ISUA IRON ORE PROJECT ANNEX 3 OF THE EIA MARINE MAMMALS AND SEA BIRDS IN GODTHÅBSFJORD MARCH 2013 Orbicon A/S Ringstedvej 20 DK 4000 Roskilde Denmark Phone + 45 46 30 03 10 Version 5.0 Date 15 March 2013 Prepared MMAC & FPJE Preface This document is Annex 3 to the EIA of the Isua Iron Ore Project. Annex 3 deals with marine mammals and sea birds in Godthåbsfjord and the potential impact related to disturbances from the project activities. The findings and conclusions from this Annex are summarized in the EIA main report. Issues related to potential spills of oil or chemicals in Godthåbsfjord are dealt with in Annex 6. Annexes of the EIA: Annex Report title no. 1 The natural environment of the study area 2 Caribou population in the study area 3 Marine mammals and sea birds in Godthåbsfjord 4 Air quality assessment 5 Noise assessment 6 Oil and chemicals and assessment of potential impacts of spills 7 Water management assessment 8 Geochemical characterisation and assessment of mine waste management 9 Hydropower Development-Preliminary Study. Technical Report 10 Environmental Management Plan (EMP) Annex 3 to the EIA of Isua Iron Ore Project 2/50 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 7 2 METHOD OF STUDY .......................................................................................................... 8 3 GODTHÅBSFJORD ............................................................................................................ 9 3.1 Human land-use ...............................................................................................................13 3.1.1 Fishing ............................................................................................................................. 13 3.1.2 Hunting ............................................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Shipping ............................................................................................................................14 4 THE BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT OF GODTHÅBSFJORD ........................................15 4.1 Marine mammals ..............................................................................................................16 4.1.1 Ringed seal Pusa hispida ............................................................................................... 16 4.1.2 Harp seal Pagophilus groenlandica ................................................................................ 16 4.1.3 Hooded Seal Cystophora cristata ................................................................................... 17 4.1.4 Humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae .................................................................... 17 4.1.5 Minke whale Balaenoptera acutorostrata........................................................................ 18 4.1.6 Fin whale Balaenoptera physalus ................................................................................... 18 4.1.7 Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena .......................................................................... 19 4.1.8 Sperm whale Physeter macrocephalus .......................................................................... 19 4.2 Sea birds ...........................................................................................................................19 4.2.1 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo ........................................................................... 19 4.2.2 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos ............................................................................................ 19 4.2.3 Eider Duck Somateria mollissima ................................................................................... 19 4.2.4 Harlequin Duck Histrionicus histrionicus ......................................................................... 20 4.2.5 Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis............................................................................... 21 4.2.6 White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla ............................................................................ 21 4.2.7 Iceland Gull Larus glaucoides ......................................................................................... 21 4.2.8 Glaucous gull Larus hyperboreus ................................................................................... 21 4.2.9 Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus ......................................................................... 21 4.2.10 Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus ...................................................................... 22 4.2.11 Herring Gull Larus argentatus ..................................................................................... 23 4.2.12 Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla ...................................................................... 23 4.2.13 Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea .................................................................................... 23 4.2.14 Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle .................................................................................. 24 4.2.15 Razorbill Alca torda ..................................................................................................... 24 4.3 Fish ....................................................................................................................................24 4.3.1 Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua ............................................................................................ 24 4.3.2 Greenland Cod/Uvak Gadus ogac .................................................................................. 24 4.3.3 Greenland Halibut Reinhardtius hippelglossoides .......................................................... 25 4.3.4 Capelin Mallotus villosus ................................................................................................. 25 4.3.5 Lumpsucker Cyclopterus lumpus .................................................................................... 25 4.4 Threatened species .........................................................................................................26 5 SITES OF PARTICULAR IMPORTANCE FOR BIODIVERSITY ......................................27 5.1 Areas protected according to international agreements .............................................27 5.2 Areas protected according to national legislation .......................................................27 Annex 3 to the EIA of Isua Iron Ore Project 3/50 5.3 Areas of conservation concern identified by NGOs ....................................................27 5.4 Sea bird colonies .............................................................................................................27 5.4.1 Wintering areas of seabirds ............................................................................................ 29 5.4.2 Spawning areas for Lumpsucker and Capelin ................................................................ 29 6 IMPACT ASSESSMENT ...................................................................................................30 6.1 Expected shipping activities for Isua Project ...............................................................30 6.2 Impact assessment methodology ..................................................................................31 6.3 Impacts to marine environment due to shipping (planned events) ............................34 6.3.1 Present and future ship traffic ......................................................................................... 34 6.3.2 Ambient noise ................................................................................................................. 36 6.3.3 Noise sources that can affect a noise budget ................................................................. 38 6.3.4 Behavioural disturbances ................................................................................................ 40 6.3.5 Navigational speed expectations .................................................................................... 41 6.3.6 Risk of collisions .............................................................................................................. 42 6.3.7 Overall risk assessment .................................................................................................. 42 6.3.8 Air emissions ................................................................................................................... 43 6.3.9 Introduction of invasive non-indigenous species with ballast water ............................... 44 6.3.10 Impact to marine mammals and sea birds of ice management .................................. 45 6.4 Impacts to marine environment due to shipping (unplanned events) .......................45 6.4.1 Ship strikes ...................................................................................................................... 45 7 REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................47 Annex 3 to the EIA of Isua Iron Ore Project 4/50 List of figures Figure 1-1 The study area in Godthåbsfjord ................................................................................... 7 Figure 2-1 Baseline sampling of fish in Godthåbsfjord ................................................................... 8 Figure 3-1 The expected shipping route through the main branch of Godthåbsfjord ..................... 9 Figure 3-2 Bathymetry