Seabird bycatch in the eastern Canadian Arctic

• Main Authors: 3rd World Seabird Conference 2021, Provencher, Jennifer
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: Underline Science Inc. 2021
• Subjects: Environmental Change; Water Pollution; Food Industry; Ornithology; Arctic; Baffin Bay; Canada; Greenland; Fulmar; Baffin; Climate change; Davis Strait; Fulmarus glacialis; University of Newfoundland
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48448/2e18-vn35; https://underline.io/lecture/34838-seabird-bycatch-in-the-eastern-canadian-arctic

Abstract: Fisheries are an important industry in the East Canadian Arctic as the sustainable development of the regions progresses. Each year millions of seabirds migrate to the region to breed and take advantage of the highly productive waters during the Arctic summer. While only a limited number of reports deal with Arctic fisheries seabird bycatch in Canada, published reports indicate that seabird bycatch in both the longline and gillnet fisheries for Greenland Halibut in Baffin Bay and Davis Strait is almost exclusively Northern Fulmars (Fulmarus glacialis). While population modelling suggests that this level of incidental take may be problematic for local populations, projected declines at the larger regional level are less severe. We present new data on the level of bycatch of northern fulmars in the eastern Canadian Arctic in relation to updated colony census performed in 2018 and 2020. It appears that while industrial offshore fishing in the region, which started in 2001, does not coincide with steep declines in fulmar populations in the region, there is an overall decline being observed at many of the colonies in the region suggesting that these populations may be vulnerable to further multiple stressors. Authors: Jennifer Provencher¹, Mark Mallory², Allison Anholt³, Brett Favaro³ ¹Environment and Climate Change Canada, ²Acadia, ³Memorial University of Newfoundland