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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of BoFEP or its partners. |
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~ FUNDY
TIDINGS ~
August 2015 ~ Summer Issue | |
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HEADLINES:
B. Partners and other organizations: C. Fundy/GOM and other News: | |
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A report commissioned by BoFEP suggests that we are in the dark about the impact of chemicals of emerging concern (CECs) in the marine environment of the Bay of Fundy and research should continue in specific locations in the Bay. The chemicals that may pose a risk have not yet been identified because information on environmental concentrations or toxicity are missing. The report, "Chemicals of Emerging Concern in the Bay of Fundy Watershed: What Are the Risks?" (PDF 48 pages) by Karen A. Kidd and Angella Mercer and supported by Environment Canada, identifies that few studies have been done on CECs in Atlantic Canada and limited data exist on only a small number of CECs for this region. It is not known how widespread CECs are in surface waters and almost no measurements have been done in marine waters. None were found for the Bay of Fundy proper. CEC’s include hundreds of chemicals such as cleaning and personal care products and pharmaceuticals that we use every day in our homes. All of these chemicals end up in municipal wastewaters. Because of the many unknowns about how CECs affect aquatic life, it is not yet possible to know the total toxicity or risk that CECs pose to freshwater and marine organisms. The understanding of mixture effects has been identified as a big knowledge gap by the scientific community. The report concludes that current but limited data available for Atlantic Canada, suggests there does not appear to be a risk of toxicity from individual CECs for the Bay of Fundy watershed. However, because the data is available for a limited number of sites and a small number of chemicals compared to the hundreds known to be in sewage, there may be some CECs that pose a risk to aquatic life. The chemicals that may pose a risk have not yet been identified because information on environmental concentrations or toxicity are missing. The report recommends that study sites be established and include the Saint John Harbour and the Saint John River near large centres like Fredericton, NB.
2. Upcoming Workshop to Advance BoFEP Project on Health Index for Fundy A long term goal of BoFEP has been to produce an environmental health index (EHI) for the Bay of Fundy. A 2012-2013 BoFEP project, including a workshop held in St. Andrews in April 2013, determined that the Ocean Health Index (OHI) (www.oceanhealthindex.org) offered a good model for an EHI for the Bay of Fundy. Now BoFEP will be holding a second workshop so that the wider Bay of Fundy community can help direct the work to finalize an OHI score. In 2015, BoFEP received further funding from Environment Canada to hire an R programmer to work with the OHI toolbox. The workshop will be held on September 29, 9 to 4 at the St. Andrews Biological Station. Please contact Scott Kidd or Marianne Janowicz if you are interested in attending and receiving further notices about the workshop. Purposes of workshop:
3. BoFEP Membership Renewal The annual BoFEP membership fee ($25 for individuals and organizations) is now due for 2015/2016. Membership is open to any individual or group who shares BoFEP’s vision for protecting, conserving and sustainably using the Bay of Fundy ecosystem. The benefits of becoming a BoFEP Member include periodic emailing of Fundy Issues Fact Sheets and other BoFEP publications and the quarterly electronic newsletter “Fundy Tidings”; the opportunity to participate in a variety of BoFEP activities and workshops; the opportunity to join the BoFEP Steering Committee; a vote at the Annual General Meeting; and the knowledge that you are contributing to the efforts to sustain the Bay of Fundy as a healthy, productive ecosystem. Members are the heart of BoFEP. Please renew today!
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B. Partners and other
organizations: 1. Fishing Organization Concerned about Fundy Turbines An article in the Chronicle Herald entitled "Fishing Organization Wary of Turbines" raises concerns about the possibility of impacts on fish. The Striped Bass Association is asking provincial authorities to stop the planned placement of in-stream tidal turbines in the Minas Passage. They maintain that “Currently, there is no evidence that fish can or will avoid (these)devices in this environment.” At the heart of the debate around in-stream tidal turbines is whether fish will be killed or disturbed by the large equipment churning in the fast-moving, murky water of the Minas Passage. Fundy Ocean Research Centre for Energy (FORCE) spokesman Matt Lumley said that 20 baseline studies have been completed so far, with more to come, and all the data is publicly available. He agreed that more data is needed before moving to large commercial-scale in-stream tidal power generation.
2. Monitoring Underwater Noise in Fundy The environment group Eastern Charlotte Waterways Inc. has been deploying hydrophones in the Bay of Fundy to monitor levels of submarine noise. The organization is concerned that an increase in supertanker traffic through the bay's busy shipping lane is affecting sea life. So they have set out to track the amplitude and wavelength of noise being picked up in the marine environment between Saint John Harbour and Passamaquoddy Bay. Full CBC News report.
3. Haven for Fundy Shorebirds in Upper Bay Expands In July, the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) announced the successful expansion of a key stopover for migratory birds in Atlantic Canada. The not-for-profit organization recently acquired four new properties, totalling 57 acres (23 hectares), at its globally important Johnson’s Mills Shorebird Reserve, where the announcement took place.
4. New Coordinator at FERN The Fundy Energy Research Network has a new coordinator. Welcome to Meghan Swanburg replacing Lisa Isaacman who served in the role for several years. Visit the FERN website for more news about the organization and its activities.
5. Regional Oceans Plan Includes Bay of Fundy Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Maritimes Region, announced the release of its Regional Oceans Plan. The Plan outlines the approach and actions that DFO is taking to support oceans and coastal management in the Maritimes Region, comprising the Scotian Shelf, Atlantic Coast and the Bay of Fundy.. It responds to the department’s responsibilities under the Oceans Act to lead and facilitate integrated and ecosystem approaches to the management of Canada’s oceans. The Plan comprises two documents:
6. Salmon Monitored in the Stewiacke River NS In June more than 200 Atlantic salmon were analyzed from the Stewiacke River by the Mi’kmaw Conservation Group, in conjunction with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, who have been monitoring the fish population in the river using a smolt wheel. Salmon that are caught with the wheel have their measurements taken – length and weight, along with both a scale and tissue sample, which help identify age and genetics, respectively. Complete article.
7. Major Federal Funding for Fundy National Park In June the federal government announced the biggest investment ever in Fundy National Park’s history. The government will be spending $28.2 million dollars over the next two years on intensive upgrades to the park. More details. CBC News report.
8. Energy East Pipeline a Threat to Fundy Whales? The Conservation Council of New Brunswick (CCNB)recently published a report entitled "Tanker Traffic and Tar Balls: What TransCanada’s Energy East Pipeline Means for the Bay of Fundy and Gulf of Maine". The study examines the impacts the proposed Energy East bitumen pipeline would have on the marine environment and the 75 coastal communities in New Brunswick that depend on tourism and fisheries jobs along the Bay of Fundy. It argues that, “a single tanker spill in the Bay of Fundy could devastate these two industries that have been the cornerstone of the economy in this region for generations. With this pipeline proposal, we’re gambling thousands of existing, permanent jobs for the prospect of short-term employment that will leave the Bay of Fundy at risk for the long term.”. Energy East counters that " the council is just trying to replicate the issue that caused TransCanada to cancel plans for an export terminal in Cacouna, Quebec." See also:
9. Huntsman Vessel Facilitates Fundy Research Whether you're a researcher or just have a keen interest in marine biology, Huntsman's research vessel "Fundy Spray" is a well-equipped way to see and study the Bay of Fundy.
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Fundy/GOM and
other News:
1. How Fish Respond to Dams Researchers have developed a model "New model assesses dams impact on sea-run fish species" to assess how dams affect the viability of sea-run fish species that need to pass dams as they use both fresh and marine waters during their lifetimes. Using a model of endangered Atlantic salmon in Maine’s Penobscot River as a case study, NOAA researchers found that abundance, distribution and number of fish increased upstream when dams in the primary downstream segments of the river, also called “mainstem dams,” were removed or fish passage survival was increased.
2. More on Alton Gas storage facility Controversy Several recent news stories touched upon developments in the controversial proposal by Alton Natural Storage LP (PDF 2.53MB) to store natural gas in large underground salt caverns near Stewiake, NS. The proposal involves dissolving the salt from the caverns at Alton and expelling the resulting brine into the Shubenacadie River, which flows into the upper Bay of Fundy. Stories include:
3. Video of Gaspereau Fishing in Fundy River Each May for only four weeks, four days a week, Walden Coldwell’s family fish the Gaspereau River the same way they have for generations. They fish for the fish of the same name, otherwise known as alewives or blue backs. Read a description of the process and see a short (1:13 min) video clip of how the fishing is done with a large pole-mounted dip net. Coldwell remembers when the catch was much greater and when many more families fished the Gaspereau. Where there used to be dozens of nets along the river, in 2015 there were merely 14.
4. Thirty-Year Old Video on Bay of Fundy Worth Another Look In 1985 the National Film Board of Canada released a 29:27 min video entitled "Where the Bay Becomes the Sea" directed by John Brett. This is a documentary about the fragile and complex marine ecosystem in the Bay of Fundy. The film traces relationships within the food chain - from tiny plankton to birds and seals and finally to whales and humans. The film is a plea for careful management of our ocean resource and was first telecast as part of CBC's Nature of Things series.
5. Management Plans for Shortnose Sturgeon On June 10, 2015 the Department of Fisheries and Oceans posted the Management Plan for the Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) in Canada, which is an aquatic species listed as Special Concern under the Species at Risk Act (SARA). This listing triggers the requirement for a management plan, which aims to identify the measures needed to ensure the species does not become further at risk. Populations of Shortnose Sturgeon are found in large rivers along the entire east coast of North America. The only known population of Shortnose Sturgeon in Canada is in the Saint John River, in southwest New Brunswick, which flows into the Bay of Fundy. This Canadian population is the most northerly of the species and is genetically different from other populations in the United States. Management Plan (PDF 1.98 MB); Management Plan HTML.
6. Numerous Updates on Tidal Power in Fundy There has been a lot of interesting press generated by various tidal power related activities in the Bay of Fundy over the past few months. A small sampling of some headlines in local papers that may be of interest to BoFEP members and partners:
7. Auditor General: Aquaculture Management in NS Deficient In his June 2015 report NS Auditor General Michael Pickup flagged deficiencies in the monitoring of open pen aquaculture in the province. He concluded that "Improvements are needed in how the Department is monitoring and enforcing compliance related to its aquaculture responsibilities" and also noted that "The Department does not have detailed written guidelines for completing technical reviews. Files do not always contain complete documentation supporting a recommendation to approve or reject an application. Information on aquaculture sites and Department activities is not integrated and readily available to management for monitoring purposes".
8. Senate Report on Aquaculture Released The recent Senate report on aquaculture calls for a national database and greater transparency, but goes light on the need for better monitoring, regulation and enforcement.
9. New Online Weather/Wave Forecast Tool in Fundy In June a news release announced that the SmartATLANTIC Saint John Inshore Weather Buoy is now in service (click on Buoy data). The weather buoy and on-line weather and wave forecasting tool technology will provide the marine transportation community, commercial fishers, recreational boaters, meteorologists, researchers, scientists and the general public with free online access to real-time weather and directional wave information in the Bay of Fundy. The site also monitors a webcam located on the buoy.
10. New Fundy Tidal Bore Interpretive Centre Opens In mid August the new Tidal Bore Interpretive Centre at the former Palliser Motel on the banks of the Shubenacadie River near Truro. The County of Colchester recently purchased the site and renovated an existing building for the interim information centre, with plans for a permanent facility for next year. This should not be confused with the existing Fundy Tidal Interpretive Centre located further up the Shubenacadie River at South Maitland in east Hants County. Also see: East Hants pleased with visitor levels at Fundy Interpretive Centre facilities
11. Moratorium on Georges Bank Drilling to be Extended The Nova Scotia government will introduce legislation this autumn to extend the expiring moratorium on oil and gas development on Georges Bank through to 2022, a move that will mirror legislation recently passed by the federal government. A similar moratorium is already in place on the American portion of the bank, which covers about 80 per cent of the area. More details.
12. Rescue of Entangled Whales Over the past summer a number of news reports have chronicled the drama of freeing Humpback and Minke whales in the Bay of Fundy and Scotian Shelf that had become entangled in fishing gear. A sampling:
13. End of Weir Fishing for Fundy Herring? Some fishermen in the Bay of Fundy are worried the centuries-old herring weir fishery could be coming to an end because of a lack of fish. See CBC News story.
14. Sharks, Dragon, Giant Lobster, Jellyfish Swarms and Ghost Gear A number of interesting news reports about unusual happenings in Fundy this past summer include the following:
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