Author: nlened

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Letter to the editor: A little good fish news

It’s time to celebrate some good news — the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification of the Grand Bank yellowtail flounder trawl fishery and the simultaneous achievement of a significant conservation milestone for Grand Banks cod.

Before I joined WWF-Canada as a fisheries adviser for the Newfoundland and Labrador region in 2009, WWF was actively involved as one of a number of stakeholders in the certification process.

The goal was to ensure that the yellowtail flounder fishery on the Grand Banks was sustainable for the long term and conducted with minimal impact on Atlantic cod, other fragile stocks and the marine ecosystem.

As a Newfoundlander, I am particularly proud to celebrate this certification and the commitment of our province’s fishing industry to create a better future for our fisheries.

In previous years, the yellowtail flounder fishery was responsible for a significant level of unintentional catch (called bycatch) of Grand Banks cod, a stock which has been under moratorium since 1994. MSC certification is a strong verification that Ocean Choice International’s (OCI) efforts to improve the fishery have been successful. WWF promotes MSC because it rewards best fishing practices and gives less sustainable fisheries a powerful incentive to improve. Major retailers all over the globe, including many that purchase our province’s fish products, are promising its customers they will only sell sustainable seafood.

The trend towards continuously improving and eventually certifying all Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries is an important investment in our natural capital and the only business option if the industry hopes to continue selling quality seafood to eco-minded retailers.

OCI earned the coveted MSC eco-label by departing from a “business as usual” approach.

The most important outcome was the reduction of cod bycatch by using measures such as more selective fishing gear.

The company is aiming to demonstrate sustainable marine stewardship of all its fish products and will soon have more than twothirds of its fish product portfolio under the globally recognized MSC umbrella.

The MSC certification of the yellowtail flounder fishery is good news for consumers who, now more than ever, are looking for sustainable seafood options.

This holiday season, why not purchase yellowtail flounder and other sustainable seafood such as northern prawn or shrimp, to serve to family and friends during the festivities? Look for local seafood products that bear the blue MSC checkmark eco-label. And for some great seafood recipes, may I suggest Joan Over’s book “The Newfoundland and Labrador Seafood Cookbook” (2003), which includes a number of yellowtail flounder and shrimp recipes: http://www.tidespoint.com/books/seafood_cookbook.shtml.

The MSC certification of yellowtail flounder is one of a number of efforts to reduce bycatch and promote cod recovery.

While there is still much to do to ensure the recovery of cod in Canadian and adjacent international fisheries, now is a good time to pause for a little celebration, with the hope that one good news story will be followed by another.

By Shelley Dwyer
This Letter to the Editor was originally published December 11, 2010 in The Telegram

Shelley Dwyer is a fisheries conservation adviser with the Atlantic Region World Wildlife Fund.

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A Rush to save Reindeer Habitat

Largest conservation deal in Atlantic Canada will save critical habitat for Woodland Caribou and the threatened Newfoundland Marten

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador: The race is on to save a 3,700-acre (1,497 hectare) untouched oasis home to reindeer (Woodland Caribou) and the threatened Newfoundland Marten but we need your help!

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) must raise $100,000 by the January to save the “Grassy Place” in Southwestern Newfoundland, which is one of the largest parcel of private land on the Island of Newfoundland.

The urgency to protect this incredible, unique place lies in the threat of losing habitat for the threatened species, Woodland Caribou, waterfowl and migratory birds that live here uninterrupted. This opportunity represents the largest private land conservation deal in Atlantic Canada and is seen as a highly important area to protect by scientists, the conservation community, governments and private individuals.

So what would be a better holiday gift than protecting an untouched piece of Canadian nature home to threatened species, Woodland Caribou, waterfowl and migratory birds?

By donating to the Grassy Place, not only will you help NCC save this incredible landscape, you will be helping save an untouched piece of Canada for all time. If NCC is successful in raising the remaining $100,000, the property will be forever left in its natural state. If the remaining $100,000 is not raised by the closing date, the property will go back on the open market.

To donate to NCC in efforts to protect the Grassy Place, call Douglas at 709.753.5540 or Alicia toll free at 1.866.319.5985.

QUOTES

“The conservation community has long been aware of the need to protect this incredibly large parcel of private land in southwestern Newfoundland. The Nature Conservancy of Canada needs your help today to protect this habitat for the caribou, Newfoundland Marten and other plants and animals that live there,” said Linda Stephenson, Regional Vice President for the Atlantic Region of NCC.

“For those who dream of wilderness, ‘Grassy Place’, located in the Robinson’s River Valley is one of the rare places left in insular Newfoundland where the human footprint is barely discernable,” said Aiden Mahoney, a passionate NCC volunteer and resident of Newfoundland and Labrador.

FACTS

· The Grassy Place is a gem hidden in the Long Range Mountains, the most northerly extension of the Appalachian Mountains in North America and has long been identified as an area of ecological significance.

· “Caribou” occur worldwide in the Northern Hemisphere and they are called different names depending on their location and habitat preference (e.g. Caribou in Newfoundland, Deer in the Arctic and Reindeer in Northwestern Europe.

· For decades, representatives of government and the conservation sector have attempted to secure and protect this valley, with no success.

· The Grassy Place is referred to as an oasis because of its location and wetlands. The Grassy Place contains the most extensive example of natural grassland in Newfoundland and Labrador.

· During the spring, sufficient water is backed up by melting ice and snow to flood the entire valley floor and this high-water period prevents any tree development on the floodplain. The absence of trees and shrubs in Newfoundland meadows are extremely rare at this scale.

· With a global population of fewer than 900, the Newfoundland Marten is a threatened forest-dependent mammal that lives in remote areas and needs a very large range in which to roam.

LEARN MORE

The Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) is the nation’s leading private land conservation organization, working to protect our valuable natural areas and the plants and animals they sustain.

Since 1962 NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 2 million acres (800,000 hectares), coast to coast and over 8,300 acres (3,358 hectares) in Newfoundland and Labrador. By investing in conservation we are ensuring that our natural world remains a home for wildlife, a haven for recreation and a vital resource that cleans the air we breathe and the water we drink. Through strong partnerships NCC works to safeguard our natural areas so that our children and grandchildren will have the chance to enjoy them.

CONTACT: Crystal Folkins

Manager of Communications, Atlantic Region

The Nature Conservancy of Canada

Tel.: 506.292.5118

Crystal.Folkins@natureconservancy.ca

www.natureconservancy.ca

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Tell The Environment Committee To Pass Bill C-469, The Canadian Environmental Bill Of Rights

Bill C-469, the Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights is currently before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. Unfortunately, this important bill is being stalled in the Committee by some committee members. Environmental rights are recognized in 170 countries around the world, and are enshrined in legislation in the Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Ontario and Quebec. Environmental rights should be extended to all Canadians equally. If you support environmental rights for all Canadians, please take a few minutes to write to the members of the Committee and let them know that you support bill C-469, the Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights. CHAIR: James Bezan M.P. (bezanj@parl.gc.ca). Members: Stephen Woodworth M.P. (woodws@parl.gc.ca); Mark Warawa M.P. (warawm@parl.gc.ca); Blaine Calkins M.P. (calkib@parl.gc.ca); Steven Blaney M.P. (blanes@parl.gc.ca); Armstrong, Scott M.P. (armsts@parl.gc.ca); Francis Scarpaleggia M.P. (scarpf@parl.gc.ca); Joyce Murray M.P. (murraj@parl.gc.ca); Gerard Kennedy M.P. (kenneg@parl.gc.ca); Christian Ouellet Député (ouellc@parl.gc.ca); Bernard Bigras Député (bigrab@parl.gc.ca); Linda Duncan, M.P. (duncal0@parl.gc.ca); CLERK : Guyanne Desforges (desfog@parl.gc.ca).

If you would like a copy of the bill, please contact Linda Duncan at DuncaL0@parl.gc.ca. About the Bill: The bill requires the federal government to take action to protect Canadians’ right to a healthy environment; It ensures access to environmental information and the right to participate in decisions related to the environment; It expands the right to request investigations of environmental offences and bring environmental issues to the courts; It provides whistleblower protection for employees; It ensures accountability by giving Canadians the right to bring the federal government to court when it fails to enforce environmental laws. Please help. Write to all members of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development and tell them you want them to pass Bill C-469. You can download a copy of Linda Duncan’s (M.P., Edmonton Strathcona) petition here (http://www.lindaduncan.ndp.ca/node/251).

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Report released: 2010 Fall Report by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

The 2010 Fall Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan, was tabled in the House of Commons on Tuesday, 7 December 2010. The report covers three important topics: oil spills from ships; federal monitoring of freshwater resources; and, climate change impacts and adaptation.

Lack of leadership hinders progress on environmental issues

Government not ready to respond to the impacts of a changing climate

Monitoring of Canada’s lakes and rivers is inadequate

Government not ready to respond to a major oil spill

To access full report: http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/parl_cesd_201012_e_34435.html

Related:
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Public presentation and Q&A – 2010 Fall Report by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
7:00 pm, Junior Common Room, Gushue Hall, Memorial University, St. John’s

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Canadian Environmental Network Call for Delegates: National Energy Board Consultation on Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Section Update to Filing Manual

The Canadian Environmental Network’s Environmental Planning and Assessment Caucus has been requested by the National Energy Board (NEB) to select up to 10 ENGO delegates to participate in a bilateral consultation to seek ENGO input into the Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment (ESA) Section Update to the Filing Manual. The Filing Manual has been developed to provide guidance regarding the information the NEB would typically need when making its decision on a proposed project. This will assist the NEB in fulfilling its responsibilities under the National Energy Board Act and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. The Filing Manual Update will provide an opportunity for all interested parties and the Board to engage in dialogue, improve understanding of environmental and socio-economic assessment review processes currently in place, and generate options for potential improvements to the environmental and socio-economic assessment section of the Filing Manual. The consultation session will happen January 14, 2011 in Calgary, AB (to be confirmed following delegate selection). Delegate Application deadline: Friday, December 10, 2010. For more information or to submit an application click here: http://rcen.ca/public-participation/national-energy-board-consultation-on-environmental-and-socio-economic-assessme

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Corner Brook Christmas Bird Count

The Corner Brook Christmas Bird Count, organised by the Humber Natural History Society will be held on Sunday Jan 2, 2011 (storm date Monday, Jan 3, 2011). Our area is within a circle bounded by Hammond Farm, back of Marble Mountain, top of Massey Drive, Loggers’ School Rd, Mt Moriah and Meadows. Please Luise Bateman if you would like to help out by either watching your bird feeders or wandering some area of that circle during the day (walk, snowshoe, ski). Contact Luise to indicate your preferred area. You can go out for all day or for a few hours, keeping track of the distance and time involved (as well as the birds seen!). Contact info: Lois Bateman, 634-7206 – home, 637-6247 – work; lbateman@swgc.mun.ca.

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Invitation: Christmas Party at the Environmental Gathering Place

4:30pm – 9:00pm, Environmental Gathering Place, 172 Military Road, top floor, St. John’s
All environmentalists and nature lovers are cordially invited to the Environmental Gathering Place Christmas Party! This will be a potluck, so bring something along to eat if you like. Or simply stop by for some holiday cheer! Bring family and friends. For more info: 753-7898 or nlen.ed@gmail.com

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Public presentation and Q&A – 2010 Fall Report by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

7:00 pm, Junior Common Room, Gushue Hall, Memorial University, St. John’s
The federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Scott Vaughan, will be presenting findings from his December 2010 report to Parliament, followed by a question and answer session. The Commissioner’s report covers three important topics: oil spills from ships; federal monitoring of freshwater resources; and, climate change impacts and adaptation. The session will provide a unique opportunity to hear from the Commissioner personally about the work of his office and recent findings. Copies of the Commissioner’s reports will be available as of December 7 at http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca. This event is organised by the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network in partnership with the Environmental Policy Unit (Grenfell College). For further information contact the NLEN at 709-753-7898 or nlen.ed@gmail.com. Gushue Hall is located in the Paton College complex (Main Dining Hall), Memorial Campus, St. John’s. Free parking is available directly in front of Gushue Hall on the Parkway side.