Human Systems of the South Coast of Newfoundland: Cape Ray to Point Crewe
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Human Systems of the South Coast of Newfoundland: Cape Ray to Point Crewe Prepared for: Oceans Division Oceans and Habitat Management Branch Fisheries and Oceans Canada Newfoundland and Labrador Region Prepared by: Intervale Conservation and Heritage Associates, Inc. K.A. Blanchard, C.C. Hood, R. Wall, B. Pilgrim May 2006 Intervale Conservation and Heritage Associates, Inc. P.O. Box 172 Doyles, NL A0N 1J0 The views expressed in this document are solely those of the respective authors, and should not be characterized as reflecting the views or policies of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans nor the Government of Canada. Human Activities on the South Coast of Newfoundland Acknowledgements Preparing Ecosystem Overview reports requires the cooperation and assistance of numerous scientists, resource managers, policy analysts, biometrics experts, and technicians. We thank the many people at Fisheries and Oceans Canada who provided research documents, status reports, landings data, and management plans. We thank Bill Hickey and Conrad Mullins for their insight into Integrated Management Planning as it relates to the Large Ocean Management Areas in Newfoundland and Labrador. We are especially grateful to Joan O’Brien for her overall coordination of this project within the Oceans Division at DFO. We thank Helen Griffiths, Elizabeth Bennett, and Dan Ings for their assistance during various stages of the project. Many individuals from other government agencies, Regional Economic Development Boards, municipalities, industry, nongovernmental organizations, and community leaders assisted us in acquiring information for this report. We referenced these individuals and their organizations where appropriate. Camellia Ibrahim and Suzie Barry assisted us at Intervale. Stephen Engle and his team prepared the maps. We are grateful to them all. i Human Activities on the South Coast of Newfoundland Executive Summary This report presents an overview of major human activities along the South Coast of Newfoundland of a socio-economic nature that are of relevance to Integrated Management. It is presented to the Oceans Division, Oceans and Habitat Management Branch, of Fisheries and Oceans Canada for use in Integrated Management of marine resource exploitation and oceans management. Integrated Management is an ecosystem- based approach that brings together environmental, economic, and social considerations for use in informed decision-making and planning. The geographic limits are defined as Cape Ray in southwestern Newfoundland to Point Crewe on the tip of the Burin Peninsula, extending landward to encompass all watersheds that drain to the South Coast and seaward approximately 24 nautical miles. This region has been identified by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) as part of the Placentia Bay/Grand Banks Large Ocean Management Area (LOMA). The scope of the report is broad-based and follows a standard outline for ecosystem overviews that was developed by DFO. Existing information about commercial fisheries, aquaculture, human population and socio-demographic features, as well as a range of other topics, are summarized and presented in text as well as 60 tables, 37 figures, and 31 appendices. Omissions of data were noted where appropriate. Currently there are 45 communities of the South Coast, 39 of which have populations of less than 1000. The six communities with populations of over 1000 are Port aux Basques, Burgeo, Harbour Breton, St. Albans, Fortune, and Grand Bank. Several communities are linked by ferry service and have no road access to the rest of Newfoundland. The 2001 census by Statistics Canada lists the total population for the South Coast communities as 27,225. Since 1991, the population as a whole has declined 20%, with the only community showing positive growth rate being Samiajij Miawpukek at Conne River. Commercial fisheries still represent the most important economic base for many South Coast communities. Currently there are approximately 3,179 commercial licences for a range of fishing gear held by fishers with a homeport between Cape Ray and Fortune. Landings data (weight and value) for the period 1985-2005 for ten commercially harvested marine fish species and four invertebrate species are presented by Divisions and Subdivisions of the North Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) and summarized as line graphs. Landings data by DFO statistical sections appears in a separately bound set of appendices. Aquaculture is currently an important and expanding industry along the South Coast, with 42 aquaculture facilities for salmonids and cod alone, primarily centered in the Coast of Bays region. ii Human Activities on the South Coast of Newfoundland Table of Contents Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................i Executive Summary.................................................................................................ii Table of Contents .....................................................................................................iii List of Tables ............................................................................................................vi List of Figures...........................................................................................................xi List of Appendices....................................................................................................xiv 1.0 Introduction ..............................................................................................1 1.1 Purpose of the Report.........................................................................1 1.2 Study Area .........................................................................................1 2.0 Methodology .............................................................................................4 2.1 Sources of Information ......................................................................4 2.2 Report Structure.................................................................................4 3.0 Governance Structures .........................................................................4 3.1 Governance in the Context of Integrated Management .....................4 3.2 Federal and Provincial Departments and Agencies ..........................5 3.3 Traditional/Aboriginal Governance...................................................7 3.4 Industry Boards, Cooperatives, and Non-governmental Organizations .....................................................................................8 3.5 Federal and Provincial Government Legislative Representation.......10 3.6 Regional Economic Development Boards.........................................11 3.7 Rural Secretariat.................................................................................12 3.8 Other Districts....................................................................................13 4.0 Human Settlements ................................................................................13 4.1 Communities......................................................................................13 4.2 Abandoned Communities...................................................................14 4.3 Population: Status and Trends ..........................................................15 4.4 Labour Force, Income, Education......................................................22 4.5 Archaeological Sites and Artefacts....................................................22 5.0 Human Activities: Harvesting of Renewable Marine Resources ...................................................................................23 5.1 Commercial Fishing...........................................................................23 5.1.1 Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) ...............................................27 5.1.2 American Plaice (Hippoglossus platessoides).......................31 5.1.3 Pollock (Pollachius virens)....................................................34 5.1.4 White Hake (Urophycis tenuis) .............................................37 5.1.5 Atlantic Halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglissus) .......................40 5.1.6 Witch Flounder (Glyptocephalus cynoglossus) .....................43 5.1.7 Turbot (Greenland halibut) (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) .46 iii Human Activities on the South Coast of Newfoundland 5.1.8 Redfish (Sebastes spp.) ..........................................................49 5.1.9 Lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus) ............................................52 5.1.10 Atlantic Herring (Clupea harengus) ......................................55 5.1.11 Iceland Scallop (Chlamys islandica) ....................................58 5.1.12 American Lobster (Homarus americanus) ............................61 5.1.13 Northern Shrimp (Pandalus borealis) ...................................65 5.1.14 Snow Crab (Chionecetes opilio) ............................................68 5.1.15 Emerging Fisheries ................................................................71 5.2 Fish Processing ..................................................................................71 5.3 Seal Hunting/Seal Fishery..................................................................74 5.4 Marine Species at Risk along the South Coast ..................................76 5.5 Aboriginal Fisheries...........................................................................78 5.6 Aquaculture........................................................................................79 5.6.1 Development