cutbacks Limit Access to Marine Information? A recent editorial appeared in the Marine Pollution Bulletin entitled "Managing ocean information in the digital era – Events in Canada open questions about the role of marine science libraries". Written by BoFEP member Peter Wells, the article explores whether "the cutback of marine science libraries introduces key questions about the role of such institutions and the management of ocean information in the digital age". And also discusses the question of "how vital are such libraries in the mission of studying and protecting the oceans?"
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B. Partners and other
organizations: 1. Bibliography on GOMCME Publications Available The Environmental Information: Use and Influence (EIUI) research team, based at Dalhousie University in Halifax, has published a comprehensive bibliography of the publications of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMCME). The document entitled "Celebrating 25 Years of Knowledge on the Gulf. A Bibliography of Publications of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment." (PDF, 90 pages). The comprehensive bibliography of over 400 publications highlights the extensive work on knowledge translation and environmental management that GOMC has pursued since its inception in 1989. The bibliography is an informative reference for the GOMC and its partners in their continuing endeavours to protect and conserve the Gulf of Maine, the Bay of Fundy, and related watersheds. The interdisciplinary EIUI group in collaboration with governmental, intergovernmental, and non-governmental organizations (including BoFEP), is pursuing research about the science-policy interface with the view to increased understanding of the enablers and barriers to the use and influence of marine scientific information in policy and decision making.
2. Recovery Strategy for North Atlantic Right Whale Posted On April 14, 2014 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans posted the "Recovery Strategy for the North Atlantic Right Whale (Eubalaena glacialis) in Atlantic Canadian Waters". Right whales were once common in temperate waters of the Western Atlantic but were seriously depleted by whaling. An accurate population estimate for the species is yet to be calculated. The population of North Atlantic right whales in Atlantic Canadian waters was estimated in 2003 to number about 322 animals; however more recent estimates suggest the current population numbers about 350 animals. North Atlantic right whales are protected and listed under Schedule 1, Part 2 of the Species at Risk Act (SARA). Subscribe to SARA Newletter.
3. Ocean Viewer a "Kijiji" for Ocean Data? The Marine Environmental Observation Prediction and Response Network (MEOPAR), hosted at Dalhousie University, has launched an online pilot project called "Oceanviewer". This is a real-time portal/browser for Ocean Conditions and Forecasts in the waters around Atlantic Canada from buoys, satellites, underwater gliders, ships, webcams, drifters, models, etc. It is a one-stop-shop for surfers, divers, fishermen, sailors, scientists and any other ocean enthusiast. Read more about OceanViewer.org.
4. Overview of Climate Change in the Gulf of Maine The Climate Network of the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has issued its second “Gulf of Maine Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook” (July 2014). This is a seasonal overview collaboratively developed by Canadian and US meteorologists to help residents understand climate trends and effects. The Outlook offers a snapshot of recent weather events and anomalies, regional weather impacts, and a forecast for the coming three months.
5. Adapting to Climate Change in the Fundy Region A new Gulf of Maine Council Climate Network study, “Municipal Climate Adaptation around the Bay of Fundy: Status and Needs”, provides insights into how municipalities are preparing for climate change. This study summarizes adaptation measures that municipalities have taken to date, actions they are planning, and resources they need to move forward.
6. CSAS Documents Pertaining to Fundy The Canadian Science Advisory Secretariat (CSAS) coordinates the peer review of scientific issues for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. The following Science Advisory Reports pertaining to the Bay of Fundy were recently posted on the CSAS website.
7. GOMCME 2014 Awards Presented The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment presented its annual awards during a ceremony in Halifax, Nova Scotia on 17 June 2014. Maritime winners included:
Complete list of winners/biographies.
8. Land-based Salmon Farming Hailed at Conference The Atlantic Salmon Federation and The Conservation Fund Freshwater Institute jointly hosted a conference in St. Andrews, NB in April to discuss the latest technology and operation of land based, closed-containment aquaculture - an increasingly popular and environmentally sustainable method of farming fish. The workshop attracted more than 80 experts in the field of land-based growing systems that they claim are the future of salmon farming. More. Blogs from the conference.
9. EAC Submits Report to Fracking Panel The Ecology Action Centre has submitted a comprehensive report to the Wheeler Panel examining the issue of fracking in Nova Scotia. Entitled "Keep it in the Ground: The Impacts of Fracking in Nova Scotia" the 41 page document critically examines the potential impacts of fracking on energy & economics , groundwater, transportation, food and wilderness.
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Fundy/GOM and
other News:
1. NB Forestry Policy a Threat to Acadian Forests? Recent changes to New Brunswick forestry policies threaten the remaining tracts of Acadian forests on Crown Land. The changes will eliminate restrictions on cutting Acadian forest areas, relax clearcutting rules and lessen government oversight of industrial forest operations" according to Green party Leader David Coon. Formerly, only selective cutting was allowed in Acadian forest areas to protect the unique ecological character of these woodlands. Now, clearcutting will be allowed and the maximum size of the clearcut areas has been increased by 25%. Under the new policy, Coon says "Crown land will look very much like the private lands managed by J.D. Irving — very industrialized forest growth with significant impacts on all of the values that New Brunswickers set as their No. 1 priority." Clearly the Alward government has acquiesced to the demands of the major forestry companies and ignored conservationists. More.
2. NB Forestry Policy also a threat to Wild Salmon? The New Brunswick Salmon Council (NBSC) is concerned that recent changes in forestry policy for Crown Lands in the province will adversely affect rivers and runs of Atlantic salmon. “Our membership is convinced that opening more conservation land to harvesting of trees in sensitive, stream buffers could endanger vulnerable Atlantic salmon populations by damaging the habitats upon which they depend,” says President Debbie Norton . NBSC is a non-profit corporation that represents 28 salmon conservation and angling organizations interested in the conservation and wise management of wild Atlantic salmon. More.
3. Outer Bay Salmon Assessed for Endangered Status A public consultation is currently underway by DFO as part of the Species At Risk Act (SARA) to determine if the outer Bay of Fundy Salmon (returning to waterways from the Saint John to the St. Croix rivers) should receive endangered status in the SARA registry. This population was earlier assessed as endangered by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). The consultation document and comments submission form are available are available online. Comments will be received up until October 31, 2014.
4. Tidal Power from Petit Passage, NS On June 24, 2014 Nautricity Ltd., a Scottish tidal energy company, and Fundy Tidal Inc., a community based tidal developer in NS, announced the signing of an MOU to jointly develop a 500kW tidal project in Petit Passage, which separates Digby Neck from Long Island in SW Nova Scotia. More.
5. Tidal Turbines to be Placed in Grand Passage, NS Fundy Tidal is seeking public input on potential locations for tidal turbines in Grand Passage, lying between Long Island and Brier Island in SW Nova Scotia. Turbine locations will be selected based on many factors, including community input, flow speeds, depth, seabed, waves, marine life, fishing zones, and acceptable infringement on navigation. A 1-year demonstration is planned with a turbine from Clean Current, with deployment scheduled for spring 2015. The Clean Current turbine is 3.5 m in diameter and has a rated power of 65 kW. The turbine would supply approximately 130,000 kWh of energy annually, which is enough to power approximately 6 to 8 homes. More.
6. Website Seeks to Link Tidal Energy Students A newly launched website is hoping to attract the growing number of students involved in research in Tidal Energy in the Fundy region and elsewhere. Named "The Fundy Student Research Community", with the explanatory tagline "Connecting students involved in Bay of Fundy tidal energy research" the new site aims to "help students share their research, their ideas, and their experiences with other students", as well as to "help students find opportunities through industry and government connections, and through connections with each other". Go to site.
7. The Importance of Shallow Benthic Habitat in GOM NOAA Fisheries has released a new paper in its Greater Atlantic Region Policy Series: “Shallow Water Benthic Habitats in the Gulf of Maine: A Summary of Habitat Use by Life Stages of Common Marine and Estuarine Species”. This report describes the importance of shallow water habitats (0-10 meters) for spawning, feeding, and growth to maturity for 16 fish and invertebrate species in the Gulf of Maine.
8. Open Pen Salmon Farming Over Subsidized? A letter by Fred Giffin in Nova Scotia's Queens County Advance entitled "Level Playing Field Needed for Aquaculture" make the case that "if ocean based open pen operations were required to be environmentally sustainable, without government assistance and no compensation for mass mortality, these farms would in fact be an economic disaster". It further urges "a strong appeal to support land based operations and boycott ocean open pen products".
9. Better Regulations Needed for NS Salmon Farms An editorial in the Halifax Chronicle Herald entitled "Feed Fish Farms Better Regulations" calls for a long-overdue overhaul of the regulations governing the salmon farming industry in the province. It notes that "the case for addressing public concerns about sea lice, salmon infections, waste accumulation and the impact on wild salmon and other coastal interests was pretty clear".
10. Geocaching Around the Gulf and Bay The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has released its Gulf of Maine Council GeoTour. The GeoTour was created to help celebrate the Council’s 25th Anniversary. It is intended to encourage people to get out and experience the beauty of the Gulf of Maine, and to learn more about this important and valuable area. The Council partnered with organizations and geocachers in each of the five states and provinces – Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts – around the Gulf of Maine to create this activity.
11. Acadian Seaplants Expands Cornwallis Facility In June, the Chronicle Herald reported that Acadian Seaplants opened a large new $6 million seaweed processing plant at its location in Cornwallis Park, NS. Named the Deveau Centre, after the company owner and president Louis Deveau, the expansion “ensures we maintain our competitive advantage and allows us to capitalize on new opportunities.” Complete article
12. Canada Lags in Protecting Marine Habitats A recent report "Dare to be Deep - Charting Canada's Course to 2020" by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) reveals that Canada ranks dead last in creating marine protected areas compared with the other nine countries with the largest ocean estates. We come in at just over 1% of our ocean territory protected, lower than China at 2%, and much lower than Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom. Media coverage: CPAWS Press Release ; Canada lags in protecting oceans: report (Globe and Mail) ; Marine areas better protected by China than Canada, report finds (CBC)
13. New Blog on Geological Science Sedimentary geologist Elizabeth Kosters of Wolfville, NS has produced a fascinating blog site entitled "Earth Science Society" about the relation between earth science and society. Some of the posts touch on the Fundy region, such as Joggins Cliffs and the Stonehammer Global Geopark near Saint John, NB.
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