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If you would like to post an item in Fundy Tidings pertaining to BoFEP, its partners or the Bay of Fundy send it along to: submission deadlines
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~ FUNDY TIDINGS ~ February 2015 ~ Winter Issue |
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HEADLINES:
C. Fundy/GOM and other News: D. Administrivia - [Subscribing and unsubscribing} |
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1. BoFEP Project on Ocean Environmental Health IndexBoFEP has received funding though the The National Conservation Plan Gulf of Maine Funding from Environment Canada to complete BoFEP’s Ocean Health Index (OHI) project for the Southwestern Bay of Fundy Marine Resources Planning Area (MRPA), a key part of the Gulf of Maine. The OHI is a framework that combines environmental and socio-economic indicators to assess the health of oceans and report on how sustainably coastal regions are using their oceans. First used at the global level, the OHI has been modified for the assessment of smaller coastal areas using finer, more locally relevant data. Earlier work by BoFEP determined the OHI offered the “best” model for a Bay of Fundy environmental health index and that the MRPA should be used as a test case. In 2013-2014, BoFEP collected much of the data needed to calculate an OHI score for the MRPA. The main purpose of the proposed project is to consult with and hire technical experts so this data can now be used in an OHI computer “toolbox” to calculate an OHI score for the MRPA. Ultimately, if this test case is successful, then there would be good reason to expand upon this work and apply the OHI to the entire Gulf of Maine. Doing so would help people answer the question, “How healthy is the Gulf of Maine?” Knowing and communicating this will help promote protection of the Gulf’s ecological integrity, which in turn will enhance the social and economic well-being of its coastal communities. The project will be completed at the end of March 2016. 2. BoFEP Retreat/Planning Workshop HeldBoFEP held a Retreat/Planning Workshop for its Steering and Management Committees and invited guests on January 16-17, 2015 at the Marshlands Inn in Sackville, NB. Workshop participants collectively identified four areas for BOFEP to focus on in the immediate and short term: collaborate, communicate, identify (issues), and facilitate. Based on these four goals, workshop participants suggested actions that could be taken to work towards achieving those goals. The group suggested that one of the roles for BoFEP is to get people from various communities involved to understand impacts on the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem. Within the context of working towards a sustainable Bay of Fundy, participants identified both challenges (issues) and opportunities (assets). Once these factors were identified, various themes were used as a framework for understanding their significance. The selected themes were Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental. Opportunities pertaining to each of these themes were discussed at length. This event was a facilitated workshop designed to revisit the Partnership’s goals and identify short term (and longer term) actions. Workshop participants were asked prior to the workshop to examine their own vision of the Bay of Fundy as a sustainable coastal/marine ecosystem and to identify key elements for achieving sustainability. A round table discussion was held on Friday evening to communicate those ideas and develop a shared vision of what sustainability comprises for the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership. The full Workshop Report will be posted on the BoFEP Website shortly.
3. BoFEP 2014-15 Steering/Management Committees Elected At the 2014 BoFEP Annual General Meeting held in Sackville NB on November 22nd a new 20 member Steering Committee was elected. From these individuals, an 8 member Management Committee was selected, comprising: Chair Marianne Janowicz Past-Chair (ex off.) Peter Wells Vice Chair Lisa Isaacman Secretary Martin Tango Treasurer Susan Rolston Member at large Hugh Akagi Member at large Joshua McNeely Member at large Vacant
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B. Partners and other organizations: 1. Digital Earth Symposium in Halifax October 2015The 9th Symposium of the International Society for Digital Earth “Towards a One-World Vision for the Blue Planet” is scheduled for 6-10 October, 2015 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (Details). Digital Earth is a global initiative to construct a comprehensive virtual representation of the planet. It is a collaborative effort between Earth sciences, space sciences and information sciences to monitor and forecast natural and human phenomena. The deadline for submitting abstracts is 17 April 2015. For submission details visit: http://digitalearth2015.ca/call-for-abstracts. 2. FERN 2014 Annual Newsletter AvailableThe 2014 Annual Newsletter (PDF 3.9 MB) of the Fundy Energy Research Network Is now available. It includes, among other things, articles on : FERN Activities and Accomplishments 2014; Research at Small - Scale Tidal Sites; FORCE: 2014 Highlights; Tidal Research in Maine; and the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute. 3. Webinar on Tidal Energy Research in the Bay of FundyOn October 27, 2014 leading up to International Conference on Ocean Energy (ICOE 2014) in Halifax, Annex IV sponsored an environmental webinar focused on tidal energy research associated with the Bay of Fundy tidal site. Video recording of complete webinar Speaker Presentation Materials:
4. Dalhousie Offers Short Course on Tidal PowerDalhousie University's College of Continuing Education in Halifax NS is offering an introductory course entitled "Marine Renewable Energy: Tidal Power" on February 19-20, 2015. This course offers an opportunity to get insights into the tidal community and learn about what is happening, why decisions are being made and how developers plan to move forward. It will start with a look at the story of tidal in Nova Scotia and consider the fundamentals of electric power production and how In-Stream Tidal Power devices operate. It will also explore the difficulties being faced in connecting the power to the grid and consider the marine environment of the Bay of Fundy and some of the socio-economic impacts. There will be a discussion of government policies, a look at individual tidal projects currently underway in Nova Scotia and an overview of the organisations in Canada supporting and promoting tidal energy. 5. Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre NewsletterThe Fall 2014 issue of In With The Tides, (PDF, 1.4 MB) the quarterly newsletter of the Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association is now available online. This issue includes articles on: a dramatic deer rescue at sea; the Blue Route for bicycles project in NS; 2014 activities of the BoFDCA and plans for 2015; meeting about stormwater projects in the region; and the value of rain gardens. A membership form is included on the back page for those interested in supporting the group. There is also an online archive of back issues of the newsletter. 6. Conference on Building Rural Prosperity Coming to Annapolis Royal AreaA major conference "Local Prosperity: New Economics for Rural Canada" will take place April 9-13, 2015 at the Annapolis Royal Regional Academy and the Annapolis Basin Conference Centre in Cornwallis, NS. The Local Prosperity Conference is two events in one. A one-day "Up!Skilling Festival" is open to the public and provides a chance to learn a range of ‘do-it-yourself’ skills, crafts and trades taught by experienced teachers. The main conference "Local Prosperity: New Economics for Rural Canada" is a two and one-half day experience in vision, practice, and action. This conference will focus on how individuals, businesses, and communities can design and then implement a practical blueprint for a prosperous future and a healthy economy – a future that is cooperative, compassionate, and long-term. An economy that leads people to meaningful and dignified work, respects nature’s capital, and reflects a culture of both growth and harmony. Conference sessions of particular interest to BoFEP members include: Value-added Fisheries as a Resource of the Commons and Rebuilding the Value Chain from our Forest. 7. Lecture on Coastal Protection Opportunities in NSKevin Smith, a living shorelines expert and deputy director of coastal services of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources will speak about Living Shorelines and Coastal Protection Opportunities in Nova Scotia at the Nova Scotia Art Gallery in Halifax on February 17th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. His talk will summarize Maryland's success with its coastal adaptation and living shorelines legislation, and the opportunities available to Nova Scotia to improve coastal protection and policy. This event will focus on managing erosion in high energy coastal systems, like those we see on Nova Scotia's many exposed coasts. More information and register. 8. Climate Change Forecast for Atlantic Canada The Canadian Climate Forum has released an issue paper titled “Forecasting a Sea of Change: Lessons from Atlantic Canada” (PDF, 0.5MB) on weather and climate impacts in the Atlantic coastal zone. By 2100, sea levels in Atlantic Canada are expected to be between 20 cm and one metre higher than today’s levels.
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1. Documentary on Impacts of Tidal Turbines on Marine LifeAs plans for tidal power development in the upper Bay of Fundy move forward, a new documentary on YouTube entitled "Tidal Power...Is It Really Green?" examines the harmful impacts of tidal turbines on marine life, the fishery, and species at risk. The film features interviews with Michael Dadswell, a retired biology professor at Acadia University, who studied such impacts experimentally in the 1980s at the Annapolis Royal tidal turbine site, and Darren Porter, a commercial fisherman in the Minas Basin. The seventeen-minute film was produced by author and film-maker Jerry Lockett and released January 16, 2015. 2. Controversy Swirls Around Alton Gas Storage ProjectThe controversy over plans by Alton Natural Gas Storage LP to flush out salt domes, dump the resulting brine into the Shubenacadie River and then have Heritage Gas store natural gas in the caverns produced continues unabated. Several groups have expressed concerns about the safety and environmental impacts of the project. The following articles highlight some of the concerns.
3. Fracking Also Hot Button Issue in MaritimesThe controversy over allowing fracking in the Maritimes and over the disposal of existing contaminated wastewater into the Bay of Fundy continues to boil vigorously. The following articles highlight some of the recent developments in this ongoing saga.
4. Land-based Salmon Farming in NSSustainable Fish Farming (Canada) Ltd. grows salt water Atlantic salmon in a land-based fish farm using technology which has been developed internally. This technology ensures that 100 per cent of the water in the fish farm is cleaned and re-used meaning the farm is no longer dependent on sources of salt water for its operation. Future expansion could therefore take place away from coastal areas, close to the metropolitan markets they serve, offering significant benefits to product shelf life, quality, freshness and transport costs. A December 2014 article in the Globe and Mail features an interview with the CEO of the company. 5. Salmon Also Jumping at Land-based Facility Near Advocate HarbourAnother successful land-based fish farming operation, Canaqua Seafoods, raises Arctic Char, Halibut and Salmon on the shores of the Bay of Fundy, at the tip of the Chignecto Peninsula. Its 26 indoor tanks, each larger than a home swimming pool, can hold 250 metric tonnes of fish. A planned expansion could see the facility increase in size tenfold. Full article. 6. NS Aquaculture Regulation Needs Overhaul: ReportAn independent regulatory review panel (The Doelle-Lahey Panel) has found Nova Scotia's regulatory framework for aquaculture is lax and inadequate. The panel report is entitled "A New Regulatory Framework for Low -Impact /High-Value Aquaculture in Nova Scotia." (PDF, 3.3MB) “It was quite clear the industry needed to be regulated differently,” said professor William Lahey of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. Raymond Plourde of the Ecology Action Centre called the report thorough, comprehensive and well thought out. He said he would have liked to see the panel call for a halt to open net pen aquaculture. “The nets are put in the water, they’re fed until they’re fat and then they’re taken out and sold but it’s a way to spread disease, parasites, chemicals and tons and tons and tons of feces. In the wake of the report's release more than 400 people from community organizations across Nova Scotia turned out for a rally in Halifax to issue a joint call for aquaculture reform.
7. Growing Concerns Over Pesticide Use in Salmon AquacultureDFO scientists are growing increasingly concerned about studies that clearly indicate that chemicals approved for control of sea lice at salmon farms are highly toxic to many other forms of sea life, including lobsters. According to a CBC report "?Salmosan® ?, a pesticide currently approved for use in the Bay of Fundy, can be hazardous to lobsters and other species hundreds of metres from a farm, the research conducted at the St. Andrews Biological Station showed. Meanwhile, Alphamax®, which was temporarily used during a sea-lice infestation five years ago, could kill lobsters up to 10 km away, the studies found". Some Fundy aquaculture companies have been convicted of using illegal pesticides as well, raising even more ominous alarms about the decidedly negative impact of this industry in coastal waters. Regretably, and disturbingly, the Harper government has decreed that federal laboratories will no longer carry out studies of sea lice pesticides and their ecological impacts. More information about sea lice and pesticide use can be found in the following clips:
8. Harper Government Still Stalling on Protecting Georges BankWhile the US and NS governments have extended the moratorium on oil and gas drilling on Georges Bank in the Gulf of Maine until 2022, the Harper government is still dragging its feet on an existing moratorium scheduled to expire this year. The Bank is a critical feeding and breeding area for many species of fish, seabirds and marine mammals. A coalition of fishers, environmental groups and First Nations are urging the government to extend the moratorium. Chronicle Herald Article.
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