Bay of Fundy earns international honour
Published on July 22, 2009
PARRSBORO - The Bay of Fundy is up against some pretty stiff competition as
it moves to the next phase of the international New7Wonders of Nature contest.Even though it faces competition from the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef and 25 other spectacular landmarks, it doesn't faze Terry McCulloch, manager of Bay of Fundy Tourism.
"You'll see (it) on the New7Wonders website along with the Grand Canyon, the Galapagos Islands and the Amazon, which is pretty exciting but also a little intimidating, but we feel the Bay of Fundy has received a lot of positive exposure as a nature-tourism location through the contest," McCulloch said Tuesday.
The bay, best known for having the highest tides in the world and home to the most complete fossil record of the Coal Age in the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, was named by the New7Wonders Foundation as one of 28 finalists in the global contest to declare the new seven wonders of nature.
The foundation's international panel of experts, chaired by former UNESCO chief Federico Mayor, identified the top 28 natural wonders from the campaign's recent 77 natural sites selected by popular vote on July 7.
The Bay of Fundy is the lone Canadian entry in the contest. Public voting has begun and will continue through 2010. The final declaration of the winner will be made in 2011.
Voters can go to votemyfundy.com or New7wonders.com to place their vote.
Representatives from the foundation will visit the area sometime next year while Bay of Fundy tourism will be using all means available to get the message out, including making full use of social networking like Facebook and Twitter.
Facts
- Best known for the highest tides in the world - 53 feet. Fundy tides
are five to 10 times higher than the rest of the planet.
- Fundy is home to the most complete fossil record of the Coal Age at
Joggins, home to the world's oldest reptiles and Canada's oldest dinosaurs.
- It has been compared in marine biodiversity to the Amazon
Rainforest.
- It hosts 12 species of whale during their summer feeding, including
more than half the world's population of the endangered Right Whale.
- UNESCO designations for the upper Bay of Fundy as a Biosphere
Reserve and Joggins Fossil Cliffs as a World Heritage Site.
--------------
NOVA SCOTIA- CANADA
Fishing industry slams proposals on capping offshore blowouts
REMO ZACCAGNA Business Reporter
Published August 17, 2015 - 5:58pm
Last Updated August 17, 2015 - 9:17pm
Published August 17, 2015 - 5:58pm
Last Updated August 17, 2015 - 9:17pm
Lobster boats sit loaded with traps in the harbour at
Meteghan in 2014. (STAFF / File)
Potential regulations that
would allow Shell Canada up to three weeks to cap a subsea blowout while
drilling off the coast of Nova Scotia are not being met favourably by at least
one fishing industry representative.
The Canadian Environmental
Assessment Agency issued its approval in June of Shell Canada’s plan to drill
up to seven exploration wells at the Shelburne Basin, roughly 250 kilometres
offshore.
Shell’s plan includes
predictions that it would take 12 to 21 days to bring a vessel and a capping
system in from Norway. Shell said it would keep a backup capping stack on
standby from either Scotland, South Africa, Singapore or Brazil.
But Bernie Berry, president
of the Coldwater Lobster Association, calls the federal approval “inconceivable”
given that a blowout could have an irreparable impact on Nova Scotia’s
billion-dollar fishing industry.
“Obviously, Ms. Aglukkaq has
no idea of the value of the commercial fishery carried on in these same
waters,” Berry said in a news release, referring to federal Environment
Minister Leona Aglukkaq.
“The importance of Georges
Bank to the communities of South West Nova Scotia cannot be underestimated. The
bank is a main nursery for all commercial species which keep our communities
alive and could be totally destroyed by a catastrophic oil spill on the Scotian
Shelf.”
Berry echoed other fisheries
representatives and environmentalists by wondering why Shell is not required to
have a capping stack on a nearby vessel that can be deployed within 24 hours,
as is the case for its drilling site off the coast of Alaska.
“If the fishing and oil
industries are required to coexist, the fishing industry must be part of the
planning process which includes a comprehensive management plan to deal with
oil spills,” the Yarmouth-based lobster association said.
In an email Monday, the
assessment agency said that the “most important clarification to point out,
from recent media coverage, is that the Canadian Environmental Assessment
Agency did not approve a time period for well capping.”
A final decision on the
project will come from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board, which
can impose additional conditions on the project.
Kathleen Funke, a spokeswoman
for the board, said a decision is scheduled to be made by the fourth quarter of
this year “at the earliest.”
“The CNSOPB is currently
conducting an extensive review of Shell Canada’s proposed drilling program
application. At this time, the CNSOPB has not made any decisions as to whether
and under which conditions this project may be approved,” she said in an
emailed statement.
----------
NOVA SCOTIA- CANADA...
Shell gets go-ahead for Shelburne Basin drilling project
SHERRI BORDEN COLLEY STAFF REPORTER
Published June 15, 2015 - 8:48pm
Last Updated June 16, 2015 - 2:23pm
Published June 15, 2015 - 8:48pm
Last Updated June 16, 2015 - 2:23pm
A mobile offshore drilling rig is seen in a file
photo. Shell’s plan to drill in the Nova Scotia offshore cleared a final
regulatory hurdle late Monday when federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq
gave the company conditional approval.
Shell Canada has received the
environmental green light to begin exploratory drilling off the coast of Nova
Scotia later this year.
The project cleared a major
regulatory hurdle late Monday when federal Environment Minister Leona Aglukkaq
gave the company conditional approval.
In a news release, Aglukkaq
ruled the project won’t have a major impact on the environment.
“We are pleased that the
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency issued its environmental decision
statements on the Shelburne Basin Venture Exploration Drilling Project,” Larry
Lalonde, spokesman for Shell Canada Ltd., said in an interview Monday night.
“We’re also happy that the
Canadian minister of environment stated in the decision statement that she’s of
the opinion that the project will not cause significant adverse environmental
effects.
“This is a significant
milestone for our venture.”
Shell will be assessing
conditions that the project must meet with respect to mitigation measures and
followup requirements, Lalonde said.
“So, basically where we go
from here, pending rig availability and obtaining the further regulatory
permits and approvals (from the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Board)
that are required, we’re continuing to work toward starting … a two-well
drilling program in the later part of 2015.”
Stena IceMax, the drill ship
Shell has contracted to use off the coast as part of its $1-billion exploration
program, is now working in the Gulf of Mexico.
Shell plans to explore an
area in the Shelburne Basin, about 250 kilometres off the coast.
The company has said it will
drill up to seven exploration wells over a four-year period.
Mark Butler, policy director
at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax, said the environmental group remains
concerned about the wells and drilling in deepwater, and the risk that poses,
particularly after the 2010 BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11
people and caused a huge spill.
“Even though these wells
can’t be seen from shore, if there was a major spill, we don’t think it would
take much for the oil to reach shore or to reach Georges Bank,” Butler said in
an interview Monday night.
“I see in the release … the
minister cites the best available science, and one issue I know we raised a
number of times and felt like it wasn’t adequately addressed was the use of dispersants.”
In the event of a spill,
these solvents are used to break up the oil so that it is no longer visible on
the surface, but it can then enter the water column or sink to the bottom.
“So … as a result of the
spill in the Gulf, a fair amount of science was done on dispersants, and we
felt the review didn’t adequately address the negative impact of dispersants,”
Butler said.
“The question with the
dispersants is, is the cure worse than the problem or is the solution worse
than the problem, because these dispersants are toxic to marine life and they
also have human health impacts.”
He said he was not surprised
that the project was approved.
“With major spills, the
probability is low but the impact is high. … There’s no way the minister can
say there won’t be a blowout or a major spill. The minister can say that the
chances are low, but she can’t say they’re zero by any means.”
--------------
Innu chief urges halt to protests at Muskrat Falls site
THE CANADIAN PRESS
Published August 17, 2015 - 7:23pm
Published August 17, 2015 - 7:23pm
Complaints about alleged racism to be discussed
HAPPY VALLEY-GOOSE BAY, N.L.
— An Innu leader is asking that protests stop at the Muskrat Falls hydro
construction site in Labrador while complaints about hiring and alleged racism
are discussed.
Innu Nation Grand Chief
Anastasia Qupee said Monday the head of Crown corporation Nalcor Energy has
apologized for an incident involving an Innu worker.
She said Nalcor president and
CEO Ed Martin has also committed to followup talks “in coming days.”
Discussions are to include
dissatisfaction with aboriginal employment rates on the $8.6-billion project
along with concerns about racially-motivated clashes among staff.
“We’re certainly committed to
moving forward and working on the issues that we need to address,” Qupee said
in an interview. “We’ve requested that the protests should stop.”
Nalcor Energy declined Monday
to comment.
Qupee said about 218 Innu
Nation people are working at the dam and power plant being built on the lower
Churchill River. But there are questions about whether Nalcor has lived up to
the Impacts and Benefits Agreement reached as part of the development’s
approval.
Part of the deal’s intent is
to help ensure qualified aboriginal people land jobs.
Qupee said small protests
last week at Muskrat Falls work sites followed reports that a non-Innu worker
assaulted a young Innu man also employed on the project. She confirmed the accused
employee has been fired after allegedly making racist comments and then
retaliating when a formal complaint was filed.
“That’s what we’ve been told.
I’m glad that Mr. Ed Martin came in and apologized to this young man,” she said
of the worker who was allegedly kicked in the head. He is now recovering and is
expected to return to his job later this month.
“I appreciate that he
(Martin) went out to the site and spoke to the elders there,” she added. “We
certainly don’t want anybody else to go through this.”
RCMP say a 23-year-old Goose
Bay man faces an assault charge in connection with an incident Aug. 9 at the
Muskrat Falls site. He is to appear in provincial court Oct. 14 in Happy
Valley-Goose Bay.
Qupee said members of the
Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation and Mushuau Innu First Nation were also present
for meetings with Martin that lasted all day Sunday and well into the evening.
She said the highest number of Innu workers employed at Muskrat Falls so far
was about 278, and that leaders have heard of other racist incidents involving
“non-Innu” employees.
“We know for sure we need to
improve things.”
Muskrat Falls is expected to
produce first power in late 2017
----
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyHJ7XU5eLE
Hank Snow was born May 9, 1914 in Brooklyn, Queens County, Nova Scotia.
Please visit our website for more songs, www.peoplestandup.ca
Oh... this is the place where the fishermen gather
With oil-skins and boots and Cape Anns battened down
All sizes of figures with squid lines and jiggers
They congregate here on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Some are workin' their jiggers while others are yarnin'
There's some standin' up and there's more lyin' down
While all kinds of fun, jokes and tricks are begun
As they wait for the squid on the squid-jiggin' ground.
There's men of all ages and boys in the bargain
There's old Billy Cave and there's young Raymond Brown
There's a red rantin' Tory out here in the dory
A-runnin' down squires on the squid-jiggin' ground.
There's men from the Harbour and men from the Tickle
In all kinds of motorboats... green, grey and brown
Right yonder is Bobby and with him is Nobby
He's chewin' hard tack on the squid-jiggin' ground.
God bless my sou'wester, there's Skipper John Chaffey
He's the best hand at squid-jiggin' here, I'll be bound
Hello! What's the row? Why, he's jiggin' one now
The very first squid on the squid-jiggin' ground.
The man with the whiskers is old Jacob Steele
He's gettin' well up but he's still pretty sound
While Uncle Bob Hawkins wears six pairs of stockin's
Whenever he's out on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Holy smoke! What a scuffle! All hands are excited
'Tis a wonder to me that there's nobody drowned
There's a bustle, confusion, a wonderful hustle
They're all jiggin' squid on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Says Bobby, "The squids are on top of the water,
I just got me jigger 'bout one fathom down"
When a squid in the boat squirted right down his throat
And he's swearin' like mad on the squid-jiggin' ground.
There's poor Uncle Bille, his whiskers are spattered
With spots of the squid juice thats' flyin' around;
One poor little b'y got it right in the eye
But they don't give a damn on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Now if ever you feel inclined to go squiddin'
Leave your white shirts and collars behind in the town
And if you get cranky without yer silk hanky
You'd better steer clear of the squid-jiggin' ground
----------------
Hank Snow - Squid Jiggin Grounds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyHJ7XU5eLE
Hank Snow was born May 9, 1914 in Brooklyn, Queens County, Nova Scotia.
Please visit our website for more songs, www.peoplestandup.ca
Oh... this is the place where the fishermen gather
With oil-skins and boots and Cape Anns battened down
All sizes of figures with squid lines and jiggers
They congregate here on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Some are workin' their jiggers while others are yarnin'
There's some standin' up and there's more lyin' down
While all kinds of fun, jokes and tricks are begun
As they wait for the squid on the squid-jiggin' ground.
There's men of all ages and boys in the bargain
There's old Billy Cave and there's young Raymond Brown
There's a red rantin' Tory out here in the dory
A-runnin' down squires on the squid-jiggin' ground.
There's men from the Harbour and men from the Tickle
In all kinds of motorboats... green, grey and brown
Right yonder is Bobby and with him is Nobby
He's chewin' hard tack on the squid-jiggin' ground.
God bless my sou'wester, there's Skipper John Chaffey
He's the best hand at squid-jiggin' here, I'll be bound
Hello! What's the row? Why, he's jiggin' one now
The very first squid on the squid-jiggin' ground.
The man with the whiskers is old Jacob Steele
He's gettin' well up but he's still pretty sound
While Uncle Bob Hawkins wears six pairs of stockin's
Whenever he's out on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Holy smoke! What a scuffle! All hands are excited
'Tis a wonder to me that there's nobody drowned
There's a bustle, confusion, a wonderful hustle
They're all jiggin' squid on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Says Bobby, "The squids are on top of the water,
I just got me jigger 'bout one fathom down"
When a squid in the boat squirted right down his throat
And he's swearin' like mad on the squid-jiggin' ground.
There's poor Uncle Bille, his whiskers are spattered
With spots of the squid juice thats' flyin' around;
One poor little b'y got it right in the eye
But they don't give a damn on the squid-jiggin' ground.
Now if ever you feel inclined to go squiddin'
Leave your white shirts and collars behind in the town
And if you get cranky without yer silk hanky
You'd better steer clear of the squid-jiggin' ground
----------------
Tidal safety zone plan worries lobster fishermen
AARON BESWICK TRURO BUREAU
Published April 9, 2015 - 6:16pm
Last Updated April 9, 2015 - 6:19pm
The four undersea power cables
connecting the in-stream tidal test site to the Fundy Ocean Research Centre for
Energy in Parrsboro cost about $15 million.Published April 9, 2015 - 6:16pm
Last Updated April 9, 2015 - 6:19pm
An anchor could seriously damage one.
“There are two sides,” Matt Lumley, spokesman for the organization, said Wednesday as he talked about a proposed marine safety zone around the cables.
“On one side we have to protect those cables, but at the same time there are a number of people who lobster fish around there and they need to protect their gear.”
Mark Taylor has been setting lobster traps in the Minas Passage for three decades.
The Halls Harbour fisherman doesn’t want to damage any undersea power cables but he also doesn’t want to get pushed off his lobster grounds.
On Tuesday, he’ll be going to a public discussion the research centre is holding at the Super 8 Hotel in Truro about the proposal.
The 500-metre-wide zone proposed by the organization runs the nearly three-kilometre length of the cables, from where tidal test turbines are planned to be installed in the Minas Passage to the Parrsboro research centre.
Taylor estimates about 40 per cent of his 300 traps get laid inside the proposed safety zone. He said one other fisherman from Parrsboro is also affected.
“I’m not opposed to tidal (energy) but I think they could have found a better spot,” said Taylor.
FORCE, which is funded by the federal and provincial governments, laid the cables last fall. Lumley declined to say when the first of the proposed turbines will be installed by the private consortiums attempting to develop in-steam hydroelectric technology capable of harnessing the power of the Bay of Fundy’s tides.
---
---------------------
USA- in 2013- shell backs away... in 2015 Obama sells soul 2 Shell and our beautiful nature.... no more bitchin about China and Russia please... no more
Shell backs away from plans to drill off Arctic
By JOHN M. BRODER New York Times News Service
Published February 27, 2013 - 7:56pm
Published February 27, 2013 - 7:56pm
Energy giant being probed for
alleged violations
WASHINGTON — Royal Dutch
Shell, after a series of costly and embarrassing accidents in its efforts to
drill exploratory wells off the north coast of Alaska last year, announced
Wednesday that it would not return to the Arctic in 2013.
The company’s two drill ships
suffered serious accidents as they were leaving drilling sites in the Beaufort
and Chukchi seas last fall and winter and are being sent to Asia for repairs.
Shell acknowledged in a statement that the ships would not be fixed in time to
drill during the short summer window this year.
“Our decision to pause in
2013 will give us time to ensure the readiness of all our equipment and
people,” said Marvin E. Odum, president of Shell Oil Co.
He said Arctic offshore
drilling was a long-term project that the company would pursue.
The Interior Department, the
coast guard and the Justice Department are reviewing Shell’s operations, which
have included groundings, environmental and safety violations, weather delays,
the collapse of its spill-containment equipment and other failures.
The setbacks come after Shell
has invested more than
$4.5 billion in leases and
equipment and spent several years on an intensive lobbying campaign to persuade
federal officials that it could drill safely in the unforgiving waters of the
Arctic Ocean. Shell now acknowledges that the venture has been much more
difficult than it anticipated.
Shell had planned to drill as
many as 10 wells in 2012 but was able to start only two. Federal regulators
barred the company from drilling into oil-bearing formations because it did not
have adequate spill prevention and cleanup equipment.
“This is not a surprise, as
Shell has had numerous serious problems in getting to and from the Arctic, as
well as problems operating in the Arctic,” said Lois N. Epstein, Arctic program
director for the Wilderness Society and a member of the Interior Department
panel reviewing Shell’s operations. “Shell’s managers have not been straight
with the American public, and possibly even with its own investors, on how
difficult its Arctic Ocean operations have been this past year.”
Both ships involved in the
drilling, the Noble Discoverer and the Kulluk, suffered serious accidents while
moving to or from the oil fields. In addition, Coast Guard inspectors found
numerous violations on the Discoverer and have referred the matter to federal
prosecutors for investigation.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski,
R-Alaska, said the delay would ensure that drilling could proceed safely in the
future.
--------------
Our poor world...NORWAY-
Norway wants to dump nuclear waste on island http://www.thelocal.no/20150814/norway-wants-to-dump-nuclear-waste-on-oslo-island … via
---------------------------
Environmentalists shift focus to more grassroots, less government
Facing a less friendly government, green groups leave Ottawa in pursuit of public support
By Margo McDiarmid, CBC
News Posted: Oct 03, 2014 5:28 PM ET
Last Updated: Oct 03, 2014 10:29 PM ET
They've also been dealing with a major shift in the
political climate that has forced them to change their approach to everything
from carbon emissions to pipeline projects to keep up public support for their
causes.
Many have simply given up on spending a lot of time talking to the federal
government and have turned instead to local and provincial issues — and
knocking on a lot of doors.Graham Saul, executive director of Ecology Ottawa, says it's a whole different game, with more focus on generating support and donations in suburban areas.
"We've knocked on 50,000 doors in the east end of Ottawa in the past year and a half," he said in an interview with CBC News.
"These are the areas where the battle for the soul of Canada is currently being fought, and yet these are also areas where the Canadian environmental community has not made an adequate effort to develop a strong base of support."
The environmental movement has had to transform itself to get to this point, and Saul is good example of the evolution.
As the former head of the Climate Action Network, a lot of his time was spent talking about international climate issues and lobbying the federal government on action to curb emissions.
All that ended when the Harper government was elected in 2006.
'Persona non grata'
"We went almost overnight from a situation where there was an active debate and policy discussion with the federal government, to the point where anyone who cared about climate change was essentially persona non grata," he said.
Bruce Carson, a former aide to Prime Minister Stephen
Harper, says the Conservative government wasn't interested in 'cozy'
conversations with environmentalists when it came to power. (Jake
Wright/Canadian Press)
It wasn't that the Conservatives were anti-environment, it just wasn't on
their political radar when they first took power, according to Bruce Carson, a
senior adviser to Prime Minister Steven Harper from 2006 to 2009.Carson is fighting his own legal battles now and is no longer in government. But back then he was working for the new Tory government as it was, in his words, "scrambling around," trying to get a handle on the groundswell of public interest in the environment.
In contrast to the Liberals, there was little interest among Conservatives in cozy meetings with environmental groups, Carson said.
"You've got a very practical guy as the prime minister and the days of bringing people in to chat and pat them on the head and send them on their way doing nothing, those days were gone," he said in an interview.
By the time the global recession hit in 2008, public interest in the environment had dropped and environmental groups were floundering — and discovering they had no ground game.
"We're very good at what you might call the air campaign, where we're able to participate in the debate about ideas," said Saul. "But when the polls go south, we're less well-equipped to do the hard grassroots organizing.
"We had to … change our tack a little bit."
Out of Ottawa
The same had happened in the U.S. around 2005 when groups were shut out by the Bush administration, according to environmentalist and broadcaster David Suzuki."The challenge came when two former members of the Sierra Club in the United States published an article in which they said environmentalism is dead," said Suzuki in an interview with CBC News.
"That was the big shot that had a lot of environmental groups really reassessing what we were doing."
Many organizations in North American went back to local organizing. In Canada, several, including the David Suzuki Foundation, scaled back their Ottawa presence.
Suzuki's new cross-Canada Blue Dot Tour is an example of his new approach: appealing to youth and families. He's talking to audiences across Canada about enshrining the right to a healthy environment in the Constitution.
There's not a federal politician in sight.
"I think there is lobbying that still goes on, but we are getting back to the focus of getting grassroots support, which has always been a strength of the environmental movement," he said.
Big business?
But critics say the new green grassroots is more about fundraising that anything else."Environmentalism at the NGO level … has become a big business," said Rick Anderson in an interview with CBC.
Anderson is a political strategist and CEO of i2 Ideas & Issues, an advertising firm whose clients include the energy industry.
Environmentalist and CBC broadcaster David Suzuki in
January launched what he called his last major project, to enshrine clean air
and water in the Charter of Rights. (Mark Blinch/Canadian Press)
He thinks the tactics are effective, but lead to less thoughtful
environmental conversation, essentially "dumbing it down."To feed the fundraising beast you need to be in news, said Anderson. "The way to get headlines is sometimes to be outrageous, and so you take strong positions that don't necessarily lead to solutions. But they get you stories in the press, and stories in the press lead to a higher profile, and a higher profile usually leads to making more money."
But environmental activists like Tzeporah Berman point to the recent climate rally in New York that attracted more than 300,000 people, as well as growing pipeline protests, as proof these tactics are working.
"The fact you see thousands and thousands of people get out in streets all the time, from northern Quebec to British Columbia, is a direct result of more effective organizing within the environmental movement," she said in an interview from Vancouver.
Pipeline projects feeling the impact
She first got involved in huge Clayoquot Sound protests against clearcut logging in B.C. in 1993. She sees parallels with what's happening today."We've never seen closer relationships with unions and environmental groups, and First Nations and environmental groups, and scientists and environmental groups."
It's leading to growing concern in Conservative circles about effects on the energy industry and the economy.
"There's no question that if effectiveness is stopping major economic projects like the pipelines, they've been effective," said Carson.
"I never would have thought, sitting in the Centre Block in 2006, we would be having this discussion in 2014 about the inability … to move forward on an essential part of the energy economy, the transportation of energy."
Ecology Ottawa's Saul says his group is now focused on the 2015 federal election, hoping to turn local support into national momentum.
"This is a political struggle and we need to proceed in a way that reflects a political movement and a real social movement."
Which means being an environmentalist these days is about
knocking on every door you can find.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/environmentalists-shift-focus-to-more-grassroots-less-government-1.2787177-------------------
-----------------
CANADA- NOVA SCOTIA'S BAY OF FUNDY..... the pride and joy of so many - being ruined and will be ruined, feared by many, with the tidal wave.... SOMEHOW THE WORLD FOUND OUT....
2015~ Spring - Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership
www.bofep.org/wpbofep/wp-content/uploads/.../2015_spring.htm - Cached
Irving Refinery History Worries Pipeline Opponents ... This was part of a BoFEP project "St. Croix Estuary: An ecological time series 1937-present", funded .... The
Chronicle Herald reports that the group told the Senate's fisheries and oceans ....
"This will be the second time OpenHydro has dipped its toes in the Bay of Fundy.
http://www.bofep.org/wpbofep/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/2015_spring.htm
 |
For up-to-date information about BoFEP meetings and other events visit: www.bofep.org
Contacts
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If you would like to post an item
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|
~ FUNDY
TIDINGS ~
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP)
May 2015~ Spring Issue
| |
HEADLINES:
B. Partners and other organizations:1. A New Way to Seek and Display Geospatial Information C. Fundy/GOM and other News: 1. Paper on Role of Rare Species in GOM Coastal Waters | |
|
1. Talking Circle on St. Croix Ecological Time Series
On April 27, 2015 fourteen people gathered in St.
Andrews, NB to discuss what the 100-year plankton sampling program at a
monitoring site in the St. Croix Estuary shows us about the health of the
estuary. This was part of a BoFEP project "St.
Croix Estuary: An ecological time series 1937-present",
funded by Environment Canada. This project's intent has been to improve
understanding of the effects of seawater temperature and other ecosystem
parameters on the diversity, concentration, distribution, and phenology of
plankton populations in St. Croix Estuary. Participants
shared their personal experiences, legends and stories of the St. Croix,
especially related to the creatures that live in its waters. This sharing
helped to complete the picture of plankton
interaction and relationship with climate, fisheries abundance, marine
mammal and other environmental events in the area over time.
Complete
summary of talking circle.
2. BoFEP Advocacy Policy
The final version of the BoFEP Policy on advocacy was
recently released. It states that
"The
Bay of Fundy Ecosystem Partnership (BoFEP) recognizes that advocacy can be
an important tool used in support of the conservation of the Bay of Fundy
ecosystem. Through our collective expertise, experience and perspectives,
BoFEP has valuable insights to contribute to dialogue on conservation
issues in the Bay of Fundy." It also notes that
"there are several
other groups currently engaged in and better suited to taking on direct
political advocacy/activism roles and tactics. BoFEP may partner with,
support or otherwise work with these groups as long as BoFEP’s position
and activities clearly remain objective and non-partisan".
The policy concludes that
"If our members choose to
engage in advocacy activities, it should be clear that they are speaking
or acting as individuals or members of other organizations, and not on
behalf of BoFEP unless the activity is officially sanctioned by the BoFEP
Steering and Management Committees".
Complete Advocacy Policy.
3. In Memoriam - Mike Brylinsky
Members of BoFEP will be saddened to hear that Mike
Brylinsky passed away on Sunday, May 24th at the Valley Regional Hospital
in Kentville, NS after battling pancreatic cancer for several months.
Mike’s
long history with Acadia University dates back to the late 1970s. He
taught Aquatic Ecology and environmental field courses for many years,
supervised numerous students, and was a
highly active researcher with the Acadia Centre for
Estuarine Research since its establishment
30 years ago. Mike was “fighting fit” and leading projects up until late
2014. Mike was also a very supportive member of BoFEP right from its
inception and was a particularly active and influential participant in the
Minas Basin Working Group. Mike was also a
recipient of the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award in 2000,
which noted that "Mike Brylinsky has
spent more than 20 years educating students and volunteers about the
estuarine, marine and freshwater ecosystems of the Bay of Fundy. A water
quality monitoring program that Brylinsky developed for the Clean
Annapolis River Project in the early 1990s has served as a model for
Atlantic Coastal Action Programs". BoFEP
extends sincere condolences to Mike's wife, Darlene, who was also involved
with BoFEP during its very early days. The family will hold a memorial
service later in the year. The Estuarine Centre is planning a special
event in the fall to celebrate Mike’s life at Acadia and his many
professional contributions.
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1. A New Way to Seek and Display Geospatial Information
A recent article entitled
"COINAtlantic
- A Better Way to Implement a Geospatial Portal"
by Paul Boudreau, Jeff McKenna in Directions magazine explores the
COINAtlantic approach to searching for, finding, and displaying geospatial
information online. It has implemented a system
that is truly distributed in that it harvests no data, stores no
geospatial information in a warehouse or portal, yet provides clients with
the ability to effectively search, locate and present geospatial
information from anywhere on the Internet that is published as Web mapping
services (WMS) or Keyhole Markup Language (KML) OGC standards.
2. Coastal Development in GOM
The Gulf of Maine Council's EcoSystem Indicator Partnership (ESIP) has
released a
fact sheet on coastal development [PDF, 5.1MB] in the Gulf of
Maine/Bay of Fundy. The fact sheet summarizes data from the Gulf of Maine
for three key indicators: population, impervious surfaces, and point
sources of contamination. The fact sheet introduces the concept of
indicators as a means for tracking change. It demonstrates the value of
indicators as a tool to better understand the wide-ranging effects being
seen in the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy region.
3. Student Conference on Sustainable Oceans
There will be a student-led conference "SOCANADA
2015: Healthy Oceans - Healthy Canada " on October 2-3, 2015 at
Dalhousie University in Halifax. This annual conference aims to address
the challenges with knowledge integration in marine policy and management.
By identifying issues across sectors and through various knowledge
sources, we can determine more effective strategies for sustainable ocean
management in Canada. This year's conference will focus on Canadian led
developments in ocean management and sustainability from the Pacific,
Arctic, and Maritime regions of Canada.
More information
and registration.
4. Climate Outlook and Impacts for GOM
The binational 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” (March 2015),
a seasonal overview collaboratively developed by Canadian and US
meteorologists to help regional residents better understand climate trends
and influences. The Outlook offers a two-page snapshot with recent weather
events and anomalies; regional weather impacts; and a forecast for the
coming three months.
5. Right Whale News - March 2015 Issue
The March 2015 issue of
Right Whale News (PDF, 1.3 MB),
a quarterly independent newsletter dedicated to the conservation and
recovery of the North Atlantic right whale, features articles on the late
season population report from the southeast United States, the North
Atlantic Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog, a calendar of events,
and other right whale news and notes.
6. BoF Discovery Centre Winter 2015 Newsletter
The Bay of Fundy Discovery Centre Association "In with The Tides"
newsletter for Winter 2015 is now available online (PDF). Articles
include: Brier Island & Offshore Waters Important Bird & Biodiversity Area
(IBA); Creatures of the Cove: Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentine)
as well as Common Razor Clam; A Quick Look Back at Winter. Membership form
on back page.
7. Celebrate World Oceans Day
World Oceans Day is June 8 and activities celebrating oceans and coasts
are being held across the world throughout June. The 2015 theme is
Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet. See
the World Oceans Day website to
view or submit events. The Annual Event at the Halifax Waterfront will be
held 5 June 2015 -
http://coinatlantic.ca/documents/WOD_Hfx_Waterfront_5_June_2015.pdf.
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Fundy/GOM and
other News:
1. Paper on Role of Rare Species in GOM
Coastal Waters
A new study by Thomas J. Trott has recently been accepted for publication in
Marine Biodiversity. The paper entitled
"Century-scale Species Incidence, Rareness and Turnover in a High Diversity
Northwest Atlantic Coastal Embayment" documents century-scale changes
in species incidence, rareness and turnover in Cobscook Bay, Maine. [MARINE
BIODIVERSITY published online March 2015, [http://link.springer.com/journal/12526/onlineFirst/page/2#page-1]
The study found that "the increased chance
of extinction for rare species jeopardizes the resilience of high diversity
coastal ecosystems where the uncommon often hold key roles which sustain
ecosystem functioning. Rare species can support the most vulnerable
functions of an ecosystem, occupy niches that more common species are unable
to fill, and have significant disproportionate effects on higher trophic
levels when lost. " The author concludes that
"the implications of rare species loss on the stability and function of this
highly productive estuary illustrate the need for ecological conservation to
protect the substantial contribution of Cobscook Bay to the biodiversity of
the Gulf of Maine."
2.
Irving Refinery Spill History Worries Pipeline Opponents
TransCanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline would transport 1.1 million
barrels of oil per day from Alberta’s tar sands to Saint John, New
Brunswick. [See:
Environmental Threat From Eastern Refineries Exposed] While almost none
of the oil would stay in Canada, the small amount not exported could feed
three refineries along the pipeline route: the Suncor refinery in Montreal,
Quebec; the Valero refinery in Lévis, Québec; and the Irving refinery in
Saint John, New Brunswick. Irving plans to build and operate an export
terminal to ship most of the tar sands oil (dilbit) through the Bay of
Fundy. An Ecology Action Centre Report by Catherine Abreu documents periodic
spills at all three facilities and reviews the environmental records of the
three refineries from 2012 to 2014. The report concludes that the "findings
show that Irving Oil 's environmental record at its Saint John refinery is
significantly worse than the environmental records of Suncor and Valero
refinery operators". The report also suggests that "Irving Oil’s operating
culture, history of regulatory compliance, and relationship with regulators
also play a role in determining its poor environmental record". It concludes
that "these findings show the environmental mismanagement that can be
expected from Irving Oil if it processes oil from TransCanada’s proposed
pipeline [and] it highlights the risk of allowing Irving Oil to operate a
huge export terminal on the shores of the Bay of Fundy.”
3.
New Documentary on Fundy Weir Fishing
A newly released documentary, "The Weir:
Fishing Fundy’s Giant Tides", by author and film-maker Jerry Lockett
features commercial fisherman Darren Porter, who operates one of the last
remaining fishing weirs in the Minas Basin. Weir fishing is not only one of
the oldest known fishing methods, it is also one of the most sustainable,
taking only a limited number of fish on each tide, and with almost no
by-catch. The “Porter Weir” has become a focal point for the local community
and attracts visitors from far and wide. It also provides unique
opportunities for biologists from Acadia University to conduct research into
fish populations and movements. The film (22m 37 s) follows the 2014 fishing
season, from construction of the massive weir in the spring to its tear down
in the fall. It depicts the arduous and unrelenting work involved in a style
of fishing that has almost disappeared, and portrays one man’s passion for
what he does and for conserving the ocean. It can be viewed at:
http://youtu.be/donTQF-5mEE
4.
Differing Views on New Federal Aquaculture Rules
The
CBC reports that "a
broad-based coalition is calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to halt
proposed changes to federal aquaculture regulations, warning they could
damage the environment and existing businesses." Coalition members are
worried the changes will result in pesticides routinely being dumped into
the Bay of Fundy and remove Environment Canada's role in aquaculture
activities. A lobster fisherman also stated that
"to have DFO authorize pollution from a
coastal industry is simply baffling".
However,
another CBC report states that the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers'
Association says that the "new rules
proposed for the aquaculture industry will improve the environmental
performance of salmon farmers".
Meanwhile, DFO Insists that the changes will enhance
oversight of aquaculture pesticides. According to a
report in the Chronicle Herald a DFO spokesman
said that concerns about the proposed changes to
aquaculture regulations in the Fisheries Act are unfounded.
In response, a vocal group of anti-aquaculture activists have also slammed
the new pesticide rules. The
Chronicle Herald reports that the group told the Senate’s fisheries and
oceans committee that the aquaculture industry had succeeded in getting
exempted from environmental laws through years of lobbying. “It’s a big
game changer,” said Robert Johnson, sustainable seafood program manager
at the Ecology Action Centre in Halifax. “No other industry gets special
treatment to put harmful substances directly into our Canadian bays and
harbours. To effectively exempt an entire industry, and just one, is
unacceptable.”
5.
NS Amends Aquaculture Regulations
The Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture has announced
amendments to the Fisheries and Coastal Resources Act related to aquaculture
and recommendations made in the Doelle-Lahey report. In a
press release
Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister Keith Colwell. "We need stronger
oversight and to release information more proactively, and this is the first
step to make that a reality and build trust between the public, government
and the industry." He further added that "We want Nova Scotia to be
a leader in managing development of this industry in an environmentally
sustainable and accountable way." A CBC News report entitled
"Nova Scotia promises new aquaculture regime for fish farms - Independent
Nova Scotia Aquaculture Review Board will have final say on future fish farm
sites" suggests that the provincial government still has a long way to
go in implementing the recommendations of the earlier stinging report on
the need for aquaculture regulation.
6. Cooke Aquaculture Cage Debris Fouls Lobster Traps
A
report in the Digby County Courier describes
"disintegrating salmon cages in St. Mary’s Bay" that
are causing problems for local lobster harvesters. The gear, deployed by
Cooke Aquaculture, has been snarling lobster traps in the Bay for over a
year. The article notes that "Municipal councillor David Tudor says
fishermen told him months ago that the cages at two sites operated by Cooke
Aquaculture, were in rough shape and the fishermen were concerned about the
cages coming apart". Fisheries inspectors confirmed the operator has
begun cleaning up the debris. All that Fisheries and Aquaculture Minister
Keith Colwell had to say about the situation was that "we are serious
about our commitment to transparency and will continue to update the public
on the situation if there are other developments."
7. Lack of Transparency Over Salmon Farm
Virus Infection
The Atlantic Salmon Federation is criticizing federal and provincial
agencies for not publicizing a preliminary test showing the presence of a
potentially deadly salmon virus at a New Brunswick aquaculture operation.
The organization says it heard that a strain of infectious salmon anemia
was reported by an aquaculture company located along the Bay of Fundy. After
the outbreak was detected in one cage the farm was placed under quarantine.
Details at: "New
Brunswick salmon farm in quarantine after virus detected". Also see CTV
News report
"Conservation group concerned with lack of public notification of salmon
virus".
8.
DFO Boosts Funding to Enhance Atlantic Salmon
The
Chronicle Herald reports
that the federal government is providing $400,000
to Nova Scotia in an effort to help dwindling Atlantic salmon stocks. The
money will support a two-year habitat restoration project and fund the
repair and rebuild of fishways in the province. The Ministerial Advisory
Committee on Atlantic Salmon will also develop a strategy to address
unsustainable and international fishing practices and areas for advancing
science. All these efforts are in response to mounting public concerns about
diminished salmon returns, with levels in some areas hitting all-time lows
in 2014.
9.
Tidal Lagoon in Scots Bay Still on Table
Although community engagement sessions are presently on
hold ,
Halcyon Tidal Power is
still floating a proposal for a multibillion-dollar tidal energy project for
Scots Bay according to
a report in the Chronicle Herald.
“The project is still very much under
development,” Keith Towse, vice-president of development at Halcyon Tidal
Power. Obviously, the time scale has slipped a little bit. It’s a long-term
process but will make sure we get it right for such a significant project.”
The company laid out its plans at a town hall meeting in Kings County early
last year for a 10-kilometre-long tidal range lagoon facility spanning
across Scots Bay from Cape Split to Baxters Harbour, much like a dam but
with turbines in it. Halcyon hopes to harness power from the 10-metre tides
to produce up to 1,200 megawatts of electricity, “which is 25 per cent of
the province’s energy needs,” Towse said.
10. Mapping Waves and Currents at Tidal Power Site
A recent report in the Chronicle Herald describes how a new research project
is using marine radar to map waves and currents at the tidal power test site
in the upper Bay of Fundy. The project will " help determine the best
location for tidal turbines and other infrastructure in the western part of
the Minas Passage".
Complete article. Also see FORCE Report
"New Radar Images Will Assist Marine Operations, Turbine Placement".
There is also a short video of the
radar tracking images available online.
11. Research on sediment-laden Ice threat to turbines
A new report in the International Journal of Marine Energy entitled "Perspective
on the risk that sediment-laden ice poses to in-stream tidal turbines in
Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy" looks at the possibility that neutrally
point ice pans could impact turbines in the upper Bay of Fundy. The authors,
Brian Sanderson and Anna Redden, at the Acadia Centre for Estuarine
Research, conclude that "Very particular
combinations of materials would be required to produce a large ice cake that
could be entrained deep into the water column." And, furthermore,
that "No evidence has been found for
large ice cakes that are near neutrally buoyant".
12. Tidal Turbines to be Installed in Fall
The Chronicle Herald article
"Parrsboro Tidal Turbines Set to Roll" indicates that Open Hydro will
deploy two turbines at the Parrsboro area test site this fall. "This will
be the second time OpenHydro has dipped its toes in the Bay of Fundy. A
400-tonne, $10-million prototype had to be pulled from the water in 2010
after it was damaged by the powerful tides.The company later admitted it
underestimated the region, which is known as having the highest tides in the
world."
13. Tidal Power Cables Interfere with Lobster Fishing?
An article in the Chronicle herald entitled "Tidal
safety zone plan worries lobster fishermen" suggests that a planned
safety zone around undersea power cables at the tidal turbine test site in
the upper Bay of Fundy has lobster fishermen in the area worried that they
may lose access to traditional fishing areas
14. Muzzling Scientists Controversy at Boiling Point
The ongoing controversy surrounding the Harper Governments continuing
attempts to muzzle scientists and control their ability to discuss their
work came to a boil again recently. World renowned shark researcher Dr.
Steve Campana, recently retired from DFO, slammed the conservative
government for undermining Canadian science and creating a toxic atmosphere
in government research institutions. Details at:
"Steve Campana, Canadian biologist, 'disgusted' with government muzzling"
as well as in a 1:40 min
video interview. Alao see a Fifth Estate episode entitled
"Silence of the Labs" that shows how Canada's scientific reputation is
being severely damaged internationally for short-sighted ideological
reasons. See also CBC News report " FAQ:
The issues around muzzling government scientists".
15. Giant ~17 pound Lobster Caught in Fundy
CBC reports that a fisherman from Brier Island in South West Nova
Scotia recently landed a lobster weighing just under 17 pounds. It also has
a picture of Jesse Tudor and his giant crustacean.
16. Alewives Still Allowed on St. Croix River
A Maine legislative committee voted unanimously to reject a bill that would
have blocked alewives from reaching the upper sections of the St. Croix
River. The bill’s supporters, led by registered guides and sporting camp
owners in the Grand Lake Stream region, contend that alewives were never
historically present in the upper river because several waterfalls or
natural formations blocked their upstream passage. They also blame alewives
for the collapse of smallmouth bass populations in Spednik Lake and other
lakes, when barriers at several dams were removed to allow upstream
migration during the 1980s. The alewives’ defenders point to scientific
studies saying that the fish, also known as river herring, were historically
found well above the Grand Falls Dam while smallmouth bass are an
introduced, invasive species in Maine. Leaders of the Passamaquoddy tribal
communities in Washington County and across the St. Croix River in Canada
have said alewives are an important part of their culture and history.
Complete article.
17. 2014 Groundfish Survey Results
Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has conducted summer research vessel
surveys of trends in groundfish stocks on the Scotian Shelf and in the Bay
of Fundy, using a standardized protocol since 1970. Results of these surveys
provide information on trends in abundance for most groundfish species in
the Maritimes Region. While these data reflect trends in biomass and
abundance and are a critical part of science-based stock assessments, a full
assessment, including other sources of data, would be required to evaluate
the impacts of management measures on population status. The survey
information will be used by DFO Resource Management as background for
discussions with various industry stakeholders on recommendations for
management measures, and to determine which stocks should be reviewed in
more detail in 2015.
View complete PDF document (66 pages; 2.3MB)
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